Owners have filed 891 complaints on the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class, covering 2008–2015. The system named most often is Steering (5 reports). Worst years by volume: 2010, 2012, 2013; cleanest: 2008, 2014, 2015. 31 reports describe a crash, 8 a fire, 2 a death. On average the car was 5.9 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 891 GLK-Class complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Steering 5 Read
Hello. Since I bought this car in 2015. Every now and again it will go into park when driving and tge car will stop suddenly. It has done it a few times over the years and it’s quite scary. Mercedes has put me off on you, without addressing the situation or looking at the car, unless I pay first it. I think there is a…
When driving, the steering wheel locks and I can no longer steer the vehicle, it locks in a way that I cannot move the steering wheel at all, which may cause me to crash if I am at a dead end road and need to turn. I have been trying to contact the manufacturer for resolution but have not received any responses. This…
The steering adjustment moves in and out but will not move up or down. You can hear a clicking noise like it’s trying to move but nothing happens to the steering column
Air Bags 3 Read
On August 17, 2025 I rearended a vehicle in front of me who jammed on their brakes for no apparent reason. We were the only two vehicles in the area. Upon impact, the following airbags deployed....steering wheel, driver knee airbag. I sustained injuries to my lower extremities from the exploded knee airbag which…
Any time a passenger sits in the passenger seat in the shows on my dashboard “ front right malfunction service required “
2014 mercedes benz 250 glk. Consumer writes in regards to takata airbag safety recall. *ld the consumer stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time completing the recall repair
Seats 2 Read
The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes Benz GLK. The contact stated he heating element burned through the front driver side seat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an internal fault in the driver seat back heater; however the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue.…
My passenger got 2 degree burns to his right buttocks and seat is melted ...he is a paralyzed patient i took him to the er and the burn center i have pictures and documentation....my guess the seat got to hot melted and burned him this what doctors concluded the is very scary for a seat to burn the skin off your butt
Vehicle Speed Control 1 Read
The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes Benz GLK250. The contact stated while driving at a slow speed and seeking a parking spot, the vehicle accelerated independently and caused her to crash into a parked vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated she did…
Engine 1 Read
The DEF exhaust system has failed. It was replaced before under a recall. The warranty was previously extended on the system but I am outside of the mileage window but inside of the time window. I have $6000 in repairs so far and am trying to get assistance. I have been dealing with issues since October 2024
Fuel System 1 Read
The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK350. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fuel odor inside and outside vehicle. The check engine, TPMS, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not…
Electrical System 1 Read
RECALL NO: 19V-868 | VIN: [XXX] | CASE #: [XXX] VEHICLE: 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 (X204) DESCRIPTION OF SAFETY PROBLEM: This complaint concerns a failure to adequately remedy NHTSA Recall 19V-868. Since [XXX], my vehicle has been grounded at Mercedes-Benz of Westmont. The dealer performed the recall out of sequence,…
Fuel/propulsion System 1 Read
I noticed fuel / gas smell from my vehicle. I looked up cause for this type of occurrence. I was referred to a recall bulletin for this particular cause - Recall Campaign #2013020002. My vehicle (VIN #) is not on the recall list. Both MB dealerships in my area state I would have to cover the cost to replace the Fuel…
GLK-Class years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Air Bags | 4 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Air Bags | 4 | 1 | |
| 2013 | Air Bags | 5 | 1 | |
| 2012 | Air Bags | 3 | — | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | 4 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Air Bags | 11 | 2 | |
| 2008 | Tires,wheels,equipment | — | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 191 |
| Average complaints per series | 4.7 |
| Worst single series | 23 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 5.9 years |
A model average of 4.7 hides a worst series at 23. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the GLK-Class?
By complaint volume, 2010, 2012, 2013 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which GLK-Class years are the cleanest?
2008, 2014, 2015 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class have?
891 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2008–2015. Of those, 31 describe a crash and 8 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.