I’m new to the forum and unfortunately starting with a complaint about my recently purchased 2016 Mercedes CLA 250. With only 32,000 kilometers on the clock, I’m experiencing a frustrating issue with the transmission that the dealership is dismissing as normal.
The problem occurs when slowing down and the car downshifts from 2nd to 1st gear. It feels like a noticeable jolt or “hop,” almost as if I’ve been lightly bumped from behind. This happens consistently at red lights, stop signs, or in stop-and-go traffic. Whether I’m in Sport or Comfort mode, and with the auto start/stop disabled, the issue persists and is particularly pronounced in Sport mode. Adding to the concern, I also feel a jolt in the brake pedal during these downshifts. Upshifting is smooth, the problem is specifically isolated to the 2nd to 1st gear downshift when decelerating.
Despite the car being under warranty, my local Mercedes-Benz service center claims this is characteristic of the model and “how these cars drive.” They performed a transmission reset, but if anything, it seems to have exacerbated the problem. Even after escalating the issue to MB Canada and them analyzing transmission data, they maintain that everything is within specification. Frankly, the transmission performance is unacceptable, and I’m finding it hard to believe this is considered normal operation for a Mercedes-Benz.
Has anyone else with a Benz Cla 2016 encountered this jerky downshifting issue? Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated. At this point, I’m seriously considering selling the car due to this frustrating transmission behavior.
