Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz CLA (C117) / GLA (X156).

2013–2020 · Petrol / Diesel · 4 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

M 93 · CC BY-SA 3.0 DE · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

4 documented, sourced faults across its 4 engines.
1 of them depends on the equipment or the production date: ask what this car has.
1 official recall on record: ask for the chassis number (VIN) and confirm it has been done.
According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the CLA 45 / GLA 45 AMG (M133, 2.0) (Petrol).

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 4 of its engines.

Camshafts, tensioner, high-pressure lines and campaigns on the CLA and GLA (2013–2019)Known weak points
Period mentioned
2013–2019
Mileage mentioned
The sheet does not mention a mileage.
Applies if: The CLA and GLA of this generation share platform, engines and most campaigns; confirm by VIN.

180 / 200 / 250 (M270)

Petrol

M270/M274 chain, adjusters and thermostatTiming / leaks
Period mentioned
2012–2020
Mileage mentioned
65,000–110,000 km

180 d (1.5, OM607)

Diesel

Renault 1.5 diesel (OM607/OM608) injectors, EGR and DPFInjection / EGR / DPF
Period mentioned
2012–2026
Mileage mentioned
60,000–100,000 km

200 d / 220 d (2.1, OM651)

Diesel

Chain, injectors and coolant leaksTiming / injection
Period mentioned
2008 onwards
Mileage mentioned
The sheet does not mention a mileage.

CLA 45 / GLA 45 AMG (M133, 2.0)

Petrol

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Mercedes-Benz CLA (C117) / GLA (X156)
Engine	Documented faults	Recalls
180 / 200 / 250 (M270)Petrol	21 with conditions	0
180 d (1.5, OM607)Diesel	21 with conditions	0
200 d / 220 d (2.1, OM651)Diesel	21 with conditions	0
CLA 45 / GLA 45 AMG (M133, 2.0)PetrolFewest documented	11 with conditions	1

According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the CLA 45 / GLA 45 AMG (M133, 2.0) (Petrol).

By fuel type, the one with the fewest documented faults is: Petrol.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
Ask an official Mercedes-Benz dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.

Recall: communication module softwareElectronics / communications

Engines: CLA 45 / GLA 45 AMG (M133, 2.0) (Petrol)

How to check it: Check VIN; update module per campaign.

View full entry

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 4 checked

Timing / leaks

M270/M274 chain, adjusters and thermostat
Look out for: Chain rattle on cold starts; engine light with camshaft timing codes (for example P0016 or P001685); oil leaks at the camshaft adjusters; slow coolant loss.
Ask them to check: Listen to a cold start, read camshaft codes, look for oil on the adjuster magnets and coolant residue at the thermostat. Use Mercedes 229.5 oil.

Injection / EGR / DPF

Renault 1.5 diesel (OM607/OM608) injectors, EGR and DPF
Look out for: Smoke, hesitation or hard starting (injectors); unstable idle, power loss and engine light (EGR); particulate filter warning in town use; oil consumption.
Ask them to check: Identify the engine (OM607 until 2018, OM608 after), measure injector balance rates, check the EGR and particulate filter status and watch the oil level.

Timing / injection

Chain, injectors and coolant leaks
Look out for: Chain rattle on a cold start; on early units, loud injector knocking; coolant loss from the plastic coolant manifold or the EGR cooler.
Ask them to check: Listen to a cold start, check the dealer's injector campaign history and check the coolant level.

Known weak points

Camshafts, tensioner, high-pressure lines and campaigns on the CLA and GLA (2013–2019)
Look out for: Carboned injectors (M270), faulty camshafts on 2015 petrol cars, oil leaking from the tensioner on 2012–2014 diesels; on the AMG, cracked clutch plates and gearbox faults; heavy wear of brakes, bearings and suspension on the AMGs.
Ask them to check: Check every campaign by VIN; on AMGs, check gearbox, brakes and suspension.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

P0016

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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