Mercedes-Benz A-Class W169 (2004-2012): known problems and buying guide

Check the Autotronic CVT fluid record and door seam rust before paying, and walk away from a gearbox that stalls in gear.

Updated 26 October 2026

All versions

Variant	Running cost per month	Median price	Listings	Fuel	Engine codes	Gearbox	Production years
A 160 BlueEFFICIENCY, 95 PS, 5-speed manual	€407	€3,900	417	Petrol	266920	Manual (5)	2008–2012
A 180 CDI, 109 PS, 6-speed manual	€411	€3,200	233	Diesel	640940	Manual (6)	2008–2012
A 180, 115 PS, automatic	€434	€6,490	156	Petrol	266940	CVT-Getriebe	2008–2012
A 160, 95 PS, automatic	€425	€5,950	149	Petrol	266920	CVT-Getriebe	2008–2012
A 180 BlueEFFICIENCY, 115 PS, 5-speed manual	€425	€3,800	137	Petrol	266940	Manual (5)	2008–2012
A 180 CDI, 109 PS, automatic	€403	€4,200	121	Diesel	640940	CVT-Getriebe	2008–2012
A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, 82 PS, 5-speed manual	€391	€3,199	96	Diesel	640942	Manual (5)	2008–2012

Years: built 2004 to 2012. The facelift came in spring 2008.
Reliability: 2/5. The Autotronic CVT gearbox and door seam rust are the costly faults.
DIY: 2/5. Fluid checks and sunroof care are easy. CVT and body work need a workshop.
Prefer: a manual gearbox. Avoid: an Autotronic car with no CVT fluid records.
Watch for: rust on the lower door edges, door seams and tailgate, and a stiff electric steering.
Biggest risk: a failing Autotronic CVT gearbox. A control unit replacement costs about 1,500 EUR.

Petrol M266, A 150 and A 170: the better petrol choice. gebrauchtwagenberater.de reports no known problems on these. The fuel vent line recall covers 2010 cars.
Petrol M266, A 200 Turbo: no fault confirmed in the sources read.
OM640 diesel, A 160, A 180 and A 200 CDI: two German sites name the EGR valve and the dual-mass flywheel as weak points, with no symptoms or prices. Ask for records of both.
Autotronic CVT (optional on all engines): the main gearbox risk. Buy only with fluid change records. See Known issues.
Manual gearbox: the preferred choice. Garage and press sources advise it over the Autotronic.

Issue	Affects	Typical km	Repair cost
Autotronic CVT gearbox	Autotronic CVT, optional on all engines	From about 50,000 km (warning); the gearbox itself rarely fails before 200,000 km	About 1,500 EUR for the control unit (AUTO BILD, Germany, year not stated)
Door seam and tailgate rust	All bodies, worst before mid-2006 builds	Not stated	About 1,000 EUR for five doors (AUTO BILD, Germany, 2008)
SAM module faults	Not stated	Not stated	No confirmed price
Sunroof leaks and jamming	Slatted sunroof (Lamellendach)	Not stated	No confirmed price
Brake disc and hose wear	All model years, more with age	Not stated	No confirmed price
Electric steering stiffness	Electric power steering	Not stated	No confirmed price

Ask for the Autotronic fluid change records. Fluid should change every 50,000-60,000 km. No records is a bad sign, because a faulty control unit costs about 1,500 EUR (AUTO BILD, Germany, year not stated).
On the test drive, check for stalling in gear, a car that will not move, or a gear that hangs in first. A gearbox warning that says visit the workshop is a bad sign. A scanner reads the gearbox fault codes.
Look at the door seams, lower door edges and tailgate for rust. Tiny dark dots under the sealant are early rust. Bubbles in the paint mean advanced rust. Five doors cost about 1,000 EUR to replace (AUTO BILD, Germany, 2008).
Open and close the slatted sunroof. Look for water marks inside. A jammed slat or a leak is a bad sign.
Switch on every light, the wipers and the display. A dead item can come from a failing SAM module, which controls them.
Turn the steering at parking speed. Stiff steering when parking points to a failing electric steering.
Look for worn brake discs and cracked brake hoses. Plan to replace them if they are worn.

Operational	€192
Workshop	€110
Fixed costs (tax, insurance)	€121
Total per month	€423
New-car depreciation (not included)	€53

ADAC figures for 15,000 km a year over 60 months

Listings on mobile.de priced up to 50,000 EUR, 29 October 2026.

To check a listing's price, open its variant in the table above. Each variant page has a price check.