Total Complaints
115 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ GLK350 · model year
115 NHTSA complaints, 6 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2014MERCEDES-BENZGLK350 carries 115 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 6 crashes, 1 fire, 8 injuries, and 3 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 2014 GLK350 is air bags with 62 filings, followed by electrical system (4) and unknown or other (4). 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 2014 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.
Total Complaints
115 filings
Crashes Reported
6 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 62 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 4 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 4 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 |
| STEERING | 4 |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 |
| ENGINE | 3 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 |
| WHEELS | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| SUSPENSION | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:ABS WARNING LIGHT | 2 |
See attached document for complaint.
See attached document for complaint.
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -The entire electrical system failed and the power steering, SRS, and ABS systems malfunctioned. Yes, itâs available for inspection. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -Last night around 9 pm CST we crank the car and started to drive, (no warning light at that time) and all of a sudden the car had a warning message to start the engine or the vehicle would turn off the engine although we were already driving. The car started to show all the lights and the brakes got harder to press while we were driving about 40 miles per hour. We couldnât stop completely at the traffic light and the SRS light came on in the dashboard. After we got off the main road, the power steering locked up as we were trying to turn into a parking lot to safely park. Even after removing the key, the engine remained on and the headlights. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confir
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -The entire electrical system failed and the power steering, SRS, and ABS systems malfunctioned. Yes, itâs available for inspection. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -Last night around 9 pm CST we crank the car and started to drive, (no warning light at that time) and all of a sudden the car had a warning message to start the engine or the vehicle would turn off the engine although we were already driving. The car started to show all the lights and the brakes got harder to press while we were driving about 40 miles per hour. We couldnât stop completely at the traffic light and the SRS light came on in the dashboard. After we got off the main road, the power steering locked up as we were trying to turn into a parking lot to safely park. Even after removing the key, the engine remained on and the headlights. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confir
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -The entire electrical system failed and the power steering, SRS, and ABS systems malfunctioned. Yes, itâs available for inspection. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -Last night around 9 pm CST we crank the car and started to drive, (no warning light at that time) and all of a sudden the car had a warning message to start the engine or the vehicle would turn off the engine although we were already driving. The car started to show all the lights and the brakes got harder to press while we were driving about 40 miles per hour. We couldnât stop completely at the traffic light and the SRS light came on in the dashboard. After we got off the main road, the power steering locked up as we were trying to turn into a parking lot to safely park. Even after removing the key, the engine remained on and the headlights. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confir
On 1/17/25, I was on my commute to my office when I noted a very strong and unpleasant odor. Thinking it was from a truck in front of me, I passed the truck, cracked my passenger window and continued the short distance to my office. After work, when I returned to my car, I noted a hole burned through my driver's side leather seat. I didn't make the connection to the odor from that morning until I arrived home and did some online research. It turns out that my front seat warmer had malfunctioned, burning all the way through the leather. This problem is well documented online in various forums in my year, make and model. In some cases I read about, driver's clothing burned. In one case I found, a child was burned. This is also a well documented problem that occurred in earlier models of Mercedes, resulting in a lawsuit and a recall. My car is currently at the dealer for repair of the faulty seat warmer, replacement of the burned foam cushion, and replacement of the leather
On 1/17/25, I was on my commute to my office when I noted a very strong and unpleasant odor. Thinking it was from a truck in front of me, I passed the truck, cracked my passenger window and continued the short distance to my office. After work, when I returned to my car, I noted a hole burned through my driver's side leather seat. I didn't make the connection to the odor from that morning until I arrived home and did some online research. It turns out that my front seat warmer had malfunctioned, burning all the way through the leather. This problem is well documented online in various forums in my year, make and model. In some cases I read about, driver's clothing burned. In one case I found, a child was burned. This is also a well documented problem that occurred in earlier models of Mercedes, resulting in a lawsuit and a recall. My car is currently at the dealer for repair of the faulty seat warmer, replacement of the burned foam cushion, and replacement of the leather
On January 01, 2025, I started my wife's car after adding coolant. I just want to warm it up since we did not use it in a couple of days. I activated the heated seat on the driver side where I was seated and was just looking at the dashboard. I felt something on back right side and thought that there was an insect bite. When I turned and look, I discovered a dime size red small flame and smoke on the seat and realized that it is possibly and part of the heated seat heating element that burned through the seat material and burned my sweater a little bit. I turned off the heated seat immediately and shut off the car and made sure the burning stop or was out. I was thankful that this happen while I was just warming out the car and stationary and that it did not happen while my wife was driving the car. This could have produced a dangerous situation, a bigger fire while driving and could have cause an accident. I called the Mercedes Benz service department which was possibly closed but I g
The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK350. The contact stated that the parking brake failed to engage as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for an inspection, and it was determined that the parking brake release had failed to snap upwards. The contact stated that the pedal was releasing slowly. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000.
