YearToAvoid

2012 Mercedes-Benz Cla250 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

31/100

#10 most-complained of 14 Cla250 years

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz Cla250 has 7 owner complaints and 0 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 31 out of 100 — #10 highest of 14 Cla250 model years (verdict: Good). The most reported problem area is airbags (3 complaints, 43% of the total). Complaints report 1 crash and 1 injury.

Complaints
7
Recalls
0
Crashes / fires
1 / 0
Injuries / deaths
1 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
—

Top 2012 Mercedes-Benz Cla250 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags3 (43%)
  2. Engine3 (43%)
  3. Electrical System2 (29%)
  4. Fuel System1 (14%)
2012 Mercedes-Benz Cla250 complaints: complaints filed per month4Nov 2017Aug 2019Dec 2019Jan 2020Feb 2020Jun 2020
9 complaints filed with NHTSA from Nov 2017 to Jun 2020; peak Feb 2020 (4).

2012 Mercedes-Benz Cla250 recalls

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

2012 compared with other Cla250 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2012Good3170—
2013Best1590—
2014Avoid100179628.5

All Mercedes-Benz Cla250 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Cla250 a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Cla250 ranks #10 of 14 among Cla250 model years (Complaint Index 31/100, verdict: Good). It has 7 complaints and 0 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Cla250?
The most reported problem areas are airbags (3 complaints), engine (3 complaints), and electrical system (2 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 71,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Cla250 have any recalls?
No safety recall campaigns list the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Cla250 in NHTSA’s recall database at the time of the last data update.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.