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Model file · Mercedes-BenzUpdated · 13 sources

Selling a broken or junk Mercedes-Benz GLA

The GLA's first model year is still the one owners complain about most. The 2015 holds 94 of the 303 complaints filed with NHTSA for the GLA, counted as of October 10, 2026, and the engine is named in 23 of them. No later year comes close.

A grey Mercedes-Benz GLA crossover with black wheels and red brake calipers driving down a city street
Photo: Retired electrician · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Model years (EPA)
2015-2026
Still sold
Yes
Complaints to NHTSA
303
Year with the most complaints
2015 (94)
Recall campaigns
28
Component named most
Engine (60 complaints)

If your GLA has an engine fault, a warning light you can't clear or damage that makes it not worth fixing, we buy whole non-running and junk cars. Sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

What owners reported, grouped by model year

We don't have generation details for the GLA, so this page groups the EPA model years where the complaint pattern changes. GLA owners wrote these reports, so they don't grade reliability, and the newest GLAs are too young to show many.

Model yearsComplaintsTop components in that stretch
20141Lane departure
2015-2016143Engine, unknown or other, air bags
2017-2020118Electrical, engine, power train, air bags
2021-202641Engine, electrical

2015-2016: the engine years

The engine tops the 2015 list with 23 complaints and sits second on the 2016 with 12. One recall reaches into the engine on these cars: 15V662 had dealers replace camshafts on some 2015 GLA250s built between July 17 and August 31, 2015. That campaign covered 857 vehicles, CLA and SLK models included.

Air bags come next, at 10 complaints on the 2015 and 7 on the 2016. Recall 17V627 covers 2015-2018 GLAs for frontal air bags; dealers add grounding to the steering components. Its 495,290 vehicles span the CLA, C-Class and E-Class too.

Two body recalls, 21V197 and 23V854, cover the front roof panel on some 2015-2020 and 2015-2019 GLAs. Dealers replace the panel.

2017-2020: belts, wiring and the 2019's power train

The electrical system leads the 2017 with 9 of 30. The 2018 is the busiest year of this stretch, with 49 complaints split among the engine (9), air bags (6) and electrical (6).

The 2019 is the only GLA year where the power train comes first: 10 of its 29 complaints.

Two recalls in these years list only the GLA, so their counts are GLA counts:

  • 18V405: 399 2018 GLA250s whose rear center child seat tether anchor may not have been installed. Dealers replace the rear seat backrest.
  • 19V585: 3,435 2018-2019 GLA250s with a possibly loose anchor plate on the rear middle seat belt. Others are shared. 21V229 covers a steering shaft on 2017-2018 GLA250 and AMG GLA45 models plus the B250e and CLA, 4,992 vehicles. 17V080 replaced passenger air bag modules on 2,112 vehicles across the 2017 lineup.

2021-2026: fewer complaints so far

The 2021 has 21 complaints, 6 naming the engine. After that, no year passes 8. The recalls keep coming, though. 23V732 adds a brake pad wear gauge to 2021 GLA250s. 25V511 inspects headlights that may lack aim markings on 136 2024 GLAs, a GLA-only campaign. Under 26V481, filed July 2026, the driver's door lock gets replaced on 2020-2026 GLA and GLB models plus others, for 310,667 vehicles in all.

GLA complaints and recalls, each model year

Many GLA recalls reach across several years, so that column totals more than 28.

Model yearComplaintsCrashesInjuredRecalls listing itFirst-listed component
20141120Lane departure (1)
201594485Engine (23)
201649124Unknown or other (15)
201730019Electrical system (9)
2018492112Engine (9)
2019292211Power train (10)
202010015Unknown or other (3)
202121129Engine (6)
20225002Engine (2)
20238111Engine (2)
20242002Unknown or other (1)
20253111Unknown or other (1)
20262001Electrical system (1)

Is a dead GLA worth fixing?

Weigh the fix against the price of a GLA that still runs. When those are close, selling it broken is the easier way out.

  1. Start with open recalls. Type the VIN into NHTSA's lookup. A 2020 or newer GLA may have the door lock campaign waiting.
  2. Engine light on a 2015 or 2016? Those are the years with the most engine complaints. Our check engine light guide explains what to ask a shop before you approve work.
  3. Shifting trouble on a 2019? That year leads with power train complaints. See bad transmission for how to weigh it.
  4. Don't want to bother with an unfixed recall? It can still be sold; see open recall for how.

How to sell the GLA

  1. Jot down your GLA's VIN, miles and the problem.
  2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Tell us where it sits: driveway, parking garage, street or shop lot, and whether it rolls.
  4. Leave everything on it, wheels and all. If parts are already missing, say which.
  5. Hand over the GLA's title and keys to the driver at pickup. Plates and insurance rules vary by state; see after you sell.

Other Mercedes-Benz pages: GLB-Class, GLC-Class and C-Class. Or browse every Mercedes-Benz model.

Questions people ask

Which GLA model years have the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2015, with 94 as of October 10, 2026. The 2016 and 2018 each have 49, the 2017 has 30 and the 2019 has 29. On the 2015, the engine is named in 23 complaints.
Is there a recall on the GLA's driver's door lock?
Yes. Recall 26V481 lists 2020-2026 GLA and GLB models along with other Mercedes-Benz cars, 310,667 vehicles in all. Dealers will replace the driver's door lock, and owner letters were expected to go out September 18, 2026. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
If a 2024 or 2025 GLA has few complaints, does that mean nothing goes wrong with it?
No. The latest GLAs are still young, so their low numbers don't tell you much so far.
Will you buy a GLA with a dead engine?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Asking about your GLA? Say it won't run and where it's parked.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. EPA fuel economy data: GLA-Class model years and versions fueleconomy.gov
  2. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 15V662: camshafts, 2015 GLA250 and others nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 17V627: frontal air bag grounding, 2015-2018 GLA and others nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 17V080: passenger air bag module, 2017 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 18V405: rear center child seat tether, 2018 GLA250 nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 19V585: rear middle seat belt anchor, 2018-2019 GLA250 nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 21V197: front roof panel, 2015-2020 models nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 21V229: steering shaft, 2017-2018 models nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 23V732: brake pad wear gauge, 2021 GLA250 and others nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 25V511: headlight aim markings, 2024 GLA nhtsa.gov
  13. NHTSA recall 26V481: driver's door lock, 2020-2026 GLA/GLB and others nhtsa.gov