GLK-Class (X204) Produced 2008-2014

2015 GLK 250 Shifted into park while slowing down

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Old Dec 20, 2022 | 07:26 PM
  #1  
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GLK 250
2015 GLK 250 Shifted into park while slowing down

Hi there!

I've got a 2015 diesel GLK 250. I've had it for three years, been absolutely great so far! I do regular maintenance on it and it's never given me any issues. Tonight it did something weird though. I was taking the back roads home, and as I was stopping at a stop sign it shifted into park. I was still moving slowly at this point. I put it into drive, pulled forward a bit and it went into park. I put it into drive and it drove fine on the highway until I came to a small town. Slowed down for a stop sign and when it shifted down into D1 it shifted into park. I was doing maybe 5km. I pulled over into a parking lot and tested in the parking lot - if I put it into manual I could come to a stop and go again without it shifting, but outside of manual it would shift into park. There were no funny sounds while driving, no warning lights, nothing. I parked it for a full half hour and had a bite to eat. I started it up again and drove around the parking lot, no issues. I headed out on the highway and drove the 20 minutes home, I had no more issues with it going in to park.

I've been trying to google and search the forum and have found people having problems getting out of park, but no issues of people having it go into park when they are coming to a stop. If anyone knows why it would do this, please let me know! Thanks, and have a wonderful day!

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Old Dec 21, 2022 | 04:10 PM
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All I can say is I hope it never happens to me!

When it goes into Park, does it stop abruptly?
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Old Dec 22, 2022 | 01:49 AM
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Any chance your door or door latch was not Fully latched?
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Old Dec 23, 2022 | 10:16 AM
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Originally Posted by John CC
All I can say is I hope it never happens to me!

When it goes into Park, does it stop abruptly?
I hope it never happens to you either!

Correct, it stops abruptly. Just before I came to a stop, while the wheels were still turning, it shifted into park which meant the wheels stopped turning and I stopped rather suddenly!
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Old Dec 23, 2022 | 10:26 AM
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Originally Posted by lonewolf7002
Just before I came to a stop, while the wheels were still turning, it shifted into park which meant the wheels stopped turning...!
Sounds like a recipe for disaster! (Inside the trans!)
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Old Dec 23, 2022 | 10:30 AM
  #6  
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Originally Posted by PACIFICMAN
Any chance your door or door latch was not Fully latched?
At this point, anything is possible. Before this happened I was stopped on the highway due to an accident (which is why I was taking the back roads) and had already stopped many, many times on this trip. I didn't try to open my door while driving so if it was not fully latched I would expect it to have also been a problem in the hour of driving before that. My previous car had a loose door sensor that I constantly had to adjust and would randomly show the door as being open, so maybe this is something similar? I will have to check. I tested this morning when leaving home and if I'm moving slightly and open the door it shifts into park but doesn't give me any lights or anything to let me know the door was open. I don't know what happens if I'm moving at speed and try to open the door, I assume it just keeps going, so it could've thought the door was open and didn't shift into park until I slowed down enough.

I've driven to work the last two days (nervously) and around town without further incident. Which is good, but I still have no clue why this happened or if it'll happen again. Is it a flaky door sensor? Was the computer glitching and telling it to go into park? Is it bad wiring that was shorting out? Is the transmission going? Is the parking button going bad and was stuck pressed in? I have questions and I don't know how to find the answer.



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Old Dec 23, 2022 | 10:32 AM
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Originally Posted by John CC
Sounds like a recipe for disaster! (Inside the trans!)
It sure does! Which is why I'm researching and here posting trying to find out what the heck happened. I would REALLY rather it not shift into park while I'm jetting down the highway!
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Old Dec 23, 2022 | 01:53 PM
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I would look for sensor adjustment, failing sensor, or sensor wiring. Sounds like it’s engaging the anti-rolll away feature. I had a similar experience with the hood sensor alignment on my GLK350.
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Old Jan 5, 2023 | 03:04 PM
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You have new batteries in your near future..
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Old Jan 5, 2023 | 08:03 PM
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I got my GLK back from the shop today. I had a lot more hassle with this and it turns out it was the electronic ignition switch. A sensor had failed inside and it thought I was pulling the key from the ignition, so it shifted into park to stop the car. They replaced the electronic ignition switch and I can drive without issue now. It cost me $2000 canadian, but at least I have a vehicle again.

