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In-depth reviews

Mercedes CLA - Reliability & safety

The Mercedes CLA received a five-star safety score from Euro NCAP

Carbuyer Rating

3.8 out of 5

Owners Rating
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Reliability & safety Rating

4.0 out of 5

We don’t have specific data on the Mercedes CLA’s reliability, but we do have data for the A-Class upon which the CLA is based. A strong safety result for the CLA bodes well.

Mercedes CLA reliability

The CLA was redesigned from the ground up for 2019, along with the Mercedes A-Class, which has become one of the UK’s best-selling cars. Despite being a brand often associated with quality and prestige, Mercedes could only muster a 25th-place finish out of 32 manufacturers in our 2023 Driver Power satisfaction survey. Just over 28% of owners reported a fault in the first year of ownership, which is a little higher than average.

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In 2022’s results, the Mercedes A-Class (that shares many of its parts with the CLA) performed a bit better, placing a respectable 30th in our list of the top 75 cars on sale, but it slipped out of the rankings in 2023. Owners complained about the inability to turn off the lane-keep assist function, but praised the car’s engines, interior and infotainment system.

Safety

Independent body Euro NCAP has conducted a crash-test for the Mercedes CLA and awarded it a five-star result. It's particularly reassuring given the adult and child occupant scores were 96% and 91% respectively, while the mark for pedestrian safety was also a high 91%.

Key technologies like automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance are all included as standard to help avoid bumps in traffic and make motorway driving safer, while traffic-sign recognition comes with the AMG Line Premium Plus Night Edition version.

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Andy is Carbuyer's managing editor, with more than a decade of experience helping consumers find their perfect car. He has an MA in automotive journalism and has tested hundreds of vehicles.

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