Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I am a Mercedes Benz technician of 20 years experience and have become aware of an outrageously dangerous situation that needs immediate investigation. On certain models of Mercedes Benz "210" bodies the support that holds the upper portion of the coil spring in place is rusting off of the frame. If it breaks all of the way the entire front suspension will collapse. It is only happening to the right from and not the left belief is an improper weld or defective metal in the mount itself. My understanding is that it effects 96-98 cars so far. The dealers are not covering this under warranty. You can confirm how many cars are being affected by simply asking Mercedes how many of the right side supports they have sold in the last 18 months as opposed to the left side. …
Spring perch is cheaply welded to the wheel well on the Mercedes 210 chassis (1997 e420). All other cards have it attached to a solid bar. Mercedes welded it to very thin sheet metal which Mercedes knows has been failing at an alarming rate (dealer admitted this to me - they see this problem every week). 18 inch long suspension spring popped out of my car while moving. I could have been killed as car is uncontrollable after suspension gives out. Inexcusable design flaw that Mercedes knows is a daily problem for anyone with the 210 chassis (and the heavier engines (420, 430 etc.) where there is additional weight on the front suspension). Service rep at dealer even told me that he has seen it happen on the highway and knew exactly what was going on b/c he sees it so often. Luckily, the car he witnessed was able to get to the break-down lane/shoulder for safety. …
I was coming off west rt 46. I came to a stop sign,made a right and as I was driving heard a thump noise....then as I drove a squeaking noise and I pulled over,looked at the car ,around it and under it and didn't see anything. I drove it slowly abt a mile home. When I got home I opened the hood and didn't see anything. I drove it to my mechanic around the corner and he told me I had a spring coil failure. I researched this issue and found that this was prevalent in certain Mercedes vehicles and that there was a recall in Canada for this failing part. I'm attempting to have Mercedes cover some of the costs to have this repaired.
Dt: the consumer found out this morning that the spring housing was corroded. The front coil spring housing corroded and broke away from the body on front passenger's side. This was discovered by the consumer while he was rotating his tires. He felt the spring could come out and cause the loss of vehicle control. There has been no repair or replacement at this time. The consumer planned to contact the dealer this afternoon. There were other complaints listed on the NHTSA website and other websites as well. The Mercedes owner website had a number of complaints listed. The vehicle is an e420. The chassis number w210.
I took my car into get the suspension fixed and was told that the spring perch that attached the spring to the car has rusted through and is about to break. Luckily I found it before I had a bad accident. I am in the process of checking with Mercedes to see if they will stand by a poor design issue and repair it. I am amazed that someone has not contacted owners of older cars as this could be a very dangerous issue for those not fortunate to get things checked out. I am not driving the car until some decision is made.
Loud pop and car became difficult to drive. Front spring support (perch) came loose from the frame rail. Front suspension was removed, new support was welded to the frame and suspension replaced. After reading owners forums on the internet, it has become quite obvious that many Mercedes Benz w210 chassis cars (e Class) have had this problem. Apparently it has to do with a sealant failing that allows water to sit in the joint where the support is welded to the frame.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55 MPH on normal road conditions, the vehicle's front end started shaking. The problem was getting worst. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop for inspection who notified the perch, which supported the coils springs, were separated from the structure. The manufacturer referred the contact to a dealership who acknowledged the defect and notified the cost would be covered by the contact.
Fax fm tom and helen silver (nj) re the defective front coil springs on their 1997 e 420 merecedes Benz. While the vehicle sat idling, the right front coil spring detached (probable partial detachment) from its welded position and caused the right front ability to support that portion of the vehicle. The dealer stated that the left front coil spring was about to give away. (e 420)
While driving at 35 MPH down a small hill the front passenger spring mount (perch) on my 1997 e 300 diesel (w210) broke off causing the coil spring to fall off of the car. This was an unbelievably dangerous occurrance and luckily it did not happen when I was going 65 MPH. I have brought the car my autobody shop and we are still working on who will cover the cost of my repairs (insurance or mb)
Tl contact owns a 1997 Mercedes Benz e300 diesel. While servicing the vehicle, the contact noticed that the spring perch on the front driver and passenger sides was rusting and separated from the suspension chassis. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The failure mileage was 140,000.
NHTSA investigations
Front suspension coil spring ejection
Odi has focused this investigation on assessing the risks posed by a separated spring as (1) a road hazard and (2) the potential for vehicle control to be compromised after the front coil spring has been ejected from its intended position in the vehicle.both risks are associated with corrosion, flexing, and fracture of the upper front suspension mounting bracket.time-in-service failure rates are notably higher in…
Suspension complaints in other E Class years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the suspension of the 1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class, 53% of the model year's 38 complaints. The component named most often is front › springs › coil springs (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 96,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.