AutoUtility currently tracks 51 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 13 complaints (25.5% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 1 filing cites a crash, 1 reports one or more injuries.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
13 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
8 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
6 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
5 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"Panoramic sunroof fails to open/ close evenly due to plastic track failure. One side binds while the other moves, causing glass to tilt and jam. Risk of glass shattering, sudden detachment, distraction while driving, and water intrusion affecting airbags/electronics."
"My car totaled by another car and my air bags did not deploy."
"I am reporting a P052E fault code related to the crankcase ventilation system on my Mercedes-Benz GLA. This is a known and widespread defect on multiple Mercedes-Benz models and is commonly covered under service bulletins and extended warranties up to 150,000 miles. My vehicle has 92,000 miles...."
"My airbag malfunction light appeared on the dashboard. Once the light appeared, the HORN STOPPED WORKING, a safety hazard that caused me not to be able to drive my vehicle for over a year due to the risk! I took the vehicle to the Mercedes-Benz dealership, 200 S Pickett St, Alexandria, VA 22304,..."
"My GLA250 Instrument Cluster had been glitching out. The turn signals indicators would go off when the turn signal lights are initiated. The Check engine light, high beam light, and other warning lights come on for no reason, or dim or no backlight, inaccurate gauge readings, erratic gauge needle..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA | 101 | 4 | 5 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA Current Page | 51 | 1 | 4 | Current |
| 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLA | 33 | 0 | 9 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA | 49 | 3 | 12 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLA | 29 | 2 | 11 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLA | 9 | 0 | 5 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA | 0 | 0 | 9 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLA | 4 | 0 | 2 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLA | 8 | 1 | 1 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA | 0 | 0 | 2 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLA | 3 | 1 | 1 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLA | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2026 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 24 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA is Engine & Cooling, appearing in 13 records (25.5% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Air Bags & Restraints (8) and Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (6).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 51 consumer defect complaints and 4 safety recall campaigns for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA, 1 filing cites a crash, 0 cite smoke or fire, and 1 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.