2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 problems & reliability
241 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
6 complaints report injuries (7 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 149 | 62% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 26 | 11% |
| Suspension | 14 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 12 | 5% |
| Structure | 11 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 4% |
| Electrical System | 8 | 3% |
| Steering | 8 | 3% |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 71,500 miles (middle 50% between 45,378 and 92,805 miles), based on 70 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The vehicle involved is a Mercedes-Benz vehicle that experienced severe corrosion and deterioration of the rear subframe component. The subframe is available for inspection upon request and has been identified as unsafe due to excessive rust and structural corrosion. The corrosion created a major safety risk because…”
Unknown OR Other · filed May 27, 2026
“On [XXX], my mother was driving our 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 to work around 6:30 AM when the vehicle suddenly caught on fire without warning. The car was completely destroyed in the fire. Thankfully, she was able to exit safely. After doing research online, we found many reports of 2010 GLK 350 models catching fire…”
Steering · filed Oct 10, 2025
“Extremely Urgent Safety Warning! Similar to the the passenger fuel filter extended warranty on the passenger side, the driver's side plastic fuel filter pump is obviously visably defective and forming a large crack, thereby leaking a significant amount gasoline into the back seat, with much also draining out the…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Sep 26, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
Technical service bulletins
90 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350. The 10 most recent:
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 in attachment Cause…
LI35.30-P-058566 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2026
Complaint Potential corrosion on the rear axle carrier Cause Due to market-specific conditions such as moisture, ingress of dirt and/or environmental influences, corrosion can occur on the rear axle carrier Remedy In…
LI35.10-P-078931 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 13, 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 when cornering/…
LI33.20-P-078406 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 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 when cornering/…
LI33.20-P-078406 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 2026
Complaint Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged. Cause Fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. It does not lead to any technical impairment of the…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 16, 2026
Complaint Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged Cause Fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. It does not lead to any technical impairment of the headlamp…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
Complaint Headlamps leaking or fogged Cause The fogging of the headlamp is a natural phenomenon which can occur under certain climatic conditions. In contrast to a leaky headlamp, physical fogging does not result in a…
LI82.10-P-078307 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2026
Complaint Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged Cause Fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. It does not lead to any technical impairment of the headlamp…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
Complaint Headlamps leaking or fogged Cause The fogging of the headlamp is a natural phenomenon which can occur under certain climatic conditions. In contrast to a leaky headlamp, physical fogging does not result in a…
LI82.10-P-078896 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
Complaint Commissioning not possible after replacement of TRANSMISSION 722.9 or of electrohydraulic controller unit (EHS) or of repair kit controller unit (VGS). Cause The wrong older A-code ("Generation EHS") is…
LI27.19-P-074985 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 16, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 71,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.