Mercedes-Benz CLA Towbar Replacement Parts

The Mercedes-Benz CLA was not officially offered with a factory towbar option by Mercedes-Benz UK, and towing is not a use case the CLA was engineered for — it has no approved towing capacity in standard form. That said, aftermarket towbars do exist for the CLA, made by third-party manufacturers such as Witter or Brink, and a used one removed from a written-off CLA is exactly the kind of part you might find through a breaker. Be aware that you are looking for an aftermarket fitment rather than a genuine Mercedes-Benz factory part.

No — the C117 and C118 are completely different platforms with different rear-end structures, so a towbar made for one will not fit the other. Aftermarket towbars are manufactured to match specific body shells, and the rear bumper and chassis mounting points differ substantially between generations. Always confirm the exact generation of the donor car with the breaker against your own registration before buying.

Yes, this matters significantly — the CLA Saloon (C117/C118 four-door coupé body) and the CLA Shooting Brake (X117 estate body, 2015–2019 for first generation; X118 from 2020) have different rear-end bodywork and different mounting structures. A towbar designed or removed from a Shooting Brake will not correctly fit a saloon, and vice versa. Make sure the breaker's donor vehicle matches your exact body style.

No — trim level does not affect towbar fitment on the CLA, as the trim differences between SE, Sport, and AMG Line are cosmetic and do not change the underlying chassis or rear mounting points. The generation and body style are what matter, not whether your car has an AMG Line rear bumper versus a standard one — though do be aware that bumper styling differences between trims may affect how the towbar neck sits visually. Confirm the generation and body style with the breaker and you should be fine.

Both a 2016 and a 2018 CLA Shooting Brake fall within the first-generation X117 platform (produced 2015–2019), so in principle the rear structure is the same and fitment is plausible. However, mid-generation pressing or mounting changes can sometimes occur without a formal facelift announcement, so you should confirm with the breaker that the donor vehicle's rear-end specification matches yours before purchasing. Never assume fitment without that check.

They are less common than towbars for estate cars or SUVs, precisely because they were never a factory Mercedes-Benz option and relatively few CLA owners fit them. Your best chance is to specify to the breaker that you need an aftermarket towbar removed from a salvage CLA of the correct generation and body style, and to check whether the mounting hardware and wiring relay are included. If you cannot source one this way, a new aftermarket unit from a specialist such as Towsure or Witter may be the more practical route.