2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Suspension Problems

Air suspension in the rear suddenly failed making it impossible to drive, also triggered a red warning of "stop, car too low"

The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the air bag suspension detached from the subframe which caused the shock to lean into the tire. The rear driver’s side wheel ceased turning. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer nor an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT AS THE AIRMATIC SUSPENSION FAILED. CAR SUDDENLY LOWERED WHILE DRIVING. CHANGED AIR SHOCKED, FAILED AGAIN AFTER 2 YEARS. THIS CAR HAS ONLY LESS 93000 MILES. ALL MECHANICS ACROSS THE BOARD KNOW THIS IS THE PROBLEM MERCEDES HAS REFUSED TO TAKE CARE.

AIR SUSPENSION LOWER CAUSED CAR STOPPED WHILE DRIVING. THIS AIR SUSPENSION HAS SERIOUS PROBLEM NEEDS RECALL DUE TO DEFECTIVE DESIGN. SPRINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM WILL CAUSE ACCIDENTS WHILE DRIVING.

THE AIR STRUT SUSPENSION HAS FAILED ON LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT

AIR SUSPENSION - THE ENTIRE VEHICLE HAS FALLEN ALMOST TO THE GROUND DUE TO DEFECTIVE AIR SUSPENSION(FRONT AND REAR). THIS STARTED WITHIN A YEAR AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A MERCEDEZ BENZ DEALERSHIP BUT DID NOT REALIZE HOW SERIOUS THE PROBLEM WAS UNTIL THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. AS OF TODAY, THE AIR DOES NOT PUMP INTO THE CAR AND THEREFORE IT'S LOW TO THE GROUND.

WHILE DRIVING, THE WARNING LIGHT CAR TO LOW. STOP DRIVING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES-BENZ E500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE "STOP DRIVING" AND "VEHICLE DRIVING LOW" WARNING MESSAGES DISPLAYED. WHILE SITTING IN THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEEMED LOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT AIR SUSPENSION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

DRIVING A CAR IN VEHICLE WENT DOWN SAYING IS TOO LOW

I HAVE PROBLEM WITH FRONT SUSPENCION ON FLOOR

MY CAR HAS DROPPED DOWN VERY LOW ON TOP OF MY TIRES WHEN I STARTED MY CAR UP ON THE DASH WAS A RED WARNING LIGHT SAYING STOP CAR IS TOO LOW. MY CAR DROVE FINE THE DAY BEFORE THE NEXT MORNING WHILE SITTING UNDER MY CARPORT IT WAS VERY LOW.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ E500. WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE STOP CAR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE FRONT SUSPENSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER TO BE INSPECTED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT BOTH FRONT AIRMATIC SUSPENSIONS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

CAR DISPLAY PANEL SHOWED "STOP, CAR TOO LOW". THE FRONT LEFT PORTION OF THE CAR WAS LOW AND THE TIRE ALMOST TOUCHED THE TIRE FENDER. TRIED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO SHOP BUT CAN HEAR THE TIRE SCRATCHED THE FENDER WHEN MADE TURNS. TOWED THE CAR TO SHOP NEXT DAY. SHOP TOLD ME THE AIR SUSPENSION WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO REPLACE STRUT AND RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT TWO STRUTS. THIS COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF IT HAPPENED ON FREEWAY. CAR COULD LOOSE BALANCE AT HIGH SPEED. TIRE COULD BUST AT HIGH SPEED. CHECKED ONLINE AND SAW MANY PEOPLE HAD SAME PROBLEMS. NOW I REMEMBER THAT A FRIEND IN TAIWAN HAS COLLECTED MORE THAN 500 MERCEDES STRUTS IN HIS SHOP. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS HAD BEEN A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM FOR MERCEDES 500 SERIES. WHY MERCEDES DID NOT RECALL CARS FOR REPAIR??? TOO EXPENSIVE AND CAN NOT AFFORD TO DO IT FOR MERCEDES?? IT COST ME $2,850 TO REPLACE THE FRONT TWO STRUTS. NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE IT. *TR

MY 2003 MB E500 SPORT IS EQUIPPED WITH THE AIRMATIC SUSPENSION. WITHOUT WARNING THE REAR SUSPENSION COMPLETELY FAILED AND DROPPED THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FRAME 2 INCHES FROM THE ASPHALT. MY SMALL CHILD WAS IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME AND WOULD HAVE BOUNCED UP TO THE CEILING IF HE HAD NOT BEEN SECURED IN HIS CARSEAT. THE CAR IS NOT OPERATIONAL AT THIS TIME AND REPAIR ESTIMATES EXCEED $3,000.00. *TR