This is the service bulletin on it:
https://www.tsbsearch.com/Mercedes-B...54-25-P-056472
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Old Jan 6, 2023 | 12:03 AM
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Originally Posted by lonewolf7002
I got my GLK back from the shop today. I had a lot more hassle with this and it turns out it was the electronic ignition switch. A sensor had failed inside and it thought I was pulling the key from the ignition, so it shifted into park to stop the car. They replaced the electronic ignition switch and I can drive without issue now. It cost me $2000 canadian, but at least I have a vehicle again.

This is the service bulletin on it:
https://www.tsbsearch.com/Mercedes-B...54-25-P-056472
Thanks for the follow-up !!

I almost want to state this shouldn't be a TSB, but recall ... the vehicle shifting into Park at 6mph , or 4mph, could result in significant damage or potential personal injury.

I've downloaded the TSB from the NHTSA website and will review further ...
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Old Jan 6, 2023 | 12:31 AM
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Originally Posted by lonewolf7002
They replaced the electronic ignition switch and I can drive without issue now. It cost me $2000 canadian, but at least I have a vehicle again.

This is the service bulletin on it:
https://www.tsbsearch.com/Mercedes-B...54-25-P-056472
Okay, I read the NHTSA version of the TSA (has more details) ... and we see this section :

Not OK as of production date 05/2012
OK as of VIN
​​​​​​
166 … *A206996

204 … *G103135 <<<<<<<<<<

​212 … *A776831
218 … *A090383
246 … *J153923
246 ... *N051707

I checked the VIN on our 2014 GLK - the last 7 characters starts with *B208xxx" , so not susceptible to this TSB.

@lonewolf7002 ... does your VIN end before or after *"G103135" ??

Last edited by calder-cay; Jan 6, 2023 at 09:51 PM.
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Old Jan 6, 2023 | 01:34 AM
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2013 glk 350
It should be a Recall
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Old Jan 6, 2023 | 06:39 AM
  #14  
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I’m curious if those of us with keyless go who still utilize the push button start are susceptible to this?
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Old Jan 6, 2023 | 08:30 AM
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Thanks for the follow up Calder-Cay. Mine is G197xxx so i should be ok. Definitely a recall for that kind of problem.
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Old Jan 6, 2023 | 09:08 PM
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Originally Posted by calder-cay
I checked the VIN on our 2014 GLK - the last 7 characters starts with *B32xxxx" , so susceptible to this TSB 🤬
Are you sure you are interpreting that correctly? The TSA states:
Not OK as of production date 05/2012
OK as of VIN
204 … *G103135

My interpretation is the issue starts with production date 05/2012 and ends with sequence number 103135. The "G" indicates the assembly plant and is not, as far as I know, part of the sequence number. ("B" is Sindelfingen, "G" is Bremen. My 2014 is "G" 31xxxx.) Your sequence number being 32xxxx puts it well after 103135.

[Edit] Wait, I would expect Lone Wolf's 2015 to be after the cutoff, too. Also, when I looked up my VIN on the NHTSA web site, that service bulletin did not pop up, which I assume means it isn't applicable.

Last edited by John CC; Jan 7, 2023 at 11:19 AM. Reason: Typo typo
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Old Jan 6, 2023 | 09:47 PM
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Originally Posted by John CC
Are you sure you are interpreting that correctly? The TSA states:
Not OK as of production date 05/2012
OK as of VIN
204 … *G103135

My interpretation is the issue starts with production date 05/2012 and ends with sequence number 103135. The "G" indicates the assembly plant the assembly plant and is not as far as I know, part of the sequence number. ("B" is Sindelfingen, "G" is Bremen. My 2014 is "G" 31xxxx.) Your sequence number being 32xxxx puer ts it well after 103135.
Thanks !!
Geeeez, did I ever screw that up (I'll fix my post). I screwed up in two ways ... I misinterpreted AND just discovered that's not the sequence for our 2014 !! I went out and checked the VIN plate under the windshield AND the plate under the passenger seat AND checked the paper registration... it's actually
G208xxx.

