2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Suspension

ABC LINE STARTED LEAKING SECOND TIME IN 4 YEARS EXACTLY REPLACED IT BACK IN 2013 ALMOST COST ME 1500 AND NOW ITS BACK DOING THE SAME PROBLEMS THE CAR IS TO LOW ON THE GROUND AND CAN'T NOT DRIVE WHATS SO EVER

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE NEW IN 2002. IT HAS ABOUT 48500 MILES. I WORK CLOSE TO HOME. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE SUSPENSION AIR BAGS ONCE AND MY VEHICLE IS DROPPING AGAIN. I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. WHAT CAN I DO? MY VEHICLE IS VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF AND I FIND IT OUTRAGEOUS THAT MERCEDES BENZ BEING FULLY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. ESPECIALLY WITH THE ORIGINAL PRICE OF THE VEHICLE.

MY AIRMATIC SUSPENSION MADEY MY CAR GO DOWN REAL LOW, I PAY A LOT OF MONEY TO GET THE TWO AIR MATIC SUSPENSION FIX. MY REAR END IS STILL GOING DOWN AND NOW THE REAR IS LOWER THAN THE FRONT. I AM JUST LIJE THE REST OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAS COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS . NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PED7042. I FEEL THEY NEED TO MAKE THE MANUFACTURER FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOME ONE GET HURT BAD OR DEAD.

TWICE SINCE I'VE HAD THIS CAR I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE SUSPENSION FIRST THE BACK THEN AT MY FATHERS FUNERAL THE FRONT BOTH RESULTING IN A LOT OF MONEY, AND THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE SUSPENSION? WHY? *TR

MY COMPLAINT IS RELATED TO MY 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S500 ABOUT THE AIRMATIC I TOOK MY TOTHE SHOP AND PAY LOT OF MONEY TO GET THE AIRMATIC FIX BECAUSE THEY WHAT SAID THAT WAS IT . THE CAR IS STILL GOING DOWN WHEN IT SIT FOR A DAY OR TWO AND NOW THEY ARE TELL ME THAT IT IS THE SUSPENSION VALVE BLOCK. I BELEIVE THAT I HAVE BE TAKING , BECAUSE I AM A WOMAN. I FEEL SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. *TR

AIR SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND FRONT END OF MY CAR DROPS AND WHEELS START TO TOUCH CAR BODY, CANT TURN THE WHEELS EITHER (ONLY SLIGHTLY) THE FENDER GETS ON THE WAY, CAR IS TOO LOW. I PULLED OVER IN A LITTLE BIT CAR RAISED UP TO NORMAL POSITION. HAPPENED MORE THAT FEW TIMES. SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T RISES ALL THE WAY UP TO NORMAL. AIR STRUT, AIR PUMP, VALVE BOX OR RELAY FAILURE. *TR

THE AIR PUMP IS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE HAD A SEVERELY LOW FRONTEND. MECHANIC STATED IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE MERCEDES S430. *TR

SECOND AIRMATIC BREAKDOWN. FIRST WAS FRONT SIDE LAST JULY 2012. SECOND BREAKDOWN AUGUST 28, 2013 REAR PUMP LEFT SIDE. THIS PROBLEM IS GETTING REAL EXPENSIVE. DO ALL MERCEDES DO THIS? *JB

THE VEHICLE SAFETY LIGHT WENT RED INDICATING THE AIRMATIC FAILED AND TO STOP THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S55. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE. THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ALSO FAILED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO COLLAPSE. AFTER COASTING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUSPENSION PUMP WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S430 (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE REAR SUSPENSION MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DROP TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE AIR SHOCK SYSTEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR PUMP COMPRESSOR MALFUNCTIONED THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE REAR SUSPENSION FAILURE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

THE CAR WAS LEAKING OIL AND HYDRAULIC FLUID. THE CAR WOULD NOT RAISE UP AND WAS LEAKING OIL AS FAST AS IT WAS PUT IN. IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE. COULD NOT FIX IT I HAD TO PARK IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S430. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE AIRMATIC SUSPENSION SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND IMMEDIATELY, THE VEHICLE DROPPED TOWARDS THE GROUND. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING WITH EXTREME CAUTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 160,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S430. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ABC SUSPENSION FAILED AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY LOWERED IN A DOWNWARD MOTION TOWARDS THE ROAD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE FUSE LINK, AIRMATIC PUMP RELAY AND AIRMATIC COMPRESSOR WERE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V263000 (SUSPENSION). THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,268.

