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 E320 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
* Left front substrate to which the Coil Spring Perch mounts is badly rusted and the spring is about to come off under pressure of the cars weight, thereby endangering myself and the general public. The car was towed to Feldmann Imports, a Mercedes-Benz dealer at 4901 American Blvd west, Bloomington , MN 55437 (952) -641-7908 and can be inspected there. * If the spring perch loosens any further, the coil spring would shoot off and likely interfere with the steering system, fuel lines and any number of other components on the vehicle, also there have been reports of the spring going out of the car under pressure and hitting other objects. * Yes, My car was in for another matter at LaMettry's Collision Center, of Eden Prairie, MN for a (minor dent) and (Braden) of LaMettry's said upon inspection of the spring perch that the car was undrivable and could not be fixed. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Mercedes Benz E320. While driving at 60 MPH, the air bags deployed inadvertently emitted a yellow substance and the vehicle shook violently. Shortly after, the shift lever exploded and smoke started to emit from the console. The contact noticed that the cam shaft fractured, which caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. A police report was not filed. The contact sustained unknown injuries due to the substance from the air bag that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Car began to ride abnormally; vibration in the front suspension and no movement from the front suspension as would normally be observed as a result of shock absorber travel. Brought the car to a body shop to have it looked at. As I pulled into the parking lot the front suspension totally collapsed and the front springs fell out of the bottom of the car. Research on the internet, conversations with the body shop and the local Mercedes Benz dealer all confirm that this is a known defect from Mercedes that the manufacturer is unwilling to recall. There are hundreds of documented cases on the internet. Had this incident happened to me while traveling on a highway I and my family could have been seriously injured or killed. Car has been in the body shop for nearly 2 weeks as the parts are not available from Mercedes Benz in Germany. …
While making a left turn on a major street I heard a loud pop and pulled over to see if I ran over something, but nothing was in the road. When I started the car and began driving I noticed the suspension was making noises. I took it to a mechanic shop and was told the passenger side rear coil spring perch separated from the body and the car should not be driven. They quoted me $1500.00 to repair.
Car (1997 e 320 with 90K miles) was in for routine 90K maintenance and mechanic found cracked spring perch assembly. Dealer called to tell me it must be fixed, car is unsafe to drive and that a fatal crash could result at high speeds. But told me that because car is out of warranty, they will not pay for it. Later told me they will pay for half as part of "goodwill warranty." half??? What if there was a crash due to this? What if I had not brought it in for routine service? I was told by an unnamed source at the dealer that they see "tons of these problems with the e class, from 1996-2000 models." he also said that there should be a recall on the affected e class. Another service manager told me that they have no idea when the other one could break. But that they would not proactively replace it before it shows signs of trouble. …
My husband & I were outside and heard a loud crash. My Mercedes fell to the ground on the front drivers side. It took 2 jacks to lift it up. With the tire off he found the spring perch completely rusted off, the spring and holder on the ground. Our first thought was that I could have been on the road with my son when it happened. We did a quick internet search and found this to be more common that we could imagine. The defect even prompted a recall in Canada. I am the original owner of this car with 103K+ miles. Originally it was purchased in nc but I have lived in mn for several years now & drive an SUV in the winter. I called Mercedes roadside assistance when I found the customer service closed. They said they could tow it Tuesday & have it assessed but since it was out of warranty it would be up to the dealer to determine what to do and how much to charge. …
One day I noticed that the front left tire seemed to be low. After several attempts of filling the tire, one day I decided to further investigate what is the cause of this issue (tire was fine). I quickly came to realize that my lower control arm was not only cracked but also bent out of shape. Additionally I found that the upper housing of the coil (spring) was literally peeling off the body of the vehicle thus causing the added pressure to the lower control arm where the spring sits. I went to a local body shop and got a quote from the tech there. It cost me just over $1,100 to fix it with a welded plate onto the side of the wheel well (to reinforce the housing of the coil (spring) plus changing the lower control arm. I did not dare take this vehicle to a mb dealer for repairs. They were quoting me $5100 to fix the issue (well more then what the car is worth). …
Tl* - the contact stated that he has a 1997 Mercedes Benz E320. On 12/30/06 while driving between 40 and 45 MPH, there was a loud bang and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the tire coil spring fell off of the vehicle and left the vehicle with no front end suspension and no ability to steer. The contact stated that the incident occurred at night, he was driving on a wide road, and no accident ensued. The contact stated that the vehicle finally stopped, but that the contact never regained control of the vehicle. The spring perch needs to be rebuilt. The contact stated that the front drivers side tire has no spring pushing it down anymore. Neither the weather nor the road conditions were a factor in the failure. The failure mileage was 154000.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Mercedes-Benz 320e. The contact was driving approximately 40 MPH on normal road conditions and there was a loud clanking noise outside of the vehicle. The driver pulled over to the side of the road to inspect the vehicle; however, the driver was able to resume operation. The vehicle began pulling in one direction. The following day the front driver side was slightly in a collapsed position. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The failure was contributed to the coil spring. The technician recommended that the vehicle be taken to an authorized dealer for repair. The vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunction at this time. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Mercedes Benz E320. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, she heard a loud banging sound. The contact assumed a tire had blown however, upon further investigation she noticed that the entire front suspension coil spring had been ejected from its intended position in the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and the contact was advised to have the vehicle taken to an authorized dealer for repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure and current mileage was 85,000.
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 E320 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1997 Mercedes-Benz E320?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the suspension of the 1997 Mercedes-Benz E320, 51% of the model year's 63 complaints. The component named most often is front › springs › coil springs (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Mercedes-Benz E320 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz E320. 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 E320 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 115,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 2 injuries to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.