Hello all,
I am considering the purchase of a GLK350 4Matic. I don't want a diesel. The external angular styling I love and the MB brand, and 4Matic capability is what draws me to this vehicle. I tend to like the first generation but not apposed to either styling. I test drove one and like it. I'm looking for a low mileage example and will most likely keep it for many years. I'm one who is very diligent on regular detailing and maintenance of my vehicles. It will be garage kept when not in use. Will be used for daily city commuting rain and occasional snow in winter. This will be my first Mercedes Benz.

Please tell me from your buying and ownership experience:
What are the better years?
What is its Achilles heel or its issues?
How has reliability and maintenance cost been?
How is durability and longevity?
What do you like and dislike?

Thank you for the help.

 

The best years are 2013-2015. You get the M276 engine without the balance shaft issues from the old engine. More horsepower and fuel economy. This engine is also utilized in the E-Class (W212), C350 (W204), and ML350 so you can get salvage parts from these cars.

The GLK has a very good track record for reliability. Not over complicated like the newer Mercedes and not bland like a BMW. I see at least 10 on commute everyday in Los Angeles.

 

Thank you.
Having the newer engine makes sense. Is the Eco mode feature reliable and safe?

 

There are several parameters that must be satisfied to deactivate the engine. Living in hot Los Angeles, I have only had it deactivate once. Having the air conditioner blowing high will easily negated ECO without manually turning the function off.

You can see the preconditions as outlined by Daimler here

 

We just bought my wife a 2013 GLK350 4-matic. We looked at one other one, a 2010 with fewer miles, but she liked the white and the new engine swayed it for me. It is a fine machine and she loves it. She doesn't mind the ECO Mode but I hate it and always turn it off. As soon as you let off the brake it restarts the engine. My thought is that is just unnecessary wear and tear on the starter and battery. Ours didn't come with heated seats or NAV or back up camera.We have since installed a Garmin Nav with their back up camera, it works OK. Video is so so but you can definitely see what's behind you.

 

Thank you.
I do have one very important question. I'm sure throughout the ages it been asked ad nauseam, but none the less, it is an important first MB purchase consideration. This is maintenance costs.

The consensus out there from owner experience seems to illustrate that they are a wallet wringer. But I can't seem to get a straight answer as to WHY?

I researched parts and the majority don't seem that outrageously expensive. The only other variable must be labor rates. Even then, my best ASE certified mechanic charges a typical $90 hour. That should equate to similar repair costs of other cars.

Do MB break more often than other brands? if so, that by frequency alone would attribute to higher costs.

Am I missing something here?

 

Yes, they are expensive to maintain. $480 for a transmission filter aand fluid change. $260 though at a reputable trans shop using Benz parts

 

Parts are a little more expensive on Mercedes.

Every single GLK in America and Canada are assembled in Germany using a majority German, Austrian and other European parts. The fluids and fuel we use are higher performance.

To compare, the genuine oil filter is made in France by Purflux; whereas my genuine Toyota oil filter is made in Thailand. The Mercedes oil filter cost 4 times as much, but is constructed to be more durable with a larger filtering area.

If you break the LED HID lights, that is well over a thousand for the entire single housing. If you need a front bumper that is like $700. Part of the cost is that you are paying for someone to hold an obsolete part in warehouse for XX amount of time.

The GLK is simple. No unnecessary luxury features like air suspension, soft close doors, more horsepower than the average person can handle, night vision camera, electronic parking brake, and etc. Many things can be done by yourself like fluid changes, air filter changes, tire rotation, and brake pads.

So Premium Car uses premium parts, which demands premium prices.

 

Yes, I did notice the absence of superfluous gadgetry as compared to other models. I like its minimalistic quality.

I've had two people personally tell me their Mercedes (not GLK's) have been mostly trouble-free outside the basics - fluids, filters, belts, hoses, plugs, wires, etc.

MB is known for it's superior ride. How long should the suspension components last to maintain the integrity of ride comfort/quality before major parts need to be replaced?

 

My wife's new to her 2013 GLK350 has 80k miles on it and is as solid as a rock

 

https://mbworld.org/forums/glk-class...-shopping.html

 

there are plenty of things to look out for on GLKs or any MB really...

- some 722 transmissions are known to grenade. they typically start whining before they do. test drive accordingly. transmission service is 4 years 40,000 miles you can DIY or have dealer do it ~$800. Servicing the transmission is thought to be critical regarding premature failure.

- ESL / EIS failures, typically after 6-8 years, render vehicle immobile. ~$1000 each at dealer or DIY by mailing your keys and module out to someone specializing in this (cant use your vehicle while this is going on).

- common for brakes on these trucks to squeak / squeal if not serviced properly.

