Used Mercedes-Benz CLA Headlight

The CLA has two main generations: the first generation (C117) ran from 2013 to 2019, and the second generation (C118) launched in 2019 onwards. The first generation received a facelift in 2016, which brought revised headlights, grille and front bumper styling. Knowing which generation and whether your car is pre- or post-facelift is the key information to give a breaker when sourcing a headlight.

This is a facelift boundary question — the first-generation CLA (C117) was facelifted in 2016, meaning a 2014 car is pre-facelift and a 2017 car is post-facelift, and the front-end styling changed between those periods. It is possible some parts interchange, but whether the headlight units themselves are compatible across that 2016 facelift cut-off is something you should confirm with the breaker against your registration, as fitting details can vary. Do not assume pre- and post-facelift headlights are a straight swap.

No — the C117 first generation ended in 2019 and the C118 second generation is a completely new platform with redesigned front-end bodywork, so the headlights are not interchangeable between generations. Always confirm your generation with the breaker using your registration to make sure you are quoted for the correct C117 or C118 unit.

Trim level does not affect headlight fitment on the CLA; the same headlight aperture and mounting points are used across trims such as Sport, AMG Line, and Urban within the same generation and facelift period. However, there can be cosmetic differences between trim levels — for example, some AMG Line cars may have been specified with different internal lighting technology — so confirm with the breaker whether the unit from their donor car matches the style of your original headlight. What matters for fitment is generation and facelift period, not the trim badge.

Within the same generation and facelift period, headlight openings are generally the same, but whether a halogen unit and an LED or xenon unit are a direct swap depends on wiring, brackets and control modules that can vary between specifications. This is something you should confirm carefully with the breaker against your specific registration rather than assume one variant fits in place of another.

Give the breaker your full registration number so they can confirm the generation (C117 2013–2019 or C118 2019 onwards), whether your car is pre- or post-2016 facelift if first-gen, and which side you need — nearside (NS, passenger side) or offside (OS, driver side). Also let them know the lighting technology on your current car (halogen, xenon or LED) so they can try to match it, though confirming compatibility of specific variants is best done directly with the breaker.