Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

What fails its inspection

Great Britain's MOT record for the 2019 1.6 petrol. 1,358 of 16,791 tests failed, 8%.

Better than 60% of 2019 cars. The typical one fails 9%, across 908 models with enough tests behind them to say.

The defects inspectors cite

• A tyre seriously damaged
• Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
• A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
• Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator
• Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
• Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• Tyres and wheels — 51% of its failures
  • A tyre seriously damaged
  • Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  • A tyre cords visible or damaged
• Brakes — 27% of its failures
  • A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
  • Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator
• Lights and electrics — 7% of its failures
  • Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator
• Visibility — 16% of its failures
  • Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
  • Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
• Body and structure — 6% of its failures

When it starts failing

At 80–100k miles this one fails 20% of its inspections, against the 14% an ordinary car of the same age fails.

16,778 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.

Half of these have more than 20k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

• A12/00017/22

  A trapped particle may damage the sealing between the fuel rail and fuel injector, which could cause fuel to leak into the engine compartment. Consequently, leaking fuel may come into contact with hot parts of the engine, increasing the risk of fire. The product does not comply with the requirements laid down in the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

  Recall of the product from end users

• A12/00506/22

  Improper wiring harness of the left rear side airbag can damage the airbag when weight is placed on the rear seat cushion. As a result, this airbag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury in the event of an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

  Recall of the product from end users

• A12/00531/22

  Improper torque of the screws on the brake caliper housing can cause the screw connections to become loose. As a result, the braking performance would be reduced and components of the brake caliper may be lost, increasing the risk of accidents. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

  Recall of the product from end users

• A12/00940/24

  The steering software may not correctly activate the fallback level in the event of a hardware failure. This could affect the power steering assistance and lead to the loss of steering capacity, increasing the risk of an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of Motor Vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

  Update of the electric steering software

• A12/02969/24

  The pyrofuse casing may move while the vehicle is in motion, potentially damaging cables. As a result, the pyrofuse could fail during an accident or cause the separator piston to dislodge into the driver’s footwell, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, in plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, cable damage could lead to high-voltage system failure and loss of power without warning, increasing the risk of an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

  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

• SR/00883/25

  A gasket is lacking between the exhaust manifold and the exhaust gas turbocharger. This can lead to hot, unpurified exhaust gas seeping out between the turbocharger and the manifold. This can damage the cylinder head cover and cause an oil leak. If the oil come into contact with hot engine parts, the vehicle can catch fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

  Recall of the product from end users

• SR/02886/25

  The snap rivets of the longitudinally adjustable rear seating may not be installed on the adjustable rails. This could shift the seat position beyond its defined endpoint when manually adjusted. In the event of an accident or of strong deceleration, the rear seating could move out of its defined position, leading to an increased risk of injury to the occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

  Recall of the product from end users