Mercedes BENZ A Class Reliability by Year
Best & Worst Years, Problems & Recalls — NHTSA Data

Sunroof shattered while driving on interstate.

engines containing pistons that prematurely fail, forcing full-engine replaced all 4 pistons replaced . Car would die/ shut down, sputter , rock shake excessively and want to not go, 22307 WRO 103114. DIAG 15.5, LI01.30-P-072328,, C&D BATTERY CHARGER. PERFORMED SHORT TEST. FOUND CODE P219F78. R&R SPARK PLUGS.PERFORMED LEAK CHECK WITH SPARK PLUGS REMOVED. FOUND CYLINDER #04 LEAKING. R&R WHEELS. R&R UNDER BODY PANELS AT ENGINE COMPARTMENT. RELIVE FUEL PRESSURE. D&C BATTERY GROUND. DRAINED AND FILLED COOLANT.R&R CYLINDER HEAD. INSPECTED CYLINDER HEAD FOR LEAKS. FOUND THE EXHAUSTVALVE ON CYLINDER #04 IS WORN AND LEAKING. REPLACED THE CYLINDER HEAD. REPLACED OIL AND FILTER .window Electric unit the computer not pairing or working , windshield wipers not working

this is a formal notification regarding my vehicle that I purchased at House Of Imports on February 27, 2021. A Mercedes Benz A-Class 220 year 2021, VIN #W1K3G4EB7MJ290124. Shortly after purchase I experienced several safety concerns about the vehicle. The first and main concern are while driving vehicle the accelerator stopped working ,vehicle would not move forward or back which put my life in a dangerous situation due to this isssue that occured while on a main street with incoming traffic. Immediately I made an a report with dealer and car was taken to dealership ( House Of Imports) . The advisor told me it was a software issue and they updated the system which they said vehicle will not have that issue again. Several things were replaced which ai have the repair documents. The second issue with the vehicle was about 3 weeks from this date today I turned on my vehicle to exit my garage I put the gear on Reverse and it did not move , I tried to move thr car forward meaning putting the gear on Drive and still nothing happened, after several attempts nothing happened. I decided to turn off the vehicle and a few hours later turned it back on and I was able to drive. The third issue was just last week January 19, 2026 I turned on vehicle to exit my garage and again the car would not move back or forward. I tried changing gears multiple times for about 20 minutes but car never moved it seemed completely stuck. The following day I had to get the car towed to House Of Imports, and it has been at dealer since then. Due to this situation I no longer feel safe driving the vehicle, I don't consider the vehicle is in proper safety functioning condition and it's not corresponding to the value paid. For this matter I respectfully request an immediate solution.

While driving my lease vehicle on two separate days, it completely shut down while in motion with no prior warning. The first incident occurred while crossing a MAX train intersection in downtown Portland. The engine stopped mid intersection, emitted a strong mechanical odor, ticking noises began, and dashboard alerts appeared. I could not restart or shift the vehicle into neutral. It was stuck, blocking the intersection. Although hazard lights were flashing, the vehicle appeared completely undamaged, so other drivers didn’t realize it was disabled. Police were called to the scene, and we had to remain alert for oncoming trains and traffic weaving around us. Four days later, while driving about 30 MPH on Murray Boulevard near Cornell Rd, a 4-lane hwy near a freeway off-ramp the car failed again in the exact same way. The engine shut down in active traffic. The smell, ticking sounds, and dashboard messages all returned. The vehicle once again would not shift into neutral or respond to restarts. This failure happened with traffic traveling 30-45MPH. Despite police presence and hazard lights, multiple near-accidents occurred because the vehicle looked fully intact and other drivers didn’t understand it was inoperable. Mercedes-Benz claimed this was a starter motor issue, which is inaccurate. A starter motor does not cause a moving vehicle to shut off, nor does it lock out neutral. These symptoms point to a critical failure of the powertrain or electrical system. Most alarming is the inability to manually override the system and move the vehicle to safety. Bystanders and even police were unable to shift or push it. This is a serious design flaw that turns a technical malfunction into a dangerous roadside emergency. This vehicle was in pristine condition with no damage or misuse. I kept up with all maintenance and care. Technology should never prevent human intervention during failure. These incidents placed lives at serious risk.

