The main problems and disadvantages of the Mercedes GLK with mileage

Mercedes GLK is the smallest Mercedes-Benz crossover, which also has an unusual appearance for this brand. Most skeptics considered it too boxy on the outside and rustic on the inside, however, this did not affect the car's popularity or sales. Despite its young age, cars of this brand are increasingly found in the secondary market, this fact casts doubt on the reliability and practicality of the Mercedes GLK. But what exactly makes the owners part with their car so quickly, and what surprises a used GLK can present, we will now try to figure it out.

A bit of history:

The Mercedes GLK concept was first presented to the public in early 2008 at the Detroit Auto Show. The debut of the production model took place at the Beijing Motor Show in April of the same year, outwardly the car was practically no different from the concept. By body type, the Mercedes GLK is a crossover, the standard for the creation of which was the Mercedes-Benz S204 C-class station wagon. When developing the appearance of the novelty, the Mercedes GL model, produced since 2006, was taken as the basis. The technical stuffing was borrowed from the C-class, for example, the 4 Matic all-wheel drive system without differential lock, an alternative to which is the rear-wheel drive model. This model is offered in two versions, one of which is designed for off-road enthusiasts: while the car has increased ground clearance, 17-inch wheels and a special package. In 2012, a restyled version of the car was unveiled at the New York Auto Show. The novelty received a retouched exterior and interior, as well as improved engines.

Weaknesses of the Mercedes GLK with mileage

Mercedes GLK is equipped with the following power units: petrol 2.0 (184, 211 hp), 3.0 (231 hp), 3.5 (272, 306 hp); diesel 2.1 (143, 170 and 204 hp), 3.0 (224, 265 hp). As operating experience has shown, the base 2.0 power unit turned out to be the least successful engine in terms of reliability. So, in particular, on cars even with low mileage, many owners began to annoy the knock under the hood when starting a cold engine. The reason for such a knock is a faulty camshaft, or rather, its not entirely correct location. Therefore, before buying, be sure to check if this problem is fixed under warranty. Also, the cause of extraneous noise when starting the engine may be an extended timing chain.

One of the most common flaws in 3.0 petrol engines is burnt intake manifold fins. The complexity of this problem is that the dampers are an integral part of the intake manifold and cannot be purchased separately, so the manifold must be completely replaced. Signs of this problem will be: floating speed, weak dynamic performance of the motor. If the shock absorbers begin to burn out, you need to urgently contact the service; otherwise, over time, they will break off and get into the engine, leading to costly repairs. Also, after 100 km, the timing chain stretches and the intermediate gears of the balance shafts wear out.

The 3,5 engine is perhaps one of the most reliable gasoline engines, but due to the high vehicle tax, this power unit is not very popular with motorists. One of the disadvantages of this unit is the fragility of the chain tensioner and timing sprockets, its resource, on average, is 80-100 km. The signal that an urgent replacement is needed will be the hum of a diesel engine and a metallic hum when starting a cold engine.

Mercedes GLK diesel engines are quite reliable and rarely present unpleasant surprises to their owners, especially in cars of the first years of production, but only if high-quality fuels and lubricants are used. If the previous owner refueled the car with low-quality diesel fuel, you should soon be ready to replace the fuel injectors and injection pump. Due to the accumulation of soot, the exhaust manifold flap servo may fail. Also, some owners note failures in the electronic engine control. In cars with a mileage of more than 100 km, there may be problems with the pump (leak, play or even squeak during operation). On a 000 engine with a mileage of more than 3.0 km.

Трансмиссия

The Mercedes GLK was supplied to the CIS market with a six- and seven-speed automatic transmission (Jetronic). Most of these aftermarket vehicles are offered with all-wheel drive, but there are also rear-wheel drive vehicles. Transmission reliability directly depends on the installed engine power and driving style, and the higher the engine power, the shorter the gearbox life. It is very important to inspect the crankcase, transfer case and gearbox for oil leaks before buying. If during slow acceleration or during braking you feel that the automatic transmission is at least a little pressure, then it is better to refuse to buy this copy. In most cases, the reason for this behavior of the box is a faulty automatic transmission control unit electronic board. It can also occur due to wear of the valve body and torque converter.

With careful operation, the box will last an average of 200-250 thousand km. To extend the life of the transmission, the military recommends changing the oil in the box every 60-80 thousand km. The all-wheel drive system cannot be called very smooth, but nevertheless, we must not forget that this is a crossover, and not a full-fledged SUV, and it is not designed for heavy loads. One of the common drawbacks of the 4Matic 4WD transmission is the external driveshaft bearing which is located in the crankcase. During operation, dirt gets into the bearing under the wheels, which causes corrosion. As a result, the bearing jams and turns. To avoid serious consequences, many mechanics recommend changing the bearing along with the oil.

Reliability suspension Mercedes GLK with mileage

This model is equipped with fully independent suspension: MacPherson strut front and single sided rear. Mercedes-Benz has always been famous for its well-tuned suspension, and the GLK is no exception, the car has proven itself to be excellent. Unfortunately, the suspension of this car cannot be called “indestructible”, since the chassis, like the crossover, is very soft and does not like to drive on broken roads. And, if the previous owner liked to knead the dirt, a major overhaul of the chassis will not be long in coming.

Traditionally, modern cars most often require replacement of stabilizer struts - about once every 30-40 thousand km. Silent blocks of levers also live a little longer, on average 50-60 thousand km. The resource of shock absorbers, levers, ball bearings, wheel and thrust bearings does not exceed 100 km. The service life of the brake system directly depends on the driving style, on average, the front brake pads need to be changed every 000-35 thousand km, the rear - 45-40 thousand km. Before restyling, the car was equipped with power steering, after electric, as operating experience has shown, owners of a rail with a hydromechanical amplifier often worry (wear of the rail bushing).

Salon

As befits Mercedes-Benz vehicles, most of the interior materials of the Mercedes GLK are of fairly good quality. But, despite this, in many instances, the leather upholstery of the seats quickly rubbed and cracked, since the manufacturer changed everything under warranty. The interior heater motor is located in front of the filter, which, as a result, leads to rapid contamination and premature failure. Unpleasant hissing during the operation of the ventilation system will serve as a signal that the engine needs to be replaced as soon as possible. Very often, owners blame the failure of the rear and side parking sensors. In addition, there are comments about the reliability of the electric trunk lid.

The bottom line:

One of the main advantages of the Mercedes GLK is that this car is more often owned by women, and they are known to be more careful on the road and more scrupulous in the care and maintenance of the car. As a rule, the owners of this brand of cars are wealthy people, which means that the car was serviced only in a good service, so cars in perfect condition are often found on the secondary market, you just need to look closely. To avoid serious problems and costly repairs, try to avoid cars with the most powerful engines.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Rich Team	High maintenance and repair costs
The original design	Small streaming resource
Comfortable suspension	Electronics failures
Spacious salon	Small resource of most suspension elements

If you are the owner of this car model, please describe the problems that you had to face during the operation of the car. Perhaps your review will help readers of our site in choosing a car.

Sincerely, the editors of AutoAvenue