There are 3 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Classin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Check engine light received a diagnosis from Mercedes dealership that the crankcase ventilator line is malfunctioning and it’s a very common issue with this model. The transmission stalls during driving, the gears do not jump properly and the car cannot reverse, extremely dangerous at intersections and on the highway. Car needs to be turned off, cooled and restarted. This issue first appeared within a month of owning the vehicle from a certified Mercedes dealership. Refused to help during COVID, and by the time they were taking appointments again (two to three months after warranty expiration), warranty expired, would not honor and refusing to offer any help currently, expensive repair.
ON 12/23/18 AND AGAIN ON 2/19/19 MY 2017 GLA SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING. MY DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL THE RADIO STOPPED PLAYING OR SKIPPED IN AND OUT. AN ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL "TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION STOP" ON BOTH OCCASIONS MY DEALER HAS SAID IT NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE AND SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. BUT OF COURSE IT HAS HAPPENED 2 TIME IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING MALEFUNTION. I DON'T BELIEVE THE SOFTWARE UPDATE IS THE ISSUE. SURELY A SOFTWARE UPDATE WOULD NOT CAUSE A LIFE THREATENING MALEFUNTION.
WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY AROUND 70 MPH, THE IP DISPLAY JUST SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR FOR 1 SPLIT SECOND, THEN THE CAR SHIFTED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL AND DISPLAYED THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE: "TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION STOP", THEN I COASTED TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER AREA OF THE FREEWAY, THEN I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, WAITED FOR 1-2 MINUTES, THEN RESTARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN WITHOUT ANY ISSUE. IT HAPPENED 2 DAYS IN THE ROW-ONE IS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON; THE OTHER ONE THIS MORNING.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026