Mercedes-Benz A160
Registered from 2009 to 2012.
About this model
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a car manufactured by German luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz. It has been marketed across four generations as a front-engine, front-wheel drive, five-passenger, five-door hatchback, with a three-door hatchback offered for the second generation, as well as a saloon version for the fourth.
From the Wikipedia article Mercedes-Benz A-Class, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2011 1.5 petrol. 13 of 60 tests failed, 22%.
Better than 53% of 2011 cars. The typical one fails 22%, across 924 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 46% | 6 |
| Lights and electrics | 38% | 5 |
| Suspension | 31% | 4 |
| Visibility | 23% | 3 |
| Body and structure | 8% | 1 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 8% | 1 |
The defects inspectors cite
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
- A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
- Audible warning inoperative
- Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.
- Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement
- The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
Where it stands out against its peers
- Brakes: failed more often than 90% of 2011 cars — 46% of its 13 failed tests, where an ordinary 2011 car has 28%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Brakes — 46% of its failures
- A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
- Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement
- Suspension — 31% of its failures
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
- Exhaust and emissions — 8% of its failures
- Lights and electrics — 38% of its failures
- A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- Visibility — 23% of its failures
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
- Body and structure — 8% of its failures
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 1.5 petrol · 94 hp · 1256 kg · 2569 mm wheelbase · 6.2 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2011 | 1.5 petrol · 94 hp · 1254 kg · 2514 mm wheelbase · 6.2 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2010 | 1.5 petrol · 1255 kg · 2564 mm wheelbase · 6.3 L/100km (NEDC) |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
A12/01236/20
The driver and passenger airbags of the company Takata in vehicles with ammonium nitrate gas generators without drying agents could, under certain climate conditions, lead over time to a chemical change in the fuel.In the event of an accident triggering the release of the driver or passenger airbag, this change could cause the gas generators to burst. If a gas generator ruptures, the airbag would then have no restraining function and loose parts from the gas generator could reach the vehicle interior. This would increase the risk of injury for passengers.
Recall of the product from end users
A12/1733/17
The steering column is not sufficiently earthed. As a result, in the event of an electrostatic discharge, the driver's airbag may be triggered when not required. This could cause an accident.
Recall of the product from end users