I need to find the old photo of VIN I looked at.
< smacks forehead >

EDIT ... okay I was looking at old photos of VINs I took photos of ... the B42xxxx is my wife's 2001 E320 (which has sold) ... it was next to the photo of 2014 GLK VIN

Last edited by calder-cay; Jan 6, 2023 at 09:59 PM.
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Old Jan 6, 2023 | 10:45 PM
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Yeah, that makes a lot more sense as I also thought all the X204s were "G". Doesn't explain why the 2015 has the same problem, though... Still concerning.
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Old Jan 7, 2023 | 01:20 PM
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My VIN is *G416xxx, if I understand it right.
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Old Jan 7, 2023 | 01:50 PM
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Originally Posted by lonewolf7002
My VIN is *G416xxx, if I understand it right.
Then you're good to go ... your VIN ends with a higher number than:
G103135

​​​​​​EDIT ... WHOA! I wasn't paying attention ... you're the OP who posted the issue , and it was because the TSB description ...

Last edited by calder-cay; Jan 7, 2023 at 05:08 PM.
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Old Jan 7, 2023 | 01:54 PM
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Originally Posted by lonewolf7002
My VIN is *G416xxx, if I understand it right.
That makes sense. So, the question remains, is your issue a fluke, is the problem much more widespread than the TSB indicates, or is it going to recur because it was never fixed in the first place?
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Old Jan 8, 2023 | 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by calder-cay
Then you're good to go ... your VIN ends with a higher number than:
G103135

​​​​​​EDIT ... WHOA! I wasn't paying attention ... you're the OP who posted the issue , and it was because the TSB description ...
Haha I hope I'm good to go! The part has been replaced with a brand new one, I hope it doesn't start up again! :P


Originally Posted by John CC
That makes sense. So, the question remains, is your issue a fluke, is the problem much more widespread than the TSB indicates, or is it going to recur because it was never fixed in the first place?
All good questions. According to the dealer (so you decide what that's worth!) it's a rare issue that doesn't happen very often. When I took the service manager out for a spin to show him the issue, he said he recalled an issue like that a few years and he thought it was the electronic ignition switch at the time. Whether it should be a recall or not tho, it seems it currently isn't, so my bank account is considerably lighter. At least I can drive again.

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Old Apr 29, 2026 | 01:09 PM
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Originally Posted by lonewolf7002
My VIN is *G416xxx, if I understand it right.
Sorry to respond to an old thread but my mom's 2015 GLK250 just experienced the same issue after almost 10 years of relatively pain free driving and VIN also ends in *G416xx.

Seems like removing the key "restarts" the car and allows the transmission to behave normally as techs are having trouble replicating the issue.. at least until it decides to happen again. Not something I want to risk finding out the hard way so most likely will be replacing the same.
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Old Apr 29, 2026 | 02:36 PM
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Still holding my breath!
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Old Apr 29, 2026 | 09:51 PM
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Originally Posted by Jimbabwe
Sorry to respond to an old thread but my mom's 2015 GLK250 just experienced the same issue after almost 10 years of relatively pain free driving and VIN also ends in *G416xx.

Seems like removing the key "restarts" the car and allows the transmission to bNehave normally as techs are having trouble replicating the issue.. at least until it decides to happen again. Not something I want to risk finding out the hard way so most likely will be replacing the same.
No need to apologize ... I'd say, "who knows what might have happened over the last year or two?"

What I mean is, maybe a few others have reported the same issue and NOW there is a some sort of recall.
I would contact Mercedes to double-check.

We still have our 2014 Base (not diesel) and running fine.

You ended your Reply with, " ... so most likely will be replacing the same"
Does that mean you will REPLACE the 2015 for another MB ??
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