Recall: complaint form "Airmatic Suspension" issues

I have located the recall complaint form from the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHSTA), I have submitted a complaint to have Mercedes benz investigated for a possible recall of the Airmatic suspension issues, I feel that the cost of repairs and the fact that the Airsprings, and rubber bellows being such a common failure point of the airmatic suspension, as well as there not being an inexpensive repair solution leaves many low mileage Mercedes owners at the mercy of the expensive repair dealerships for dealer only parts at a cost of parts and labor being roughly $1500.00 per side for the front end alone. I have searched the Benzworld.org forum as well as many other forums, and the airmatic suspension is one of if not the most common repair issues for anyone owning mercedes automobiles equipped with the airmatic suspension, i only wished that i had seen some of the psot prior to making the purchase of my 2003 E320 sport, as i would have made a different choice of an automobile manufacture.

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/Consumer.cfm

Airmatic struts usually fail at the top bearing seal.
I suspect that this is an underbonnet temperature / age related issue.

So what do you call "low mileage" and what was the age of the vehicle at this point.

FYI there is a kit that is available to repair just the top seal. Other posters have identified source etc.

Remember the days when your shocks only lasted a couple of years.

All new technology needs to mature and had you selected BMW or similar I''m sure you may have encountered similar issues since they are manufacturered by Thyssen in Germany.

No sign of cracking on my Airmatic struts yet at 140k 9 years BUT we don''t have the high ambient temps and bigger engines that you tend to have in the USA.

Stuart

You would not have gone away from Mercedes,you would just have been steered to a low mile w210 model
your issue is another in a long line of the good reasons not to get a w211!
ohlord
crap now the flames start again

The car is five years years old. Anything else would be in the junkyark already.

Unless the issue is safety related, and causing a pattern of injuries, it is not likely that a recall will be required.

The US federal "service life" of autos in the US is set at 80k miles.  After 80k the entire car is regarded as scrap.

And parts are expensive in the US do to the crashing of the US currency. And all price adjustments have not been made yet, so you can expect a sharp increase in the future as well.

Now you will be able to get parts at par or even a discount until inventory levels reach the desired level, but currency adjustments will be made, and you can expect part prices to double or triple by next year.

Most people would simply replace the shocks and be done with it. I personally would expect them to last eight years. Do you know if the car has been wrecked?

Often a collision or modification like lowering will affect the service life. Bad Mercedes are typically the result of bad owners, pennypichers or hack-jobbers. It has always been my biggest regret that someone would get a bad car.

Yeah, $1500 is a bite, when I remember shocks being in the $200 range. But who will be sympathetic when you buy a high price high-end car? I ust spent $12000.00 on a fuel repair.

Hey did you read in here that cliff found a fuel distributor for $40!
aybe some shocks are out there...

Allow me to save you about $6000. Have your mechanic remove the inner fender well on the driver''s front fender skirt and expose the compressor that regulates the ride height of your car. Have your mechanic check the compressor connection for power from the wiring harness. There is mostlikely a broken power supply wire due to an over stressing of the ride control height in this harness here and can easily be repaired. Unbelievable, but true. Regards, Bob Raymond

I concur.
However I believe the cause to be corrosion rather than over stressing since the lead is not supposed to move.
Its the pressure sensor wire in my case. The power supply is HEAVY duty and I can''t believe that that would break.
Same result.
Good tip but whether iot fits the symptoms logged (I didn''t check) I have no idea.

Stuart.

hello folks, thanks you guys have all been great help....i really appreciate the suggestions......

RC