Used car safety, rank #125 of 181
Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD Safety Rating (2017-20)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2017-20 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD, a midsize luxury car, compared with its class and with the current model.
IIHS 2023 edition Β· 2018β2021 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. This is the historical edition. See the July 2026 release for newer used cars.
The 2017-20 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD has an IIHS driver death rate of 64 per million registered vehicle years against a midsize luxury cars average of 24.8, which is 158% above the class average. That places it #125 of 181 used vehicles with a safety score of 35.0/100.
What the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class death rate means
At 64 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD is 158% worse than the midsize luxury cars average of 24.8. The 95% confidence interval is 11 to 117, which overlaps the class average, so some of the gap may be chance.
The other-driver death rate of 46 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. It is no higher than the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class's own driver death rate. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used luxury cars
The safest midsize luxury cars in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD highlighted. It ranks 9 of the 9 shown; the class leader is the Lexus ES 350 at a death rate of 0.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexus ES 350 | 2019-20 | 0 (0 to 29) | 94.5 | 4.0/5 | $24,000 to $35,000 |
| Audi A4 2WD | 2017-20 | 7 (0 to 21) | 85.6 | 3.5/5 | $18,000 to $30,000 |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD | 2017-20 | 9 (0 to 21) | 84.0 | 3.5/5 | $20,000 to $34,000 |
| Tesla Model 3 2WD | 2019-20 | 15 (0 to 33) | 78.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Audi A4 4WD | 2017-20 | 17 (0 to 36) | 77.4 | 3.5/5 | n/a |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 2WD | 2017-20 | 28 (5 to 51) | 64.2 | 3.5/5 | n/a |
| Acura TLX 2WD | 2018-20 | 31 (0 to 64) | 59.9 | n/a | n/a |
| Tesla Model 3 4WD | 2019-20 | 52 (9 to 96) | 42.8 | n/a | n/a |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD (this page) | 2017-20 | 64 (11 to 117) | 35.0 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for midsize luxury cars: 24.8 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
Safety recalls for the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD
We do not have a verified NHTSA recall lookup for this nameplate and model year. Check by VIN rather than treating that as a clean record.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for one year. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD: Common Questions
Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD a safe car?
Not on this measure: its drivers died at a higher rate than its class average. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 64 per million registered vehicle years for the 2017-20 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD, 158% above the class average (24.8 for midsize luxury cars). That earns a used-car safety score of 35.0 out of 100 and rank #125 of 181 used vehicles.
What is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD driver death rate?
64 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 11 to 117. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class died at a rate of 46 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2017-20 models.
How does the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD compare with other midsize luxury cars?
The midsize luxury cars class averages 24.8 driver deaths per million; the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD sits at 64. Among the 9 midsize luxury cars compared above it ranks 9 by safety score; the top of that group is the Lexus ES 350 with a death rate of 0.