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Common problems by part

Mercedes-Benz CLA seat belts and airbags problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 39,186 MOT tests · Updated

At 3 years, 0.7 in 100 MOT tests of the Mercedes-Benz CLA failed on seat belts and airbags, against 0.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 39,186 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails 1.8–2.3× as often as all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 269 MOT tests with a fail
  • When it starts: clear of 1.2 times from 3 years and at every older age seen
  • Most common fail: Airbag (SRS) warning light on, 0.5 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.7 fails per 100 MOT tests at 3 years, against 0.3 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 3 (all test years). The Mercedes-Benz CLA fails more often here.

Why it matters

A seat belts and airbags fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches and releases, and make sure the airbag light goes out after start-up.

Mercedes-Benz CLA seat belts and airbags fails by age

Mercedes-Benz CLA seat belts and airbags fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.01233 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 39,186 MOT tests34 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 35,418 MOT tests45 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 33,319 MOT tests56 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 33,041 MOT tests67 years: 1.0 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 31,680 MOT tests78 years: 1.4 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 27,549 MOT tests89 years: 2.0 per 100 (all cars 0.6), 21,324 MOT tests910 years: 2.3 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 13,326 MOT tests1011 years: 2.8 per 100 (all cars 0.9), 6,447 MOT tests1112 years: 2.6 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 2,095 MOT tests12
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Mercedes-Benz CLA All class 4 vehicles the same age
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
339,1860.70.3
435,4180.60.3
533,3190.60.3
633,0410.70.4
731,6801.00.4
827,5491.40.5
921,3242.00.6
1013,3262.30.7
116,4472.80.9
122,0952.61.0

All first-use years of the Mercedes-Benz CLA pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years.

What fails in the seat belts and airbags at 3 years

Fails

Diagnose and fix airbag (SRS) warning cost

Repair figures are estimates, not quotes: how we estimate repair costs.

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
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See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 2.1 diesel: 1.1 per 100 at 7 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 18,918 MOT tests)
  • 1.6 petrol: 0.2 per 100 at 3 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 2,444 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches and releases, and make sure the airbag light goes out after start-up.

Check one Mercedes-Benz CLA, not the average

The figures here describe Mercedes-Benz CLA cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Mercedes-Benz CLA problems

Seat belts and airbags on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Mercedes-Benz CLA have more seat belts and airbags problems than other cars?

1.8 to 2.3 times the seat belts and airbags fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 3 years (all test years), from 39,186 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 1.2 in the same direction at 7 of the 10 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Mercedes-Benz CLA seat belts and airbags problems?

0.7 in 100 MOT tests at 3 years failed on seat belts and airbags, against 0.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 39,186 MOT tests).

What is the most common Mercedes-Benz CLA seat belts and airbags fail?

0.5 in 100 MOT tests at 3 years: Airbag (SRS) warning light on (185 MOT tests with it).

At what age do Mercedes-Benz CLA seat belts and airbags fails start?

3 years: from then on the rate stays clear of 1.2 times all class 4 vehicles the same age at every age seen, 243,385 MOT tests.

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 243,385 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Office for National Statistics, Consumer price inflation, local price quotes (car repair items). ONS price quotes, series 610236. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare