Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
Registered from 2010 to 2020.
About this model
The Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class is a compact luxury crossover SUV produced from 2008 to 2015, debuting at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show. The name GLK is an acronym for Geländewagen Luxus Kompaktklasse, taking its name from the larger Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, which in turn was named after the G-Wagen or Geländewagen. Thus, the GL is the luxury-oriented version of the G, and GLK is the compact version of the GL.
From the Wikipedia article Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it stands out against its peers
- Seat belts: more complaints than 93% of 2018 cars — 8% of its 294 complaints, where an ordinary 2018 car has 2%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- ENGINE — 41 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN — 21 owners reported this
- SEAT BELTS — 18 owners reported this
- STRUCTURE — 18 owners reported this
- AIR BAGS — 15 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
- SERVICE BRAKES — 14 owners reported this
- ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 12 owners reported this
- FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 11 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 9 owners reported this
- STEERING — 9 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 6 owners reported this
- AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS — 3 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS — 3 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES — 3 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 3 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES — 3 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — 3 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER,LANE DEPARTURE — 3 owners reported this
- ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 3 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE — 3 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
- POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — 3 owners reported this
- POWER TRAIN,EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 3 owners reported this
- SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE — 3 owners reported this
- STRUCTURE,WHEELS,ENGINE — 3 owners reported this, 3 involving a fire
- SUSPENSION,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 3 owners reported this
- VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — 3 owners reported this
- VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — 3 owners reported this
- VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE — 3 owners reported this
- VISIBILITY/WIPER — 3 owners reported this
Crash test
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | No |
| Lane departure warning | Optional |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 302 hp · 1925 kg · 2760 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 12.4 L/100km city · 9.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2014 | 302 hp · 1925 kg · 2760 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 12.4 L/100km city · 9.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2013 | 302 hp · 1925 kg · 2760 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 12.4 L/100km city · 9.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2012 | 268 hp · 1940 kg · 2760 mm wheelbase · 13.1 L/100km (EPA) · 14.7 L/100km city · 11.2 motorway · Suv, 5-door |
| 2011 | 268 hp · 1940 kg · 2760 mm wheelbase · 13.1 L/100km (EPA) · 14.7 L/100km city · 11.2 motorway · Suv, 5-door |
| 2010 | 268 hp · 1830 kg · 2760 mm wheelbase · 13.1 L/100km (EPA) · 14.7 L/100km city · 11.2 motorway · Suv, 5-door |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
26% of 2019 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
18V838000
If the passenger air bag is incorrectly displayed as 'ON' when it is not, a front seat passenger may be unaware that the air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the audio head unit software, free of charge. The recall began January 3, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2018120009.
19V788000
The electric PRE-SAFE®-function and the seat belt pretensioners may not deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seat belt buckles, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 13, 2020. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2020020017.
19V914000
If an air bag label is in a foreign language, an occupant may not be aware of the risks to children sitting in the front seat, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bag warnings and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 3, 2020. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2020020014.
21V197000
The adhesive bonding of the front panel might deteriorate, possibly causing the front panel to detach from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Mercedes-Benz dealer will remove the bonded panel and will install a new front panel by following the detailed repair instructions and using the approved primer, cleaner and adhesive, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021 and October 26, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
23V854000
A detached roof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the front panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 2, 2024. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on, March 22,2024, and August 2, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 21V-197.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.
Front Roof Panel Detachment
Preliminary evaluation, opened January 2021, closed October 2021.
Became recall 21V197000.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
Mercedes-Benz filed 205 bulletins about the 2019 GLK-Class.
- Electrical system: 72
- Equipment: 27
- Exterior lighting: 14
- Engine and engine cooling: 11
- Power train: 11
- Steering: 11
- Structure: 10
- Suspension: 9
- Engine: 7
- Fuel system, gasoline: 5
- Other: 28
- This NCU replaces the prior NCU issued on May 15, 2025, and contains additional MY 2023 and MY 2024 vehicles which are highlighted below. In our continuing efforts to ensure the proper performance of… · August 2026
- Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz, has determined that on certain MY 2019-2021 C-Class, G-Class, GLC, GT, S-Class (205, 463, 253, 190 & 222 platforms) vehicles, the engine… · July 2026
- Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The noise is heard once in each instance when changing direction of travel. Note: Sound file… · July 2026
- Complaint Creaking noise, in irregular sequence when driving slowly in combination with slight steering movements and/or Creaking/crackling noises from the area of the wheel bearing on the front axle… · July 2026
- Complaint Creaking noise, in irregular sequence when driving slowly in combination with slight steering movements and/or Creaking/crackling noises from the area of the wheel bearing on the front axle… · July 2026
- Dear Mercedes-Benz USA Dealers, The part numbers listed in the chart below should no longer be installed, and any existing stock must be returned to your facing PDC. The deadline for all dealer… · June 2026
- Complaint Service code B1 displayed in the customer menu does not match the workshop code displayed in the workshop menu, e.g., 505 or 550A, which includes a service A. Cause The root cause is… · June 2026
- Complaint After successful commissioning of the HERMES control unit (N112/9) with XENTRY Diagnosis DVD 03/2026, the message "SOS - service not activated" appears on the instrument cluster. In… · June 2026
197 more.
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.