AI Damage2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK250: common problems
Owners of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 filed 19 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 19
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 37% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 16% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 11% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 11% of all complaints
- Air bags: 7 complaints (37% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (16% of all).
- Engine: 3 complaints (16% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (11% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (11% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.1 L · diesel · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 7-speed
Drive: 4WD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 19 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The steering adjustment moves in and out but will not move up or down. You can hear a clicking noise like itâs trying to move but nothing happens to the steering column.
The warranty was previously extended on the system but I am outside of the mileage window but inside of the time window. I have $6000 in repairs so far and am trying to get assistance. I have been dealing with issues since October 2024
It started to smoke a gray smoke coming up from under the car on the passenger side of the car over the front tire. I do have pictures. It smells as if it is about to catch on fire. The car never had any problems before this botched repair. Now they say they cannot find the problem.
This is a manufacturing or design defect which will likely as here, cause failure and could possibly at least to my non electrical engineer's mind cause fire.
When driving, the steering wheel locks and I can no longer steer the vehicle, it locks in a way that I cannot move the steering wheel at all, which may cause me to crash if I am at a dead end road and need to turn. I have been trying to contact the manufacturer for resolution but have not received any responses.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 mercedes-benz glk250. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v010000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2015 mercedes-benz glk250. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v010000 (air bags) however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
When starting vehicle, or often when driving down the road, cruise control, adaptive steering, lane assist, blind spot detectors, pre-safe braking features will all become inoperable and throw multiple failure readings on dashboard.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,439 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the GLK250 has 15 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 19, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK250?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, engine. Total complaints: 19. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (11%), driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (5%), airbag warning light (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK250?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK250 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2015 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.