Mercedes GLA SUV - Reliability & safety
The GLA’s long list of safety kit should keep families out of harm's way
The Mercedes GLA will need to be in the hands of buyers for a while to establish its reliability but safety is unlikely to disappoint.
Mercedes GLA reliability
There are some promising signs here, because the A-Class that forms the GLA's underpinnings came 39th out of the top 75 cars in our 2023 Driver Power results. However, Mercedes came a disappointing 25th overall out of 32 manufacturers, which puts it ahead of big rival Audi, but some way behind BMW. A higher-than-ideal 28% of customers reported a fault within the first year of ownership.
Safety
Every GLA is fitted with an extensive roster of safety kit, from multiple airbags and even an active bonnet that raises by 65mm in a pedestrian impact. Standard safety tech across the range includes lane keep assist, attention assist, which monitors if the driver is paying attention, and active brake assist.
Buyers can also opt for the pricey Driving Assistance pack that helps take some of the tedium out of long drives and improves safety on the motorway. It adds more advanced safety features such as active steering assist to prevent you drifting out of a lane, as well as blind spot monitoring and the ability to automatically adjust the car’s speed according to corners and roundabouts on a set route.
The GLA has been crash-tested by Euro NCAP and scored the full five stars, which not every car does these days due to the ever increasing testing thresholds.
