2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Tires & Wheels Problems

Three wheels had rim a total of eight cracks that lead to one tire unable to hold air. Loss of air in tire can lead to crash. Mercedes service inspected car after first crack was noticed by Discount Tire when they diagnosed deflation in tire. Mercedes service reported that two additional wheel rims were cracked. Discount Tire subsequently determined a total of eight cracks and took pictures. Mercedes service representative stated that initial OEM wheels on 2021 S Class were weak and frequently failed. Service manager said they have had cracks during test drives from simply riding over a metal plate on the road. Car was bought used with 22k miles and driven only 3k miles by me at time of failure. Car was supposedly 100% inspected and was “certified”. Low air pressure indicator alerted the issue.

Excessive Tire failure on "AMG" 21 inch wheel and tires. Pirelli tires have replaced 4 tires in four months. cracks in side wall bubbling.

I purchased this car as a certified pre-owned vehicle from Mercedes Benz in December 2024 with 14,000 miles on the odometer. This vehicle has factory 21-inch AMG rims. Since that time, I have had to replace 5 tires on this vehicle, all from Mercedes Benz dealerships. I purchased an additional $2,000 tire insurance policy from Mercedes Benz due to this recurrent issue. Due to the size of this rim, these tires are extremely prone to blowing and flats. Furthermore, this vehicle does not come with a spare tire or even with a storage compartment which can accommodate a spare tire. I was under the impression that this is because Mercedes Benz equips these vehicles with run-flat tires, however I recently learned that Mercedes does not offer run-flat tires on the 21 inch rim, leaving customers with no choice to but have the vehicle towed each time a flat tire occurs. I have been stranded on the side of the road 3 times within the past 3 weeks alone. Other customers have experienced and reported similar issues with this vehicle.

I purchased this vehicle used at a dealer in Virginia. I drove it home to Chelsea Alabama, outside Birmingham. After a couple of days, my front right tire went flat. I took it to the dealer and they said the flat tire was caused by a cracked rim and required both to be replaced. Almost $3,000 for tire and rim. I continued to drive the car, maybe 4,000-5,000 miles and I had another tire go flat. This was the drivers side rear tire. This was a Pirelli 285/35 R20 run flat tire. Again when I took it to the dealer, this rim was cracked and also needed to be replaced along with the tire. $2,790. The car has 55,000 miles and is meticulously maintained. And I do not drive on rough roads. The dealer consistently states it was due to “hitting a pot hole” which a) is not the case in both these incidents, and b) a rim should not break from running into regular small imperfections in the road. I’ve been in the auto manufacturing business for 38 years and have never, ever had a rim fail, not once but twice in 4 months on the same vehicle. After investigating, this is happening all over. My feeling is the rim has not been sufficiently designed to support the weight of this vehicle. And now, every time I take the car out, I fear for my life and my families life. Frankly, the car is not safe because the rims can and will crack and split under regular driving conditions! This can cause a blowout and possible injury or death. This cost and the cost of my safety should be covered by Mercedes. They should replace these rims with stronger, more properly designed rims to ensure my families future safety!

I’ve had to replace six tires due to blowouts from hitting small potholes, something I’ve never experienced in the past 40 years of driving other vehicles! This seems to be a manufacturing defect in the vehicle, as the tires can’t support the weight of the car, and any pressure on them causes them to blow out. I’m now hesitant to drive long distances, fearing that one or more tires could blow out at any time. Without a spare tire in the trunk, I’m left stranded. Below are answers to your question: 1. The tires failed, yes they are available for inspection. Also have photos of the damaged tires. 2. The safety of myself and my passengers is at risk, as a tire blowout while driving at 55 mph could potentially cause the vehicle to lose control and result in a serious accident.. 3. The problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. 4. The vehicles tires have been inspected by an insurance representative and independent service center 5. NO

I have had one tire blow out after traveling over a moderate pot hole, and 3 other tires that have been damaged with "bubbles" due to excessive stress from normal driving. In addition to the damaged tires, I have had 3 bent wheels all due to normal driving because the 21 inch wheels/tires on this vehicle cannot tolerate the loads during normal driving. This is a well-known defect by Mercedes and I believe it is a design defect and that it is dangerous.

I have had 3 tire failures(blowouts)when I have hit potholes with my 21” wheels and Pirelli P Zero tires. I read on a MBZ Forum for my specific make of car - 2021/2022 MBZ S580 - that many others have experienced the same failures with these Pirelli tires. Those that have Michelin have had none. With such a small area between the road and the rim afforded by super low profile 21” setups, a tire like Pirelli with a weak sidewall will fail when the car strikes a pothole or obstruction. Another owner on the Forum said when he contacted Mercedes, they said it was not their problem, but Pirelli’s. Meanwhile, there are thousands of owners with this combination, many of which have already experienced failures. Something needs to be done before there are injuries, or worse.

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580 equipped with Pirelli tires, Tire Line: P Zero MO-S, Tire Size: P255/35/R21 (Front tires) and P285/30/R21 (Rear Tires), DOT Number: (Unavailable). The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the drove over a pothole and the driver’s side front tire experienced a blowout. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the contact was informed that there was a bubble on the side shoulder of the tire, and the tire needed to be replaced. The tire was replaced. The contact stated that a similar failure reoccurred with the front passenger’s side tire and the rear driver’s side tire. The vehicle was taken to the dealer both times and the contact was informed that the sidewalls on the tires were thin causing the blowouts. The failure mileage was 3,000.