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 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The vehicle felt like it was all over the road at highway speeds. Took it to a mechanic and the rear subframe had become weakened with premature rust. The mounting point for one of the rear suspension arms had broken off of the subframe and was making contact with my gas tank. I called the dealer to see if there were any recalls. No recalls for this issue however there are a few reports on this website. I have also been on forums for my vehicle and it is a VERY common problem on these vehicles. From what i gather this is a widespread issue, and the fact that it could possibly puncture a gas tank and cause serious injury that something should be done to correct the concern.
When I parked my car there was a loud hissing sound near left front end but no smoke or anything from under the hood. When I drove it again I received a warning of (MALFUNCTION) when I was turning left the front left tire was grinding on the actual car and barely made it home. The car warning turned red and said pull over car too low. When I parked the car the front left side is now sitting on tire and touching the ground. Unable to drive. Not been investigated by a mechanic, insurance, etc. There was also an airbag warning before this issue. The contact has stated that she is disabled, and the vehicle is not currently drivable.
The air suspension started leaning heavily on one side after being parked for 12+ hours. And 2 days ago, while warming up the car, air suspension did not stop pumping air until front right air strut blew up. It was really loud and unexpected, I was lucky the car was not driven when the explosion happened. Checking through forums, most people who own W212 E-Class with airmatic suspension have issues with car lowering over night. This is a big Safety concern that might lead to blow out of the strut(or multiple)
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.
"car too low" warning came on when I got in my car and drove about a block; I pulled over, looked around the entire car and then got back into my car; the 'car too low' warning had disappeared; the next morning I noticed that the right front tire was almost touching the fender; I contacted a local foreign car repair shop and was informed that the suspension had failed and that both shocks (which I was told had air bags) needed to be replaced; I have not driven this car 500 miles since I purchased it the 1st of February of this year (2019) but now since this has happened and with research this seems to be a problem with the Mercedes car; if I had known I would not have purchased it.
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.
Air suspension appears to be leaking. After sitting in my garage overnight the body of the 2011 Mercedes E550 is lowered by almost 2 inches. When I start the car after sitting less than 24 hours, a prompt on the dash information screen indicates "vehicle rising, please wait". The Mercedes has just over 64,000 miles. In research of the issue, it appears to be a chronic malfunction with the w212 Mercedes air suspension system, as well as several hundred to 1-2 thousand dollar repair.
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.
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.
The airmatic suspension on this vehicle has premature wear as do many others. The air shock components leak air causing the car to lower dangerously to the ground. It occurs stationary, while in motion, at various driving situations.
Suspension complaints in other E550 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the suspension of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550, 33% of the model year's 61 complaints. The component named most often is front › springs › air suspension system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2011 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 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 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.