What 295 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Mercedes-benz E-class Wagon

LEAK IN AIR SUSPENSION. FRONT OF CAR DROPS DOWN WHEN STATIONARY FOR A FEW HOURS.

NHTSA ODI 11185551

I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THESE AIR SUSPENSIONS, IT APPEARS THEY ARE MADE TO FAIL TO MAKE THE OWNER SPEND MONEY EVERY YEAR, I'VE HAD ALL TYPES OF MALFUNCTIONING WITHOUT ANYTHING MAJOR HAPPENING TO THE CAR. I SPENT OVER 2500$ REPLACING THE REAR SUSPENSION AFTER IT SPONTANEOUSLY STARTED MALFUNCTIONING BEING UNEVEN ETC.. AND NOW NOT LONG AFTER THE REAR ONES MESSED UP I'M HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT ONES. IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE THESE PRODUCTS FUNCTION WITH FRAGILITY AND LEAVE THE OWNER IN A PRECARIOUS POSITION BECAUSE THE CAR WILL LOWER ITSELF TO A HEIGHT WHERE THE CAR IS UNABLE TO DRIVE LEAVING THE DRIVER TO PAY POTENTIAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS... AND IF THE ACTUAL PUMP MALFUNCTIONS YOU ARE LOOKING AT AT LEAST 6!GRAND FOR ONE PART. I'VE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN FOR ABOUT 10000 FROM MERCEDES LAST YEAR ALONE.. PLEASE HOLD MERCEDES LIABLE FOR FUTURE REPAIRS TO THESE AIR SUSPENSIONS. ALTHOUGH NOTHING HAS HAPPENED THE FRONT IS MALFUNCTIONING NOW AND I DON'T HAVE THOUSAND TO SHELL OUT AGAIN TO MERCEDES

NHTSA ODI 11152245

TAKATA RECALL. VEHICLE INOPERABLE DUE TO INFLATORS NOT HOLDING AIR. CAR SUSPENSION SAGS WHILE STATIONARY. WARNING COMES ON PROMPTING DRIVER TO PULL OVER.

NHTSA ODI 11114029

AIRMATIC ISSUES AT HIGHWAY LOWERED, AIR LEAK AFTER COMPONENTS BEING TESTED BY MERCEDES-BENZ OF CARAL GABLES. THIS IS AN DANGEROUS ISSUE

NHTSA ODI 11089183

FRONT OF THE CAR DROOLS EVENLY ABOUT EVERY FOUR HOURS REGARDLESS IF DRIVING OR PARKED. EMERGENCY STOPS REQUIRED WHEN DRIVING.

NHTSA ODI 11062987

AIRMATIC FRONT AIR STRUT/SHOCK FAILURE. THE FRONT LEFT HAS FAILED ON MY CAR. IT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AND A SHORT WHILE AFTER AN ACCIDENT AND THE TWO MAY BE RELATED DUE TO THE BRAKING FORCES PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE FRONT STRUTS. THE FAILURE DID NOT HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CRASH. HOWEVER, ABOUT A MONTH LATER, OR SO, THE CAR LOWERED AND RED WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WITH A WARNING TO TO "PULL OVER AND STOP DRIVING IMMEDIATELY". I WAS DRIVING NORMALLY, BUT I HAD THE ACCIDENT IN LATE JUNE. ALSO, IN ADDITION THE THE TEMPORAL OCCURRENCE OF MY ACCIDENT, THE STRUTS APPEAR DEFECTIVE JUDGING BY COMPLAINTS ON MERCEDES FORUMS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE CAR LOWERS, THE SUSPENSION HITS BOTTOM AND THE TIRES RUB ON THE FENDERS MAKING STEERING IMPOSSIBLE.

NHTSA ODI 11021398

THE FRONT AIR SUSPENSION DROPS (BOTH SIDES AT THE SAME TIME) AT RANDOM TIMES -- SOMETIMES WHILE PARKED AND SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE SPENT $1,116.53 SO FAR AND HAVE REPLACED THE PRE-FUSE BOX, RELAY, AND VALVE UNIT. THE SAME PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE DEALER AND A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP ARE STUMPED AS TO WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. SEEMS LIKE A FREQUENT PROBLEM REPORTED ONLINE BY MANY OWNERS AND THAT MB SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS FAULTY DESIGN.

NHTSA ODI 11018660

TAKATA RECALL MY FRONT AIR SUSPENSION LEAKS ALL THE TIME A LOT

NHTSA ODI 11014859

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS CAR AND FOUND OUT THE NEXT DAY REAR DRIVER SIDE SUSPENSION IS VERY LOW I.E. 10% OF THE TIRE IS HIDING UNDER.

NHTSA ODI 10983253

I HAVE OWNED A 2003, 2005, 2009 AND NOW A 2011 E550 AND EVERY ONE OF THESE CARS CAME WITH THE SAME AIR SUSPENSION PROBLEM. ITS NOT FAIR FOR THE CONSUMERS AND ITS CERTAINLY NOT FAIR FOR ALL MERCEDES BENZ CUSTOMERS. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE NOTORIOUS AIR SUSPENSION PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY A LEAK IN THE AIR SHOCK. WHICHEVER AIR SHOCK LEAKS, THATS THE SIDE OF THE CAR THAT WILL LEAN DOWN. MY E550 IS LEANING ON THE FRONT SIDE AND BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE ARE BOTH AFFECTED. I WAS QUOTED 1600$ FOR EACH SHOCK FROM MB, WHICH IS OVER 3200$ WITH ALL THE TAXES. EVERY NIGHT WHEN I PARK THE CAR, I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING WITH THE CAR LEANING DOWN.

NHTSA ODI 10953729

SUSPENSION. ON VEHICLE IS LOPSIDED ALSO NOT ABLE TO RAISE OR DRIVE COMFORTABLE BE THE SUSPENSION IS NOT LEVEL. VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE IN MY OPINION. EVERY TIME I'M COME OUTSIDE THE CAR IS EITHER LEANING TO ONE SIDE OR ON THE FLOOR.

NHTSA ODI 10908174

I BOUGHT 2011 E550 BASE SEDAN LAST YEAR. IT HAD 25K MILES ON IT, AND 2 MONTHS LATER MY REAR SUSPENSION BEGAN LEAKING AND COST ME 2K IN REPAIRS. THE CAR WOULD LEAK OUT AIR FROM SUSPENSION OVER COUPLE HOURS. DEALER OR MY AFTERMARKET WARRANTY WOULDN'T COVER THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE CONTRACT, BUT I'M NOT THE FIRST ONE WITH THIS ISSUE. WE SHOULDN'T BE BUYING NEW AIRBAG SUSPENSION ON A CAR THAT HAVEN'T HAD THE ORIGINAL TIRES REPLACED YET.

NHTSA ODI 10897712