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Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz Clase A (W176).

2012–2018 · 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.

Mercedes-Benz Clase A (W176), 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 4 of its engines.

A 160 / 180 / 200 / 250 (M270)

Petrol

A 160 / 180 d (1.5, OM607)

Diesel

A 200 / 220 d (2.1, OM651)

Diesel

A 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 Clase A (W176)
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
A 160 / 180 / 200 / 250 (M270)Petrol51 with conditions0
A 160 / 180 d (1.5, OM607)Diesel61 with conditions0
A 200 / 220 d (2.1, OM651)Diesel61 with conditions0
A 45 AMG (M133, 2.0)PetrolFewest documented41 with conditions1

According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the A 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.

  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: communication module softwareElectronics / communications

Engines: A 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 9 checked

Timing / leaks

  • 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.

Gearbox

  • Look out for: [manual gearbox] Clutch pedal does not return (up to February 2013); [7G-DCT dual-clutch] Abnormal noise between 60 and 80 km/h; [7G-DCT dual-clutch] Stiff 1st-to-2nd change (from September 2012 to May 2013); [7G-DCT dual-clutch] Reverse will not engage (up to June 2013); [7G-DCT dual-clutch] Crunch when changing gear (up to 30/06/2013); [7G-DCT dual-clutch] Gearbox locks in "P" (up to December 2013); [7G-DCT dual-clutch] Warning light on; [7G-DCT dual-clutch] Transmission noise, gears will not engage (OM651); [7G-DCT dual-clutch] Fault light on (from August 2014 to March 2016); [7G-DCT dual-clutch] Crunches when shifting from "D" to "R" (up to March 2017); [7G-DCT dual-clutch] 6th gear will not engage (petrol version); [7G-DCT dual-clutch] Bell-like noise at start-up (petrol version)

    Ask them to check: Compare your symptom and your car's build date with this list. If they match, tell the workshop and ask them to check that part first before replacing others. The brand or a warranty extension covers some repairs: ask the dealer with the car's details.

Suspension and steering

  • Look out for: Vibration between 100 and 130 km/h; "Power steering faulty" message; Front brakes whistle at 80–100 km/h; Creaks from the front axle; Vibration between 120 and 150 km/h on the 4Matic

    Ask them to check: Compare your symptom and your car's build date with this list. If they match, tell the workshop and ask them to check that part first before replacing others. The brand or a warranty extension covers some repairs: ask the dealer with the car's details.

Electrical and electronic systems

  • Look out for: Front door controls fail (up to chassis no. J038712); Panoramic roof jams; Noise from the climate controls (up to 24/02/2014); Panoramic roof reverses its movement (up to 04/04/2015) or the glass panel jams (up to 01/03/2014); Seat height lever wear; Water leak at the front; Easy Entry front seat hard to move (up to 04/10/2015); Roof blind twists; Live Traffic Information bug (until the end of production)

    Ask them to check: Compare your symptom and your car's build date with this list. If they match, tell the workshop and ask them to check that part first before replacing others. The brand or a warranty extension covers some repairs: ask the dealer with the car's details.

Injection / EGR / 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.

Engine

  • Look out for: Noise at idle; Abnormal coolant consumption; Boost (turbo) noise (up to October 2015); Stop & Start not working (from September 2015 to August 2016); Will not start, battery flat (up to September 2017)

    Ask them to check: Compare your symptom and your car's build date with this list. If they match, tell the workshop and ask them to check that part first before replacing others. The brand or a warranty extension covers some repairs: ask the dealer with the car's details.

  • Look out for: Coolant leak; Engine warning light on; Coolant level warning message; Loss of power (up to 06/12/2012); Accessory belt noise (up to 13/01/2013); Noise after starting the engine; Stop & Start not working (from September 2015 to August 2016); Will not start, battery flat (up to September 2017)

    Ask them to check: Compare your symptom and your car's build date with this list. If they match, tell the workshop and ask them to check that part first before replacing others. The brand or a warranty extension covers some repairs: ask the dealer with the car's details.

Timing / injection

  • 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

  • Look out for: Chain rattle after a cold start (M270); oil leaking from the chain tensioner (OM651); cold-shift jerks from the 7G-DCT and clutch wear in traffic; on the A 45 AMG, turbos (early years) and clutch (2015–spring 2016); panoramic-roof rattles.

    Ask them to check: Check every campaign by VIN (and the emissions update on diesels); listen to the chain when cold.

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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