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Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz Clase A (W169).

2004–2012 · Petrol / Diesel · 2 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.

Mercedes-Benz Clase A (W169), real photo of this generation
M 93 · CC BY-SA 3.0 DE · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

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 2 of its engines.

A 150 / 170 / 200 · A 160 / 180 / 200 CDI (OM640)

A 150 / 170 / 200 (Petrol) · A 160 / 180 / 200 CDI (OM640) (Diesel)

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 Clase A (W169)
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
A 150 / 170 / 200Petrol11 with conditions1
A 160 / 180 / 200 CDI (OM640)Diesel11 with conditions1

According to the data we have, all its engines have the same number of documented faults.

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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: airbag propellant ageingPassive safety

How to check it: Check VIN; replace driver airbag.

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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 1 checked

Gearbox

  • Look out for: Limp mode, loss of power and a “Transmission: visit workshop” warning; speed-sensor codes (0722, 0793); noises or slipping at high mileage.

    Ask them to check: Read the gearbox codes; change oil and filter on schedule (or earlier); consider repairing the control unit at a specialist before replacing the whole gearbox.

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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