2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact sedan with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the CLA250, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 1 complaint, most often about the electrical system.

Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLA250 | Hybrid | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo + 48V Li-Ion | 26 | 36 | 30 | $2,750 |
| CLA250 4matic | Hybrid | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo + 48V Li-Ion | 25 | 34 | 29 | $2,850 |
| AMG CLA35 4matic | Hybrid | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo + 48V Li-Ion | 22 | 29 | 25 | $3,300 |
| AMG CLA45 S 4matic | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 20 | 28 | 23 | $3,550 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 47929, 47928, 47927, 47994.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLA250, CLA250 4matic | 6 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
| AMG CLA35 4matic | 5 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 50 / California LEV-III ULEV50 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
| AMG CLA45 S 4matic | 2 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / California LEV-III ULEV125 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Sedan/Saloon |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Displacement | 2 L |
| Engine configuration | In-Line |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 221 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Seating
| Seat rows | 2 |
| Seating capacity | 5 seats |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | AWD/All-Wheel Drive |
| Transmission speeds | 8 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Parking assist
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes one configuration rather than every trim (seen: CLA 250 4MATIC). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 184.6 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 72.0 in |
| Height | 56.3 in |
| Wheelbase | 107.5 in |
| Track, front | 63.4 in |
| Track, rear | 63.0 in |
| Curb weight | 4,597–4,729 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 60/40 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 3 configurations: 4-door Coupe, AMG Cla 35 4-door Coupe, AMG Cla 45 4-door Coupe. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
The cheapest ownership win
Insurers price the 2025 CLA-Class very differently, and the gap between the best and worst quote on the same car and driver is usually larger than any option you are weighing on this page.
How to compare cover →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (0)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseNo NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this CLA-Class →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported
1.0 per 10,000 built · Mercedes-Benz reported 10,105 CLA-Class built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2025: 1
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
The vehicle camera is not working it’s blacking out I can’t see when I’m attempting to park
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Mercedes-Benz itself: 2 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 2 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 20 per 100,000 built. Every CLA-Class model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAPNHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Electrical System, Structure, Power Train, Steering, Engine.
- LI54.71-P-080956 Service bulletin2026-10-07 · Electrical System
- Complaint 174 with MB. OS 2.1.3 ‑ Driver Assistance System Limited in Instrument Cluster and Does Not Self‑Extinguish. When vehicle is shut off, instrument cluster message appears for "Driver Assistance Systems Available". Cause Under Determination. Remedy Perform initial startup of the head unit (A26/17) and the intelligent drive controller (N62/5).
- LI46.10-P-080896 Service bulletin2026-09-26 · Steering
- Complaint Slight creaking noises when steering. Cause Noises may come from one or more sleeves of the horn contact plate. Remedy Remove the horn contact plate and check the sleeves for noise; see attached video. If necessary, apply lubricant to the sleeves.
- LI42.10-P-078779 Service bulletin2026-09-22 · Service Brakes
- Complaint Repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60MPH. NOTE: Although the symptom is similar to a tire or wheel vibration, it is usually readily noticeable that it is distinctly different if it happens at all times or only while braking. Cause Although the cause of the vibration is most likely due to excessive lateral runout on the rotor or hub/wheel bearing, the system as
- LI82.60-P-080383 Service bulletin2026-09-15 · Electrical System
- Complaint Radio station cover art does not refresh when switching stations. The UI continues to show the old station’s artwork instead of updating to the new one. Cause When a new station change request is triggered, a temporary glitch is causing the Head Unit application to fail to overwrite the previous request. This glitch is causing the cover art mismatch in the Radio application. Remedy Pleas
- LI82.62-P-078631 Service bulletin2026-09-14 · Structure — Body
- Complaint Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors. Cause Under analysis. Remedy To narrow down the cause, first of all remove the door trim. • If the noise continues to occur even with the door trim removed, then continue the diagnosis working towards the speaker and if necessary, create a TIPS case with an informative video as an attachment. Note: Please refer to this document i
- LI42.10-P-063502 Service bulletin2026-09-01 · Service Brakes
- Complaint Noises/ squealing from the service brake in various driving situations and ambient conditions. Cause Frictional vibrations Remedy The intent of this document is to reduce noise from high performance AMG brakes. AMG brakes are designed for performance under high load and in certain scenarios, can emit noise. Some scenarios are normal and some are induced by driving style like those listed
- LI 27.10-P-080851 Service bulletin2026-08-29 · Power Train
- Complaint Intermittent shift feel or thud/clunk noise perceived, such as a brief jerk or transmission reaction during certain driving situations. May be most noticeable when transitioning from a coasting condition to accelerator pedal application. May occur in all drive modes. Cause Dual‑clutch transmissions (DCT) inherently exhibit more dynamic shifting behavior compared to other types of transmi
- LI27.19-P-080869 Service bulletin2026-08-29 · Electrical System
- Complaint Temporary no start condition with check engine light and multiple warning messages. When performing a quick test, the following fault code is stored in Y3/14 ‑ Transmission control for 8‑speed dual‑clutch transmission (DKG): P24F100 The wake‑up line of the control unit has a short circuit to positive. Cause Possible signal timing between EZS control unit and Transmission Control Unit (DK
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class failed the safety inspection on 0.51% of first inspections — higher than the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected.
failed the safety inspection
396 initial inspections of 388 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2025 CLA-Class | Every 2025 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the safety inspection | 0.51% | 0.36% | 396 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.25% | 0.16% | 396 |
| Miles driven a year | 7,801 | 8,354 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 11,315 | 12,194 | odometer at inspection |
New York does not emissions-test model years this new, so the safety inspection is the record here. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2025 vehicle” is every 2025 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
CLA-Class by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2025 CLA-Class
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class have any recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them, and a clean sheet on a recent model year often just means the vehicle is new.
How safe is the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?
NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it A (100/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?
Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, the best EPA combined figure is 30 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?
Transport Canada measured it at 184.6 in long, 72.0 in wide (body, without mirrors), 56.3 in tall, on a 107.5 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 4,597–4,729 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?
Owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA about the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, most often about electrical system, back over prevention, lane departure. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?
The EPA smog rating for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class runs 2 to 6 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, California LEV-III ULEV125, California LEV-III ULEV50, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 50 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?
The manufacturer has filed 142 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, most often covering electrical system, structure, power train. The most recent is dated 2026-10-07. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class failed the safety inspection on 0.51% of first inspections — higher than the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected. The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 4 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 4 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | none | NHTSA recall campaigns | No campaign has been filed. Because the register is complete, an empty row here means there is nothing to find — not that we are missing it. |
| Owner complaints | 1 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | none | NHTSA NCAP | NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe. |
| Service bulletins | 142 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 12 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.