Used car safety, rank #73 of 181
Mercedes-Benz GLA Class 4WD Safety Rating (2017-20)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2017-20 Mercedes-Benz GLA Class 4WD, a small luxury SUV, 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 GLA Class 4WD has an IIHS driver death rate of 20 per million registered vehicle years against a small luxury SUVs average of 43.0, which is 53% below the class average. That places it #73 of 181 used vehicles with a safety score of 60.5/100.
What the Mercedes-Benz GLA Class death rate means
At 20 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Mercedes-Benz GLA Class 4WD beats the small luxury SUVs average of 43.0 by 53%. The 95% confidence interval is 0 to 42, so even the pessimistic end of the range is no worse than the class average.
The other-driver death rate of 26 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Mercedes-Benz GLA Class. It is higher than the Mercedes-Benz GLA Class's own driver death rate, the usual pattern for this class. 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 SUVs
The safest small luxury SUVs in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Mercedes-Benz GLA Class 4WD highlighted. It ranks 1 of the 3 shown.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz GLA Class 4WD (this page) | 2017-20 | 20 (0 to 42) | 60.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Buick Encore 4WD | 2017-20 | 45 (12 to 77) | 33.7 | n/a | n/a |
| Buick Encore 2WD | 2017-20 | 64 (38 to 90) | 20.0 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for small luxury SUVs: 43.0 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
Safety recalls for the Mercedes-Benz GLA Class 4WD
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 GLA Class 4WD: Common Questions
Is the Mercedes-Benz GLA Class 4WD a safe car?
Yes, by the measure that matters most. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 20 per million registered vehicle years for the 2017-20 Mercedes-Benz GLA Class 4WD, 53% below the class average (43.0 for small luxury SUVs). That earns a used-car safety score of 60.5 out of 100 and rank #73 of 181 used vehicles.
What is the Mercedes-Benz GLA Class 4WD driver death rate?
20 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 0 to 42. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Mercedes-Benz GLA Class died at a rate of 26 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2017-20 models.
How does the Mercedes-Benz GLA Class 4WD compare with other small luxury SUVs?
The small luxury SUVs class averages 43.0 driver deaths per million; the Mercedes-Benz GLA Class 4WD sits at 20. Among the 3 small luxury SUVs compared above it ranks 1 by safety score.