Mileage: 58,000
Vehicle is a 4 wheel drive SUV, having the Mercedes-Benz "4Matic" drivetrain, has it's Center Differential Planetary Gearset (With Integral Clutch Pack) in failure. Mercedes is clearly aware that this is a drivetrain component that fails prematurely as there is a Technical Service Bulletin (LI28.00-P-051499) that provides methodology for diagnosing the failure for 4Matic equipped vehicles from 2003 to 2016, specifically listing 83 different 4Matic equipped vehicles. Particular caution is called out as to special lubrication required prior to assembling the component into the drive train. Very likely that the root cause of the widespread failures was the part not being installed correctly. Though the failure evidences initially by front wheel vibrations and shuddering at low speed, it is a latent serious safety issue in that the component could fail catastrophically when stressed, i.e., hard acceleration when merging onto a highway, at best causing a sudden imbalance in front/rear p
Rear powered tailgate closes by itself. There is no warning. It closes VERY rapidly. This hit me in the head, but I am mostly concerned with others, such as elderly people and children. It could easily cause a concussion, or worse. I have contacted MBUSA advocacy at 1-800-222-0100 three times. I was told all three times that I would be contacted back within 24-48 hours (business days) regarding this safety issue. It has now been two weeks, and I have not received anything such as a returned phone call, email, etc. The vehicle is at my residence and available for any inspection or test, etc. I also have video of this problem. Again, the rear powered tailgate closes by itself, without warning. It closes VERY rapidly with force far greater than gravity alone.
The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK350. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for a service appointment for the auxiliary battery replacement, the contact was informed that water was in the spare wheel storage location. The contact was informed that the water level measured to be a quarter of a foot of water. In addition, the water was also noticed to be in the auxiliary battery storage area. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,714.
Mileage: 55,174
The following are malfunctions that are a high risk when driving: â¢airbags â¢ball joints â¢coolant â¢control arms â¢electrical power system It is a risk when driving due to the ball joints and control arms not properly secured. Engine warning light
The following are malfunctions that are a high risk when driving: â¢airbags â¢ball joints â¢coolant â¢control arms â¢electrical power system It is a risk when driving due to the ball joints and control arms not properly secured. Engine warning light
The following are malfunctions that are a high risk when driving: â¢airbags â¢ball joints â¢coolant â¢control arms â¢electrical power system It is a risk when driving due to the ball joints and control arms not properly secured. Engine warning light
Steering column is stuck tilted in upmost highest position and will not adjust down lower.
On 11/18/2023, while driving my GLK350 2014, I decided to open and later close the sunroof. As I closed the sunroof, I heard a distinct cracking sound, which caught my attention. Initially, I was unsure of the source of the sound and continued driving. It wasn't until I arrived home that I made a shocking discovery - the front black stationary window panel, located just above the windshield, had shattered unexpectedly. Prior to this incident, I had meticulously cared for my car, ensuring it was regularly maintained and kept in excellent condition. There were no visible cracks or signs of damage on the front black stationary window panel. I even hand-washed the vehicle earlier that day and inspected the panel, confirming its integrity. I had a clear view of the area around the car while I was on a ladder, ruling out the possibility of any rocks or debris causing the breakage. My adult daughter was present in the car with me as a witness to this unfortunate event. We were both astonish
The lift gate has an automatic open feature like many vehicles. When you press the handle or use the remote control to open the rear lift gate, the gate opens all the way. After some time (5 - 30 seconds), the gate slams suddenly either to half way open, or slams completely shut on its own. This is especially dangerous when a person is under the gate getting something out of the trunk, and the heavy metal gate suddenly slams on to their head.
The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK350. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the driverâs side air bag warning light remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 58,000.
Mileage: 58,000
The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK350. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the check engine and traction control warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who serviced the vehicle however, the failure reoccurred. No further information was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 61,000.
Mileage: 61,000
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.