Rear view camera says it is inoperative when I put it in reverse. I understand that a number of Mercedes models have been recalled due to a software issue but the dealer tells me my car is not on the list. The problem I have is identical to the other models. My car should be on the list

there’s a recall, and I need it fixed asap, i called mercedes and they said they don’t know when they’ll be able to do it, that it could take “years” ??????

The driver’s seatbelt failed to properly engage during a high-speed rear-end collision allowing his head and face to strike the steering wheel causing a loss of consciousness and other symptoms of traumatic brain injury. Thus far the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer but it is believed the seat belt was inspected by EMTs responding to the scene. Additional documentation will be provided when received. There were no warnings or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. This report is filed on behalf of the owner and driver by their attorney.

Traveling at 65 MPH in the right-hand lane * Driving Assistance ON * Traffic Sign Assist ON * Speed Limit Adoption ON Staying in the right-hand lane, I pass by an offramp Sudden deceleration to 20 MPH – Phantom braking This has happened twice traveling past the same offramp. Since, I have turned the Speed Limit Adoption OFF Note that this particular off ramp has more than one speed limit sign (yellow) visible from the freeway. My guess is that the Mercedes is reading the off ramp signs and interpreting them to be for the freeway and not for the off ramp. I consider the sudden deceleration to be dangerous

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes Benz A220. The contact stated while reversing the vehicle, the rearview camera screen was blank. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and was made aware that NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V354000 (Back Over Prevention, Electrical System) was associated with the VIN. The dealer informed the contact that she was added to the waiting list. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes Benz A220. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V354000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact experienced the failure listed in the recall. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz A220. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V354000 (Back Over Prevention, Electrical System). The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the recall but referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that the recall was an over the air update (OTA) but had not provided a time frame for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

While driving at highway speed, I experienced a sudden loss of engine power with no warning. This created an immediate safety hazard for myself and other drivers. The vehicle was diagnosed by Mercedes-Benz of Georgetown as requiring a full engine replacement (~$19,000). This failure is consistent with a known defect in the 2.0L M260 engine used in the 2020 A220, involving premature wear of exhaust valve seat rings and valve guides, causing leaking valves, loss of compression, and catastrophic engine failure. Mercedes-Benz of Georgetown performed a warranty cylinder head replacement on this same engine just five months prior (12/09/2025). The vehicle has been serviced primarily at the authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer, driven under 10,000 miles/year, and purchased new in January 2020. Mercedes-Benz USA has acknowledged the defect by covering engine parts but is refusing to cover $6,733.38 in labor costs, leaving me with a $5,000 out-of-pocket expense for their manufacturing defect. Case Number: 22307804.”

There was a rear camera recall in 2022 which I had fixed they did a software upgrade. The EXACT same issue has returned . It’s really dangerous when backing out of spaces and I can’t see. I took to dealership and they claim my license plate cover is the issue however even without the cover the exact problem with camera exists it is the same failure

My 2020 Mercedes-Benz A220 experienced the same defect described in NHTSA Recall 21V961000 (fuel injector leakage and potential fire hazard). In March 2023, my vehicle was diagnosed with leaking fuel injectors that were causing fuel to leak back through electrical connections, creating circuit issues and a fire risk. I paid $2,902.65 out-of-pocket at a certified service center to have all four OEM fuel injectors replaced (invoice available). Later, I took my car to a Mercedes-Benz dealership, where they performed additional work on the fuel injector system at no cost to me. The service advisor stated that this was covered under a recall/service campaign related to the fuel injector defect. This shows Mercedes-Benz has already acknowledged that my car was affected by the exact same issue covered under Recall 21V961000. However, I was told my VIN [XXX] ) is not officially included in the recall population, and Mercedes-Benz USA has declined to reimburse me for the $2,800+ repair. I believe my vehicle should have been included in the recall population and request that NHTSA review whether the recall scope should be expanded. I also request reimbursement for the repair costs I incurred prior to Mercedes-Benz performing the recall-related fix for free. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

