Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Driving Home Late Going 75 mph in Michigan when hitting brakes the car became unstable felt like it wanted to spin out of control. Hitting brakes at speeds above 30mph made car want to spin out of control.. Took car to MB dealer. Told them car was unsafe to drive and almost killed self hitting brakes.They test drove car and confirmed issue. MB mechanic put car on lift found the left control arm trailing arm bracket welds had rust of the rear suspension cross member subframe!! This has rendered car unsafe and Unoperational !! NHTSA needs to get involved force recall ! We are lucky to be alive!
There is an ongoing issue with the front and rear air shocks. They don't inflate properly. Sometimes they inflate and sometimes they don't. This is a risk because my suspension system is not stable. The problem has been confirmed by Astorg Mercedes-Benz. Yes, the problem has been inspected by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership. There was no indication beit warning lamps, messages, etc., before the issue happened.
Rear K Frame front part has completely rusted out. Mount ripped trail arm. Both rear tires were ready to shoot off. This was confirmed by a mechanic when the car was being serviced after the check engine light came on one day before taking it to be serviced. The car is not drivable. It only has 60,000 miles on it. It was always serviced at the Mercedes dealers. It appears as a defective part.
In many Mercedes Benz vehicles with air ride suspension the "air struts" fail. This happened to mine. It can happen while sitting still or while driving at any speed on the roads. The dashboard goes red and tells you to stop driving as the suspension has gone too low. My suspension went all the way down and the front end was only a couple of inches off the ground. Very dangerous, at speeds of 70 MPH on the interstate this could cause catastrophic issues. Mercedes Benz has know about these problems for over a decade and still use these parts. Why has nothing been done about this? This is a very dangerous safety issue, that could cause death or serious injury to the driver, occupant, or others on the road.
Front air struts suspension failed when car isn't in use. The car was parked in the garage and got down. Part # 212-320-31-38 part # 212-320-32-38 there are a lot of incidents or concern reported with this specific Mercedes Benz air suspension system. Mercedes Benz not cover this issue by manufacture defective or by warranty. Each air strut list price cost is $3,598.41 for a total quantity for the set $7,196.82 + tax + installation cost. Incredible and ridiculous highly cost for an air struts set replacement. Please investigate it. I consider that this type of suspension is with a kind of fabric defect not recognize yet by Mercedes Benz.
Car was bought in 2017 with 100,000 miles,everything looks good, no special activity with the car , no long rides, just inside the city when it reached $120,000 miles the two rear air suspension just broke down for no reason, they have been replaced, now a year after the 2 front one just went down for no reason, very bad surprises while in the highway from airport home the car fell down the red light to pull over came up and it was hard to stop at the side of the way, since the tires and wheels couldn't turn no where since the whole front of the car just fell down so bad, very dangerous situation
This my second vehicle from mb and again one with air suspension. This time this car is only 5 years old with less than 50K miles and the air suspension is going out, even though the front suspension had already been replaced, left and right, at only 43K miles. This air suspension is a lemon product and I demand all w212 air suspension owners E550, e63amg to report this issue to get resolved.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Mercedes Benz E550. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the warning suspension danger indicator illuminated. The contact maneuver to the side of the road to a complete stop. The vehicle was repaired by an independent mechanic.. The details of the repairs were unknown. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
The rear suspension air bags, solenoid distribution valve and airmatic compressor require replacement according to the Mercedes dealership service department. Rear suspension drops nearly to the ground while vehicle is stationary and vehicle is unsafe to operate.
Rear control arm attachment to subframe snapped off at the weld during breaking
Suspension complaints in other E550 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the suspension of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550, 40% of the model year's 68 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550, though it has 3 recalls 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 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 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.