Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
22–27 mpgcombined; city 19–24, highway 26–33; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,910–$18,290U.S. average; Ohio $14,050–$17,240 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 CLE-Class. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Power train
3
0
0
0
Engine
2
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
1
0
0
0
Service brakes
1
0
0
0
Suspension
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2026 CLE-Class over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2024-2026 AMG GT, C-Class, E-Class, SL, CLE, and GLC vehicles. The infotainment control unit may reset while the vehicle is in motion and cause the instrument panel display to go blank.
Risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer and warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the infotainment control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 29, 2026. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2026050004. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 8, 2026.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 74 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 CLE-Class, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (38), structure (9), visibility/wiper (7), steering (6), power train (5).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2026 CLE-Class.
EPA class: subcompact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4–5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
AMG CLE53 4matic Plus All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo, supercharged
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
20 / 27 / 23
AMG CLE53 4matic Plus All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo, supercharged
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
19 / 26 / 22
CLE300 4matic All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
24 / 33 / 27
CLE300 4matic All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
23 / 32 / 26
CLE450 4matic All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl, turbo, supercharged
Automatic 9-spd
Premium Gasoline
23 / 32 / 26
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data