- in 2013+ they went to direct injection (use your own judgment here)

- thoroughly inspect Bluetooth connectivity, you may be in for a surprise to stream music from you cell phone ect

- try to find a truck with MMP / technology package so you get rear view camera ect

- leaks from transmission are also common and very expensive to repair, typically the seal in the back of the tranny (not the pan).

- automatic steering wheel height adjustment frequently breaks / broken. PITA cheap DIY or another ~$800 trip to dealer.

- keyless go, while "cool" is super expensive to trouble shoot and repair when it breaks, also a difficult DIY.

- sunroof sync issues, or sunshade operational issues are common but usually not a big deal

- Engine mounts are a common failure before 100,000 miles, the 4matic engine mounts are time intensive and tricky to replace. 2wd are much easier with the right tools.

- Thermostat getting stuck open, CEL for code P0128 is common between 40,000-100,000 miles. $600 trip to dealer or about $150 in parts if you do it yourself.

do thorough test drive, due diligence, drive a lot of them to get a feel for whats wrong and whats not. dont forget to check for all the things you would normally look for on any used vehicle (oil coolant AC ect).

im sure im missing some, if you search there is a lot of info about this on the forum, also look at W204 subsection as its pretty much same vehicle.

I test drove about 7 GLKs before finding one that did not show signs of some mechanical issue... and like any MB, you're never really out of the woods. happy hunting

 

Thank you all for the honesty. This is the information I needed to know to make a smart decision.

I've been cross shopping the whole gamut of SUV's for a while. While MB Luxary, ride, style, and prestige appeals to my emotional side, utmost dependability and affordable maintenance appleals to my rational side. Goal is slightly tilted to the latter, as I will keep it for many years.

That said, something suddenly came my way last week, and in the process of evaluating this vehicle and decision. Don't want to say too much yet.

 

this is delusional.

if you want a reliable dependable vehicle for many years a MB is not it. if you want to be comfortable, and drive a good looking car yes. but these vehicles certainly are not the pinnacle of dependability. did you even read the above post?

 

If you want a car you can keep for many years, that's fine. But they all need maintenance and care. Some are just more expensive.

I always pay attention to the old cars I see on the roads. Cars from the 70s', 80's and 90s. There are some Hondas from the 90's, but most of the older cars are Mercedes and Volvo. But it took proper maintenance for all of them to last that long.

 

that's not apples to apples. maybe an old 300 series. but that was a different age, particularly pre OBD-II like you mentioned (before 1996). today these cars are loaded with electronics that fail, and render the car unusable until addressed. ESL is a good example of a $3.00 part that will stop you in your tracks ($1000 at dealer). A simple search of COMAND failures, 722 transmission failures, will result in endless reading.

while the GLK is comparatively simple by design than say an S-Class, the 204 class is still plagued with too many issues to call them "utmost dependable".

routine maintenance is part of owning any vehicle. Simple service done at a MB dealer is prohibitively expensive, B service is what $500 for oil and brake flush lol. Add that on top of repairs. Some facets of 204 servicing are easy and cheap to DIY. A DIY B-Service is prob less than $100 at home.

Expecting these particular cars to give you 10 years of dependable service i think is a pipe dream. like any relationship, there is going to be some drama. unless you marry a toyota or honda.

 

The 204 platform cars have been out for 10 years exactly. All the "issues" are well documented. As many have noted on these forums. All tther car makes last 10 years or more too, with their own issues. The only difference is that some other cars are perceived to be cheaper to maintain and repair.

I always end up thinking that making a car last forever is easy, but at the end of the day (or decade), do you WANT to make a RAV4 or RDX last 10 years? Or would you prefer a GLK or X3 or whatever else? If you are going to spend time and money, make sure it's what you WANT. Or you'll be trading in the car you settled for in a couple of years which makes you lose more money than it costs to buy what you want the first time.

 

i agree, and thats why i bought one too, i knew it wasnt going to be drama free, but I accept the trade offs to be comfortable and not have my SO driving around in a RAV lol as shallow as that sounds.

 

B737,
Yes and I replied right after your rely with a big thank you. Did you see it? I'm sorry you didn't realize I was thanking you and others for the honesty.

To clarify, by saying previously that my purchase decision is slightly leaning towards long term dependability, I didn't mean to imply that I thought MB are or are not. I was just simply being honest too and expressing my needs.

Remember, I'm new to the brand, hence my post.

 

... Well, now the deal is done so I can ...

Bought an '04 Toyota 4Runner, V8, with only 32k miles for $9,500 from the original owner, a client of mine. It's nearly brand new condition. Couldn't pass up the opportunity. Divine intervention.

I may consider an SL or something fun for the weekends.

Thanks again for the help

 

For comparison, I traded in my 2010 GLK350 with 113,000 miles on it and got $9500 for it needing the ESB module replaced. New CPO has mfg warranty until 2020 with unlimited mileage. Sure the dealer has a lot more playing room but the car was actually 8 years in service.