Suspension complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2 | 20% | 155,000 miles |
| 2006 | 2 | 5% | 140,000 miles |
| 2005 | 6 | 3% | 123,000 miles |
| 2004 | 4 | 2% | 43,000 miles |
| 2003 | 11 | 5% | 73,000 miles |
| 2002 | 2 | 9% | 140,000 miles |
| 2001 | 3 | 8% | 140,000 miles |
| 2000 | 5 | 11% | 189,000 miles |
| 1999 | 10 | 12% | 98,000 miles |
| 1998 | 7 | 19% | 127,000 miles |
| 1997 | 32 | 51% | 115,000 miles |
| 1996 | 19 | 42% | 110,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Electrical problems out of service 18 days, SRS/airbag failures out of service 18 days, ac/defrost blower motor failures out of service 12 days, brakes out of service 9 days, transmission (idle surge/up shifting/stalling) out of service 10 days, front end/tires out of service 10 days. During the lemon law final repair attempt, the dealer wrote on work order that they had installed new brakes because they found "after market brakes" on car. The only place the car has ever been serviced was the dealership where we purchased it. We asked the service advisor and assistant service manager (first they said the brakes were thrown out and then they said the parts were shipped to mb) and wrote two certified letters to Mercedes Benz for the removed parts so we could track the serial numbers. We were ignored. …
Drivers front coil spring failed while vehicle was parked in driveway resulting in drivers front shock/strut damage. Removed affected parts in place. Broken spring had a point defect and stress lines visible to the naked eye. Owner has custody of failed parts. Ambient temperature at time of failure was ~70f. Had this failure occurred while driving it would have resulted in loss of vehicle control.
My right front air strut went out while my wife was driving and had our son in the car. She was 120 miles away from home and stranded. She went to Mercedes Benz of beverly hills and they want 160.00 to diagnose and then would put her in a loaner. The estimate was around 1700.00 to fix 1 air strut. I have done my research and this is definitely a safety issue as the speed she was traveling at. Im not sure why mb has not issued a safety recall on these faulty parts. Definitely would be nice if they would cover this.
Mercedes Benz airmatic ride height system is faulty. I have research several forums and noticed a continuous of air strut failure on vehicles under 50,000 miles. The parts to repair this fault can only be purchased at a Mercedes Benz dealer and are extremely expensive. One air strut costs around $1500.00 and usually a compressor must also be replace for around $500.00.
Problem #1). The interior driver and passenger door handles have a chrome tape of some type that covers the handles. This tape overtime comes off on the inside and it is extremely sharp like a razor. I cut my finger twice on the driver-side and a passenger got cut on the passenger side a year later. I contacted Mercedes about this and they wouldn't do or offer anything. Problem #2). The driver and passenger sun visors overtime get very very stiff and will not go back all the way up. My wife can not even move them at all. I also verbally reported these problems to penske Mercedes in west covina, ca to my service writer and he stated "yes we are aware as it is a common problem however there is no recall on those items". He wanted to charge me $275 for each sun visor to be replaced and that did not include labor to install them. Problem #3). …
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.. …
2001 Mercedes Benz E320. Front spring perch surrounding perch structure is rusting through underneath the factory undercoating. We have a 2" rust through right next to the spring perch. Surround perimteter of around 5" radius show extensive rust of various degree. The rust is so extensive that it compromises the vehicle safety. Catastrophic failure is very possible. This rust around front suspension spring perch is prevalent in earlier w210 body chassis from 1996 to 2002. Canadian government has made mb do a recall service. United kingdom also have massive issues with the spring perch. Since these cars are at least 9 years old and as old as 15 years old... The rust has gotten to certain point in various degree from catastrophic failure to impending catastrophic failure. You need to scrape suspect flaking undercoating to reveal the extensive rust behind it. …
While driving at about 45 MPH on a smooth straight road, right front upper coil spring perch broke free from chassis due to rust failure of spring perch causing a load noise and the car slumped to one side. Tires were changed just two weeks earlier with no sign of trouble. Car is in the repair shop waiting for estimate.
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercedes-Benz E320 years have suspension problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (32), 1996 (19), 2003 (11), 1999 (10) and 1998 (7) model years. Suspension complaints make up 51% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Mercedes-Benz E320 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for any Mercedes-Benz E320 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz E320 suspension problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 113,000 miles; 7% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front (24 mentions), followed by the front › springs › coil springs (20).
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.