August 2024 the dealership had my vehicle for over a month for major engine repairs after the motor mount snapped on the freeway and since then I only drove 3661 miles and I’m now convinced that they miss diagnosed and missed something It never drove the same after so on June 24th I was driving home and the engine seized and almost ejected me from the vehicle and I thank god for seatbelts The car was towed to the dealership and no loaner nor communication for 3 weeks Then tried to charge me $5000 then $3500 to do a teardown after telling me a week ago that I have catastrophic engine failure that is not fixable at all Last Thursday and Friday they did teardown to see what caused this and I am covered under warranty The service manager called me yesterday morning stating it is the 2 rod bearing that caused bright gold metal shavings in my engine oil that caused a catastrophic engine failure I requested that the service manager send me the written report so I can see He said nope it’s internal between him and Mercedes USA I explained I am the rightful owner of this vehicle and I have the right to know but more importantly I am scared and feel very unsafe to drive that vehicle again especially after the 2 times in under a year and now what about my transmission and other major components of my car Also I know they will report this car as a salvage or engine replacement under warranty on carfax which hurts the value of my car I did write a demand letter last night to Mercedes Benz consumer affairs and Mercedes USA to get me that information to protect my legal rights, warranty and resale value of my car Can you help N before the 2 major and catastrophic engine failure The electrical motor went out 2 x and had to be replaced Air bags The sunroof needed a complete replacement due to electrical Steering issues Suspension Major tire pressure issues

My 2020 Mercedes-Benz A-Class has experienced a recurring and extremely dangerous transmission malfunction beginning around 15,000 miles and continuing through 75,000 miles. While driving on both highways and main streets, the car would suddenly stall and shift itself into neutral. A warning message would appear on the dash saying “Cannot reverse – take to dealer.” The gas pedal would become unresponsive, and although I would try to shift back into Drive, the car would not move. The vehicle would slowly lose power and come to a stop in the middle of the road/highway, leaving me completely stranded in traffic with no safe way to move the car. On one occasion, I panicked while stopped in the road and attempted to switch into manual mode with paddle shifters and back to Drive — this briefly worked and allowed me to coast to a safe location. However, on the most recent and most dangerous incident, the car showed cannot reverse take to dealer the switch to “Transmission Malfunction – Stop Vehicle” and no tricks worked. I was stuck in traffic on the highway,for a few minutes unable to drive, until I turned the vehicle off and on multiple times, after which it allowed me to shift back into Drive and exit the roadway. Experiencing the worse anxiety I’ve ever felt in my life as I was just thinking I was going to get hit at full speed and die. This issue has happened multiple times and created life-threatening situations every time and emotional stress. Mercedes-Benz has acknowledged the defect by approving a manufacturer buyback, but the defect has never been fully repaired as of yet. My car is still at dealer. I am filing this complaint to alert NHTSA of this recurring and unsafe issue in the 2020 Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Other drivers may experience the same malfunction, and this could result in serious accidents or fatalities if not addressed through investigation or recall.

August 2024 Engine mount broke and almost crashed my car the dealership did this: Rear engine support replace Remove/install complete wheel Engine compartment paneling, bottom Centre remove/install The torque struts were replaced N torque strut fasteners It had 38,195 miles I had engine trouble while driving on June 24th and towed it to dealership It has 41.856 not even 3661 The brakes locked and almost ejected me from car thank god for seatbelts Towed to dealership and they tell me a week and a couple days later saying it has catastrophic engine failure They have had my car almost 2 weeks no loaner no response until I kept showing up at dealership I want a buyback or a complete replacement due to the car is unsafe to drive and I’m positive it has something to due with previous work they did or didn’t diagnose previous issue properly or used faulty parts

The drivetrain/shaft is causing rumbling in the vehicle when accelerating and decelerating, typically around highway speeds. after more investigation the parts used on the a220 were also used on the gle350 that were recalled for having the same issues however the a220 wasn’t recalled for those issues.

I used the factory installed remote start via the Mercedes me app, and within a couple of minutes the car was in flames.

Vehicle makes popping/clicking noise when turning the steering wheel. Is worse when vehicle is cold. Causes rough driving.