Carsieve All versions
Show all 13 variants
At a glance
- Years: built 2012 to 2018. The 2015 facelift brought a softer chassis and better-sealed LED headlights; TÜV rates the axle mounts, steering and brakes well at inspection, but the front suspension still wears with mileage.
- Reliability: 2/5. Water can reach the control units, the suspension wears and the engines and gearbox carry risks.
- DIY: 2/5. Checks are simple, but water damage, suspension and electronics need a workshop.
- Prefer: a 2016-2018 car with full records, gearbox oil invoice and a dry boot.
- Avoid: a car with damp carpets or water in the wheel well, and no belt or gearbox records.
Engines and gearboxes
- Petrol M270 (A 160, A 180, A 200, A 220, A 250): chain and camshaft faults are in the M270 guide; listen for a cold-start rattle.
- OM651 diesel (A 180 CDI, A 200 CDI/d, A 220 CDI/d): the OM651 guide covers the chain and the 2014 tensioner seal.
- K9K 1.5 dCi (A 160 CDI, A 180 CDI): no guide. gebrauchtwagenberater.de gives 200,000 km or 10 years; CarWiki gives 100,000 km or 5 years. Follow the service book.
- 7G-DCT dual-clutch (724.0): jerky shifts and mechatronic faults are in the 7G-DCT guide; drive it cold in traffic.
Known issues
| Issue | Affects | Typical km | Repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water ingress into the boot and control units | All cars | Not stated | No confirmed price |
| Front suspension wear | All cars | From 50,000 km; 120,000-150,000 km for other parts; 200,000 km for dampers (kolesa.ru) | No confirmed price |
| Body rust and paint blisters | All cars | Up to 100,000 km (kolesa.ru) | No confirmed price |
| Infotainment and reversing camera faults | All cars | Not stated | No confirmed price |
| Start-stop buffer battery | Cars with start-stop | Not stated | 150-300 EUR (gebrauchtwagenberater.de, year not stated) |
Before you buy
- Open the boot and lift the spare-wheel cover. Water, damp carpet or corrosion points to the flap seals behind the rear bumper. Check the footwell and control-unit connectors. A scanner reads stored faults. Bad: water or corrosion.
- Check rear arches, roof edge, door seams and sills for paint blisters, and the underbody cover edges for rust. Bad: soft bubbles or rust through the paint.
- Drive over speed bumps and listen for front knocks. Check the drop links (short bars to the anti-roll bar) and the control-arm bushes for play. Bad: clunks or split bushes.
- Check start-stop at a standstill. If it never works, the buffer battery under the passenger seat may be worn; a scanner reads the fault memory. Bad: no start-stop.
- Test COMAND or Audio 20 (radio and navigation) with the radio on and off. Pair a phone and select reverse. Bad: a blank camera or a failed map update.
Running costs
| Operational | €142 |
|---|---|
| Workshop | €135 |
| Fixed costs (tax, insurance) | €145 |
| Total per month | €422 |
| New-car depreciation (not included) | €76 |
ADAC figures for 15,000 km a year over 60 months
Market
Listings on mobile.de priced up to 50,000 EUR, 29 October 2026.
- Listings
- 1,318
- 25th percentile
- €8,500
- Median price
- €10,500
- 75th percentile
- €12,900
- Median mileage
- 146,000 km
- Median first registration
- 2014
- Dealer share
- 62.4%
- Price at 100,000 km
- €12,855
To check a listing's price, open its variant in the table above. Each variant page has a price check.
In detail
Water ingress into the boot and control units
Water gets past the flap seals behind the rear bumper and collects in the spare-wheel well. It can reach the control units near the passenger footwell; the SAM runs lights, wipers and displays.
Symptoms: a damp boot carpet, water under the spare wheel, corroded connectors and unrelated electrical warnings.
All cars. Reseal the seals, dry the area and repair or replace corroded units. No price.