I'M LUCKY TO BE ALIVE! I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN 2005 AND EVER SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2003 MERC. BENZ E320, IT'S BEEN A CRAZY RIDE! HERE'S A LIST OF DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT HAPPENED TO ME OVER THE COURSE OF ME OWNING THIS VEHICLE, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY I STILL DO. I WAS DRIVING WITH MY LITTLE GIRL IN TOW AND MY BRAKES WENT OUT ON ME SEVERAL TIMES, MY BATTERY DIES CONSTANTLY, I HAD AN ISSUE WHEN AFTER I PUMPED GAS YOU COULD SMELL FUEL BOTH INSIDE MY CAR & OUTSIDE OF MY CAR, I LITERALLY ONE TIME HAD FUEL POURING FROM THE BACK OF MY CAR THAT ENDED ON MY GARAGE FLOOR. (THANK GOD I DON'T SMOKE!) MY SUSPENSION IS CONSTANTLY RATTLING, I HAVE WATER THAT LEAKS ON MY FEET WHEN I DRIVE OCCASIONALLY AND SOMETIMES I HAVE HEAT IN THE WINTER AND SOMETIMES I DON'T. I ALWAYS HAVE A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AND AS SOON AS I FIX ONE, ANOTHER ONE COMES ON. I CURRENTLY HAD ISSUES WITH CODE PO134, PO135 AND HAD THE O2 SENSOR CHANGED, THEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND NOW I HAVE CODES PO171 & PO174 THAT I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GET FIXED BECAUSE IT COULD BE A NUMBER OF ISSUES. MY BATTERY DRAINS WHEN MY ELECTRIC SEATS ARE PLUGGED IN AND SO I HAVE TO HAVE THEM UNPLUGGED TO SAVE MY BATTERY. DID I MENTION MY BACK TIRE BLEW OUT ON INTERSTATE 95 AND I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR. IT'S DEVASTATING TO PAY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU DO FOR THIS PARTICULAR MODEL, IT'S PRETTY ON THE OUTSIDE AND IS A MESS UNDER THE HOOD! IS IT NORMAL WHEN YOU HAVE THE AC ON FOR IT TO SOUND LIKE AN AIRPLANE READY FOR TAKE OFF? I'M TIRED OF INVESTING ALL KINDS OF MONEY INTO THIS CAR, I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I CAN'T EVEN PASS MY VA. STATE EMISSIONS TEST BECAUSE OF ALL THESE ERROR CODES (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND MALFUNCTIONS) AND THE STATE DOESN'T EVEN FIND MY CAR WORTHY OF BEING ON THE ROADS. *TR

LEFT COIL SPRING BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING, AND THE CAR VEERED ABRUPTLY TO THE LEFT APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET. THE CAR SHOULD'VE BEEN TOWED, BUT I WAS SO CLOSE TO MITCH CARRS'S THAT I DROVE IT VERY SLOWLY TO THEM. *TR

FRONT AND REAR END SUSPENSION ARE DOWN TO THE GROUND ,,AND A ERROR CODE ON DASH: STOP CAR TO LOW, CAR IS NOT DRIVE-ABLEA. *TR

STRONG ODOR OF FUEL WHEN GAS TANK IS FULL...I AM NOT TOPPING OFF THE TANK WHEN I REFUEL...DEALERSHIP STATES I NEED ENTIRE GAS TANK REPLACED AT A COST OF 3000.00..I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED IN MARCH 2011 WITH APPROX 107,000 MILES. *TR

BOTH FRONT AND REAR AIR SHOCKS WENT WITHIN 2000 MILES OF EACH OTHER 64000 AND 66000 MILES. THESE SHOCKS ARE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND ARE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. THEY WERE NOT ENGINEERED PROPERLY OR THEY SHOULD HAVE LASTED MUCH LONGER. MERCEDES WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT..

I HAVE A 2003 MERCEDES E320 WHICH I BOUGHT FROM COGGIN MOTORMALL IN FT. PIERCE. I HAVE PUT ONLY 5000 MILES ON CAR AND IT HAS BEEN IN SHOP 2 TIMES. FIRST THE FRONT THRUSTS AND RODS WERE BAD AND NOW THE CAR IS STALLING ON ME, ONCE WITH MY SON IN CAR. WHEN THE CAR STALLS, I LOSE ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HAVE ALMOST BEEN KILLED IN THESE 2 FAILURES. IT HAS STALLED ON ME 4 TIMES AND NOW I REFUSE TO DRIVE THIS CAR AND NOW THE BALL JOINTS ARE BAD. I HEAR THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE STRUTS AND JOINTS 200901002 ?? THE CAR ONCE CAME ON AND SAID REAR BRAKE FAILURE AS WELL. HOW DOES A CAR DEALERSHIP SELL A VEHICLE TO A CUSTOMER WITH KNOWING THAT IT COULD KILL A FAMILY? THEY SAID THEY INSPECTED IT.. THIS IS GOING TO KILL ME AND MY SON.. SOLVE THAT, I WONT DRIVE THIS CAR.. MERCEDES REALLY NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE DANGEROUS THINGS.. IT IS GOING TO COST ANOTHER 1000 DOLLARS TO FIX AND I CANT AFFORD IT. *TR