THERE WAS NO WARNING IT JUST GAVE A ALERT THAT THE CAR WAS RIDING LOW AND TO STOP. AIRMATIC SUSPENSION FOR A 2002 S430. VERY COSTLY, I DID RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR MERCEDES S CLASS. I BELIEVE IT IS A DEFECT AT THE MANUFACTURER AND MB SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNT FOR SAID DEFECT. *TR

I OWN A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S430 AND FEB. 2010 THE "AIRMATIC SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THERE ARE ONLY 43,000 MILES ON MY CAR.THE DEALER WANTS CLOSE TO $1000 TO PUT A 'KIT" ON TO REPLACE THE FAILING SEALS ON THE AIRMATIC STRUTS, WHICH THE MFG HAS SINCE CHANGED THE DESIGN AND OFFERED RECALLS ON OTHER MODELS. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE AS I WAS TOLD IF THE PUMP BURNS UP FROM THE AIR LEAKING OUT THE SUSPENSION WILL DROP THE CAR, CAUSING THE CAR TO BE UNDRIVABLE, AND IT COULD BE DANGEROUS IF THE CAR IS IN MOTION. I HAVE 2 CHILDREN AND CAN NOT TAKE THE CHANCE. *TR

AIRMATIC SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT INDICATED THAT THE CAR WAS TOO LOW TO DRIVE. HENCE, HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO GET SAID CAR S430 MERCEDES REPAIRED. *TR

REGULAR DRIVING THEN FRONT RIGHT OF CAR FALLS TO THE GROUND. *TR

THE SEALS ON THE FRONT AIR SHOCKS CRACKED CAUSING THE CAR TO DROP ALMOST DOWN ON THE TIRES. I SEE THE 12 CYL.CAR HAS ALREADY HAD A RECALL TO CORRECT THIS WAS THE S-500 WITH THE 5.0 ENGINE IN THIS RECALL? *TR

IN APRIL 2007 I NOTICED THE CAR DROPPING AND THE HISSING SOUND OF AIR WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF. ON APRIL 12, 2007 THE CAR DROPPED EXTREMELY CLOSE TO THE TIRES AND I WAS FORCED TO IT FOR REPAIR SINCE MY CAR IS MY LIVELIHOOD. I WAS TOLD MY REAR SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR AND FRONT SUSPENSION ON ONE SIDE NEEDED REPLACING ALONG WITH THE R/F STRUT COSTING ME A TOTAL OF $2086.00. I HOPE THAT I WILL BE REIMBURSED FOR SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY TRAGIC. TO THIS DATE THERE STILL SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH SUSPENSION AS I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE SHOP IN DECEMBER 2007 AND A HOSE WAS REPLACED. *TR

I OWN A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S-430 WITH 69,000 MILES THAT I PURCHASED NEW. ON FEBRUARY 7TH & 8TH I HAD THE DEALER PERFORM A SCHEDULED SERVICING OF MY CAR WHICH WAS AN EXTENSIVE CHECKUP (COST OVER $1,000) DESPITE HAVING NO PROBLEMS. THE FOLLOWING DAY MY FAMILY TOOK AN AUTOMOBILE TRIP OF 140 MILES. ON FEBRUARY 10TH, WHILE DRIVING I EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE AIRMATIC SUSPENSION SYSTEM. THE CAR'S WARNING SYSTEM ALERTED ME TO STOP THE CAR AND NOT DRIVE IT. AFTER TALKING TO MERCEDES ON THEIR EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM, I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY DEALER 140 MILES AWAY. THIS MORNING,2/12/2002, I WENT TO THE DEALER AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A FAILURE OF A HYDRAULIC STRUT/SHOCK WHICH SUSPENDS THE CAR. HAD I TRIED TO TURN THE WHEEL BEFORE NOTICING THE PROBLEM I WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO NEGOTIATE A CURVE AND WOULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT. WHILE AT THE DEALER, I WAS SHOWN 5 OR 6 MERCEDES BENZES, SOME MUCH NEWER THAN MINE, WHOSE CARS HAD COLLAPSED OVER THE FRONT WHEELS. THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT WHICH COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO OTHERS. THE DEFECT IS NOT LIMITED TO THE S CLASS THAT I HAVE SINCE I WAS SHOWN AN E CLASS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THAT A REPLACEMENT PART WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL PART BUT RATHER AN IMPROVED PART THAT MERCEDES ENGINEERS CAME UP WITH AFTER MANY REPORTED PROBLEMS. SINCE THE PART HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED, THE REPAIR WILL PROBABLY COST ME WELL OVER $1,000 DESPITE MERCEDES BEING AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. MORE IMPORTANTLY, DRIVERS, PASSENGERS AND OTHER VEHICLES ARE IN SERIOUS DANGER IF THE MERCEDES BECOMES UNMANAGABLE. MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED NOR DO I KNOWN EXACTLY WHAT FAILED, BUT GIVEN THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM I DID NOT WANT TO WAIT BEFORE REPORTING THE PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT SINCE I OBSERVED MANY OTHER VEHICLES AT THE DEALERSHIP WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S430. ON DECEMBER 8, 2006, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SHOCK FAILED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT 10 MPH. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS AIRMATIC MALFUNCTION. ON MAY 16, 2007, THE REAR SHOCKS FAILED. THE CONTACT HAS NOT RECEIVED A DIAGNOSIS FOR THE FAILURE, BUT THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE REAR SHOCKS FAILED. THE PURCHASE DATE AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 94,264 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

