RoadVitals

2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 Suspension Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Suspension reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest May 23, 2024
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
7%
of 140 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming suspension

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Fuel systemSuspension
Filed May 23, 2024

2005 e500 mercedes benz,after full tank of gas I filled. I noticed very strong gas inside my car and outside. It can catch on fired. cause cancer and lung issues.

NHTSA ID
11590352
Incident
May 22, 2024
Suspension
Filed Jul 8, 2022

I was sold this car and because I did not know what the red "STOP CAR TOO LOW WARNING" meant when I was driving it home, I was not only scammed by the used car dealership with no recourse, but I also was tricked into driving this car while it was not supposed to be driven for safety, per the manual of the vehicle. I will include a picture of the safety message from the manual where it states, "HIGH PRIORITY MESSAGES APPEAR IN THE MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY IN RED COLOR". and the STOP CAR TOO LOW message states very specific safety instructions that a reasonable person could not know. I am filing this recall complaint because how the system operates. I was sold this car while the struts were faulty and had already developed a leak and because the car was currently running the AIR COMPRESSOR was able to keep up with the leak during the test drive because a slow leak will only go back down after an extended time period which I believe the dealer knew because he asked me how much I was trying to spend and all of a sudden he pulled my car out of their shop telling me they just got the car and haven't put it out yet. Please help me. When I parked the vehicle at a Golf course parking lot during the test drive I was with my uncle, I did look up mechanic shops but because the car dealership was located in Farmington, MN there was no place feasibly close enough for me to have the vehicle properly inspected. The issue is the ride of the vehicle on the air suspension was perfect so there was no way of me knowing the car was not supposed to be driven over 50 mph which you will see on the safety instructions, and the vehicle could have caused an accident because there was no way of me knowing the suspension being too low could cause the wheels to rub on the wheel well if the car is too low. I even added more radiator coolant the next day when I was driving the car and the STOP CAR TOO LOW WARNING came on again. Over $5000 in repairs that I had to do because of safety, please help me.

NHTSA ID
11472853
Incident
Aug 24, 2019
Suspension
Filed Jan 28, 2021

I HAVE REPLACED THE SUSPENSION BEFORE AND NOW THE SUSPENSION LIGHT COMES BACK ON. THE CAR IS DOWN LOWER THAN NORMAL. THIS IS ALL THE TIME.

NHTSA ID
11390452
Incident
Jan 28, 2021
Mileage
169,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Apr 16, 2020

I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 E500 4MATIC MERCEDES HIT A GIANT POT HOLE BUSTING MY LEFT PASSENGER RIM N WHEEL. SUSPENSION MALFUNCTION BEGIN BY THE CAR NOT RISING DUE TO A MALFUNCTION. REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO SCDOT ON 12/5/2019. MY CLAIM WAS DENIED. I RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THE POT HOLE WAS FIXED A D THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THE DAMAGED ROAD BECAUSE NO OTHER REPORTS WAS MADE ABOUT THE GIGANTIC POTHOLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
11321351
Incident
Nov 23, 2019
Mileage
175,542 mi
Suspension
Filed Dec 3, 2017

REAR END GOES DOWN WHEN THE CAR IN PARKED. "STOP" MESSAGE (RED) APPEARS ON DASHBOARD. DO NOT DRIVE CAR AND TAKE TO MECHANIC IMMEDIATELY. WHEN I START CAR AFTER 15 TO 20 MIN MESSAGE GOES AWAY AND CAR AGAIN COMES TO NORMAL POSITION. ITS HAPPENING ALMOST EVERYDAY FROM LAST FEW DAYS. IN FORUM I READ IT IS COMMON ISSUE WITH E SERIES OF 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006. MY CAR ONLY HAS 120K MILES. LEARNED THAT THERE IS LEAK IN AIR SPRINGS AND IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. I HAD SAME ISSUE 6 YEARS BACK ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEN I WAS DRIVING. FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SAT DOWN COMPLETELY AND RIM STARTED HITTING TIRE. I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 65K/HRS. I HAD TO CALL MERCEDES AND THEY ASKED ME NOT TO DRIVE AND THEY TOWED THE CAR TO DEALERSHIP. IT TOOK 2 DAYS TO GET CAR FIXED AND COST ME $2000.

NHTSA ID
11052111
Incident
Nov 17, 2017
Mileage
120,000 mi
Suspension
Filed May 21, 2016

TAKATA RECALL.

NHTSA ID
10870128
Incident
May 17, 2016
EngineSuspension
Filed Jul 5, 2015

SUFFOCATING OIL SMELL INSIDE AND OUTSIDE AUTOMOBILE. PREGNANT WIFE BECAME NAUSEOUS AND HAD TO OPEN ALL WINDOWS AND SUNROOF. PASSENGER FRONT SUSPENSION HAS LIQUID SPLATTERING ON UNDERNEATH OF ENGINE HOOD. SUSPENSION MAKES EXTREME LOUD KNOCKING SOUND WHEN GOING UP HILL OR OVER A BUMP.

NHTSA ID
10732039
Incident
Jul 5, 2015
Mileage
122,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Jul 9, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ E500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, SUDDENLY THE 'STOP CAR, CAR TOO LOW' WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FOLLOWING DAY, BOTH THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE TIRES WERE LOW REACHING THE TOP WHEEL RIM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR SUSPENSION NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,179.

NHTSA ID
10609311
Incident
Jun 30, 2014
Mileage
27,179 mi
Suspension
Filed Aug 27, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ E500. THE CONTACT WAS REVERSING FROM A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY WHEN A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, STATING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOO LOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHO STATED THAT THE MACPHERSON STRUT SUSPENSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 21,600.

NHTSA ID
10472664
Incident
Aug 23, 2012
Mileage
21,500 mi
Suspension
Filed Jun 22, 2010

MERCEDES BENZ 2005 E500 FRONT AIRMATIC STRUT FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THE PASSENGER FRONT END SUDDENLY DROP AND CAR VEER TO RIGHT SIDE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WASN'T ANY CAR ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND I AVOID THE CRASH. I STOP THE CAR ON THE SIDE OF ROAD AND FOUND OUT THE FRONT TIRE IS ALL THE WAY DOWN AND REAR DRIVER SIDE IS WAY UP. EXACT SAME FAILURE ON FRONT LEFT SIDE OCCURRED AROUND 35,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10339604
Incident
Jun 17, 2010
Mileage
56,550 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .