MERCEDES-BENZ GLK350 · model year

2011 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK350

148 NHTSA complaints, 8 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011MERCEDES-BENZGLK350 carries 148 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 8 crashes, 5 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 GLK350 is air bags with 92 filings, followed by fuel/propulsion system (19) and service brakes (5). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 2011 GLK350. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

148
Complaints
8
Crashes
5
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

148 filings

Crashes Reported

8 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS92
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM19
SERVICE BRAKES5
STEERING5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM4
ENGINE3
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE3
STRUCTURE:BODY2
POWER TRAIN2
SUSPENSION2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY1
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN1

Recent Complaints

20250914SERVICE BRAKES

During a stop the car dives to the right. After removing the right rear tire the subframe is rusted and components are no longer connected to the sub frame

20250914STEERING

During a stop the car dives to the right. After removing the right rear tire the subframe is rusted and components are no longer connected to the sub frame

20250914VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

During a stop the car dives to the right. After removing the right rear tire the subframe is rusted and components are no longer connected to the sub frame

20250710STRUCTURE:BODY

I WAS DRIVING IN HIGHWAY WITH SPEED OF 60 MPH AND SUDDENLY THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW DROPPED DOWN AND DUE TO SUDDEN AIR COMING INSUDE, MY CAR WAS SHIFTED AND I DROVE TO NEAREST EXIT AND NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED, I WAS UNABLE TO PULLUP THE WINDOW AND TOOK IT TO MECHANIC AND HE NOTED HE HAS SEEN THIS SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND THE REGULATOR SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONS. THE COST IS ESTIMATED $1,000 TO FIX IT. I WOULD LIKE TO WARN THAT I AM A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED DRIVER, IF THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO A DRIVER WITH LESS EXPERIENCE, IT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. my insurance decuctible is $2000 and cost to fix it $1000

20250710VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I WAS DRIVING IN HIGHWAY WITH SPEED OF 60 MPH AND SUDDENLY THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW DROPPED DOWN AND DUE TO SUDDEN AIR COMING INSUDE, MY CAR WAS SHIFTED AND I DROVE TO NEAREST EXIT AND NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED, I WAS UNABLE TO PULLUP THE WINDOW AND TOOK IT TO MECHANIC AND HE NOTED HE HAS SEEN THIS SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND THE REGULATOR SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONS. THE COST IS ESTIMATED $1,000 TO FIX IT. I WOULD LIKE TO WARN THAT I AM A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED DRIVER, IF THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO A DRIVER WITH LESS EXPERIENCE, IT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. my insurance decuctible is $2000 and cost to fix it $1000

20250710UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I WAS DRIVING IN HIGHWAY WITH SPEED OF 60 MPH AND SUDDENLY THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW DROPPED DOWN AND DUE TO SUDDEN AIR COMING INSUDE, MY CAR WAS SHIFTED AND I DROVE TO NEAREST EXIT AND NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED, I WAS UNABLE TO PULLUP THE WINDOW AND TOOK IT TO MECHANIC AND HE NOTED HE HAS SEEN THIS SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND THE REGULATOR SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONS. THE COST IS ESTIMATED $1,000 TO FIX IT. I WOULD LIKE TO WARN THAT I AM A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED DRIVER, IF THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO A DRIVER WITH LESS EXPERIENCE, IT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. my insurance decuctible is $2000 and cost to fix it $1000

20250319SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes Benz GLK350. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to immediately stop, causing the braking distance to be extended. Additionally, the brake pedal was spongy while depressed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was diagnosed that the brake lines had failed due to severe rust and corrosion. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

Mileage: 120,000

20240809FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

After a fuel fill-up, I smell fuel inside the cabin and outside by the gas tank opening. This causes a constant stress..., what if there is a fire? I heard and read so many similar complains and concerns. This should constitute for a RECALL. What is the responsibility of NHTSA to the consumer's safety.

20240808FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

When we fill up the SUV with gas, there is a very strong odor of gas outside of the passenger door & some odor "inside the SUV. We looked online Motortrend.com said Certain 2011-2012 MB CLK 350 4matic are being recalled for a potential fuel leak caused by a crack in the fuel filter flange, Dec 15, 2012.' We stopped by MBenz of Lynnwood, Wa and spoke Garrett, a service rep. Garrett said that this was not a safety issue and we can continue to safely drive the SUV. We disagreed! We are very concerned because we believe there is a safety issue, our SUV has a crack fuel line could catch on fire while we are driving and potentially anyone around us could be affected. We did not get a malfunction or error message.

20240621FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Vaporized gasoline fuel odor emanating from the back seat area due to fuel filter flange crack

20231212VISIBILITY/WIPER

Headlight bulbs failed. Owners manual states that the low beam bulb on the driver's side can be replaced by simply removing back cover, inserting hand and removing and replacing bulb. However, this is fraudulent. Every mechanic and the Mercedes dealers state that the bumper and possibly fender must be removed to replace this SAFETY item. The bulb went out on a trip and could not be replaced even though the bulb was readily available and I purchased it at a Walmart but could not replace it. Even though the Walmart replaced bulbs, after I waited 2 hours they told me they could not do it. I took it to two mechanics and they said they "did not have time" since it required disassembly of the vehicle. The Mercedes dealership said they could not provide an estimate because it required substantial time and disassembly. Now I have a car that has a bulb out, it cannot be driven at night, and to replace the bulb it requires an appointment at Mercedes and apparently hundreds of dollars of expense

20231030EXTERIOR LIGHTING

After inserting key - there is no response. Tried several times. FOB locks and unlocks the doors. After a couple of days - it started with no problem. A week later, we are having the same problem with no response after inserting the key in ignition switch. This troublesome to know that I cannot rely on the ignition switch working all the time.

20231030STEERING

After inserting key - there is no response. Tried several times. FOB locks and unlocks the doors. After a couple of days - it started with no problem. A week later, we are having the same problem with no response after inserting the key in ignition switch. This troublesome to know that I cannot rely on the ignition switch working all the time.

20231030ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

After inserting key - there is no response. Tried several times. FOB locks and unlocks the doors. After a couple of days - it started with no problem. A week later, we are having the same problem with no response after inserting the key in ignition switch. This troublesome to know that I cannot rely on the ignition switch working all the time.

20230814ENGINE

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK350. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated unintendedly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 125,000.

Mileage: 125,000

20230629FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I noticed the smell of fuel coming from my vehicle, specifically when I top off at the gas station. This is dangerous as fuel can combust if ignited. I took the vehicle to be service, to find out about the fuel odor and was advised of the NHTSA recall. Upon researching I see that although the NHTSA recall #12V557000 specifically covers this issue, when entering my VIN, the recall does not appear for MY specific vehicle, which is a 2011 GLK-350. It appears there are several affected vehicles not included in the recall. This is a failure on behalf of Mercedes Benz as it is simple to conclude that the issue includes more vehicles than initially recalled. These vehicles need to be included as well.

20230423SERVICE BRAKES

There were two incidents, one when my daughter was driving and one when I was driving. We were on a highway going 65 mph and had to brake as we came upon traffic. The car fishtailed/swerved back and forth out of control several times until we could bring the car to a stop. I had to pull onto the shoulder so I didn’t hit any of the cars near me. It was terrifying and I felt lucky that I didn’t have a serious accident. When I got home, I took my car to my local mechanic who inspected the car and said my rear subframe was cracked and rusted out!! After doing some research and talking to the Mercedes dealership where I bought the car, this is a widespread problem with several different models over many years, but they have not issued a recall. Apparently the frames were not rustproofed properly so they are rusting/corroding from the inside out. These frames should last the lifetime of the vehicle with no issues!! There are thousands of people driving their cars out there with this prob

20230321FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I'm having the same issues as described in Recall no. 12V557000. However when I called Mercedes they mentioned that my Vin wasn't part of that recall. I don't understand how can that be when my car is 2011-2012 glk350 model as described in recall and I smell gas, can see gas leaking and the flange where my fuel filter is cracked as well as the flange to the fuel pump side. This car as well as many other Mercedes have two separate flanges that are prone to crack and not just the fuel filter side but the fuel pump side as well. there's many forums where they all have complained about this issue. If you can smell gas, there's obviously fuel vapors leaking and not to the mentioned the physical leak that is landing everywhere you drive. This is a serious fire hazard and is extremely harmful to my kids and passengers.

20230321ENGINE

I'm having the same issues as described in Recall no. 12V557000. However when I called Mercedes they mentioned that my Vin wasn't part of that recall. I don't understand how can that be when my car is 2011-2012 glk350 model as described in recall and I smell gas, can see gas leaking and the flange where my fuel filter is cracked as well as the flange to the fuel pump side. This car as well as many other Mercedes have two separate flanges that are prone to crack and not just the fuel filter side but the fuel pump side as well. there's many forums where they all have complained about this issue. If you can smell gas, there's obviously fuel vapors leaking and not to the mentioned the physical leak that is landing everywhere you drive. This is a serious fire hazard and is extremely harmful to my kids and passengers.

20230103FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Fuel/Propulsion System - There is a gas leaking from somewhere above the gas tank. I did not have this fixed yet because I see a recall for this but my VIN wasn't included in the initial recall. There are 17 other complaints on here for the same issue but we haven't been included in the recall as of today 1/2/2023. The recall that fixed other 2011 GLK 350s is NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V557000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). My car is available for inspection upon request. I am very afraid of a fire because the tray underneath the car on the passenger side is full of gas & the tray is right over the exhaust. I stuck a large cotton swab in the tray to soak up the liquid & since it smelled like gas I tried to light it. It caught on fire immediately. This is definitely a safety hazard as it can ignite if a spark or lit cigarette would happen to bounce up in there. Yes it is unlikely but I have seen stranger things. The tray holds a large amount of gas and is directly under the gas tank. The check

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NHTSA Investigations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK350 have?
The 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK350 has 148 NHTSA complaints, 8 crashes, 5 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK350?
The most-complained component for the 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK350 is AIR BAGS with 92 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM and SERVICE BRAKES.
Is the 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK350 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.