Sources: gebrauchtwagenberater, A-Klasse W176 Probleme, kfz-dietrich, A-Klasse W176 Probleme, kolesa.ru, W176 beetles and electronics
Front suspension wear
Drop links knock first. The rear bushes of the front control arms wear on bad roads. Front hub bearings, strut mounts and dampers are usually due around 200,000 km, according to kolesa.ru.
Symptoms: a clunk over bumps and a hum.
kolesa.ru puts the bushes at 50,000 km, other front parts at 120,000-150,000 km and dampers at about 200,000 km. All cars. Fit new drop links, arms and dampers as needed. No EUR price.
Sources: gebrauchtwagenberater, A-Klasse W176 Probleme, kolesa.ru, W176 mechatronic and engine repairs
Body rust and paint blisters
Rust starts as chips on the rear arches, roof edge and door seams. The zinc coating oxidises under the paint, so a bubble can hide damage.
AUTO BILD found two tiny spots on the rear frame and expected no work for ten years. kolesa.ru reports paint bubbles up to 100,000 km, and some cars from Moscow and St Petersburg show arch and underbody rust, with perforation around ten years. TÜV reports no structural rust problem.
All cars. Reseal chips and repaint blistered panels. No price.
Sources: AUTO BILD, A-Klasse W176 test, kolesa.ru, W176 beetles and electronics, AUTO BILD, A-Klasse TÜV-Check 2026
Infotainment and reversing camera faults
COMAND and Audio 20 are the radio and navigation units. Faults are mostly software: the display drops out, Bluetooth disconnects and map updates fail. The reversing camera works only with the radio on.
A dealer software update is the first fix; a failed unit needs replacement. All cars. No price.
Sources: kfz-dietrich, A-Klasse W176 Probleme, AUTO BILD, A-Klasse W176 test
Start-stop buffer battery
A small buffer battery or capacitor under the passenger seat runs start-stop. It wears out, so start-stop becomes slow, vibrates or stops working.
Replace it. gebrauchtwagenberater.de puts the job at 150-300 EUR including labour (year not stated). All cars with start-stop; early cars wear it fastest.
Sources: gebrauchtwagenberater, A-Klasse W176 Probleme, kolesa.ru, W176 beetles and electronics
Recalls
| Country | Code | Years | What is done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany (press report of a KBA recall) | not given | Built 06/2012-12/2012 | Airbag checked; replaced if the perforation is faulty. Free. |
| Germany (two press sites) | not given | Built 2012-04/2013 | Vacuum line connector replaced if needed. |
| Germany (two press sites) | not given | Up to 2017 | Earthing repaired; airbag may not fire. |
| Germany (two press sites) | not given | Built 26/11/2012-24/10/2013 | Refrigerant R134a replaced. |
| Germany (two press sites) | not given | Built 2014-2017 | Current limiter replaced; fire risk. |
| Germany (gebrauchtwagenberater.de); UK (Auto Express) | not given | Built 2015 | High-pressure fuel line replaced. |
| Germany (two press sites) | not given | Built 02/2014-11/2014 | Tensioner sealing ring replaced (OM651). |
| Germany (two press sites) | not given | Not given | M270 camshafts replaced after weld-seam faults. |
| Germany (two press sites) | not given | Not given | Windscreen re-bonded. |
| Germany (two press sites) | not given | K9K 2012-2015, OM651 2012-2018 | Emissions software update; without it the car can be shut down. |
The KBA database was not read. A 2014 DVSA list is not a VIN check and does not clear a car. Check open campaigns by VIN with a Mercedes dealer.
Maintenance
- Diesel: confirm the emissions software update, or the car can be shut down.
- K9K belt: gebrauchtwagenberater.de gives 200,000 km or 10 years; CarWiki gives 100,000 km or 5 years. Follow the service book.
- Water: keep the boot flap seals clear and check the spare-wheel well and footwell after rain.
Sources
English
German
- gebrauchtwagenberater, A-Klasse W176 Probleme
- AUTO BILD, A-Klasse W176 test
- CarWiki, A-Klasse Probleme
- MBpassion, passenger airbag recall
- kfz-dietrich, A-Klasse W176 Probleme
- AUTO BILD, A-Klasse TÜV-Check 2026