Mercedes-Benz GLK

156 complaints across 5 scored model years and 3 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · Mercedes-Benz GLK Full report

Grade 2010–2015

2015 vs model median 2.7×

Model median3× median

Airbags & Restraints 47

Engine 4

Driver Assist 4

Avoid

2010 · 2015

Best

2012 · 2013

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the Mercedes-Benz GLK
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2010	1.68×	25	D
2012	0.87×	16	B
2013	0.89×	21	C
2014	1.00×	17	C
2015	2.67×	72	F

What it costs to run

EPA figures for the most recent model year on record.

EPA fuel economy and drivetrain
Combined MPG	21.5
City / Highway	19 / 25.5
Engine	3.5L, 6 cyl
Drive	Rear-Wheel Drive
Annual fuel cost	$3,725

Recalls

3 campaigns on record.

Treat that as a minimum. NHTSA's lookup does not answer to this model's published name, so its campaigns are collected one trim at a time and the list may be short of the full count.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
17V627000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	2013–2015	495,290
19V010000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE	2013–2015	288,779
19V787000	COMMUNICATION	2013–2015	24,226

Recall work is free at any franchised dealer, whoever owns the car and however old it is. Check a specific car’s VIN on NHTSA’s register before you buy — an unrepaired campaign is among the most commonly missed items on a used vehicle.

Others in Compact SUVs

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Other models in the same segment
Model	Years to avoid	Grade
Acura RDX	20192020	C
Audi Q5	20182021	C
Audi SQ5	none flagged	C
BMW X3	20132019	C
Buick Envision	2017	C
Cadillac SRX	2013	C
Cadillac XT5	2017	C
Chevrolet Blazer	none flagged	C

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2015 GLK

Complaints in window: 72
Severity-weighted: 104
Model median (weighted): 39
vs model median: 2.67×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 3
Open investigations: 1

Score 22.5 F