2002 MERCEDES BENZ S500 SPORT. AFTER VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF A VERY LOAD GROWL CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE RIGHT SIDE. IT WAS APPARENTLY THE AIR COMPRESSOR AND IT WOULDN'T SHUT OFF. THE GRUMBLE OR GROWL SHOOK THE CAR AND SMELLED OF ELECTRICAL. THE HEIGHT OF THE CAR DID NOT CHANGE. THE GROWL STOPPED AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES. I HAVE PARKED THE CAR OUTDOORS AS TO NOT TEMPT FATE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A CAR FIRE IN THE GARAGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A FAILURE IN THE AIR RIDE SYSTEM. WHILE I REALIZE EVERYTHING MECHANICAL HAS THE CHANCE TO FAIL I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT THIS COMPONENT WAS RUNNING AND HAS A CHANCE TO START A FIRE WITH THE IGNITION IN THE OFF POSITION. IF THIS COMPONENT FAILS WHILE DRIVING AND DROPS THE VEHICLE RIDE HEIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY THE RESULTS COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. *TR

TL* - THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT VEHICLE BECAME LOWER TO THE GROUND AS HE WAS DRIVING AT 20 MPH. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY. THE CONTACT WAS PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 2-3 HOURS, WHEN HE RETURNED AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EVEN LOWER THAN BEFORE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS AN AIRMATIC SYSTEM FAILURE. THE AIRMATIC SYSTEM WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT REMEMBER ANY WARNING SIGNS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. *AK UPDATED 1/31/2007 - *NM

THIS COMPLAINT IS RELATED TO A 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ S500 WITH REAR WHEEL DRIVE AND THE "AIRMATIC" SUSPENSION SYSTEM. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE AND SHUTTING OFF THE IGNITION, LOUD BANGING NOISES CAME FROM THE AIRMATIC SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR AT THE FRONT RIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. NO WARNINGS OR FAULTS WERE DISPLAYED ON THE VEHICLE'S DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM AND THE VEHICLE'S RIDE HEIGHT WAS NORMAL. THE BANGING NOISE STOPPED. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE LATER THAT NIGHT, THE AIRMATIC SUSPENSION RELEASED ITS REMAINING COMPRESSED AIR AND DROPPED THE ENTIRE SUSPENSION TO A POINT SO LOW THAT THE FRONT TIRES COULD NOT BE TURNED WITHOUT DOING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL HOUSING AND FENDERS. ANY UNDULATION IN THE ROAD CAUSED RUBBING AND DAMAGE IN THE WHEEL HOUSING. FINALLY, AFTER THIS, A WARNING CAME ON THE DASH SAYING "STOP- CAR TOO LOW". VEHICLE COULD NOT BE TURNED OR DRIVEN AND WAS TOWED TO A MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER. DEALER STATES THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT "ALL" AIRMATIC SUSPENSIONS FAIL THIS WAY UNDER 50000 MILES (THIS CAR HAD 32000 AT TIME OF FAILURE) IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS OR EXTENSIONS OF WARRANTY. THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT AND EPIDEMIC FAILURE ON ALL MERCEDES-BENZ "AIRMATIC" AIR SUSPENSION VEHICLES. THERE IS AN UPGRADED PART TO REPLACE THE ON THAT THE MANUFACTURER RECOGNIZES AS FAULTY FROM THE FACTORY. THE REPAIR AND TOWING BILL CAME TO ALMOST $2000 AND THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER COVERED NONE OF IT. MY INNER WHEEL HOUSINGS SUFFERED DAMAGE THAT WAS NOT REPAIRED. *JB