Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Mercedes-Benz S430 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
INSTRUMENT LIGHTS WENT OUT, CAN'T SEE SPEED OR OTHER DASH INFORMATION SUCH AS FUEL. REAR SUSPENSION LOOSES AIR, CAR SITS TO LOW TO DRIVE, BODY SITS ON REAR TIRES. HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING CITY STREET, TIRES SMOKED AND ARE PITTED.
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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE INTERIOR, THE INTERIOR, AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIRMATIC SHOCKS DROPPED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME LOW AND DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEELS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 185,000.
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
THE GEAR SHIFTER HAD LOCKED INITIALLY OUT OF THE BLUE, I COULDN'T GET THE CAR OUT OF DRIVE. I TURNED IT OFF TO STOP IT AND THEN IT WOULDN'T GO INTO PARK. AFTER THE MERCEDES TECH CAME OUT IT WOULDN'T START AT ALL. THE TECH SAID IT WAS MOST LIKELY A SAFETY FEATURE WHICH HAD KICKED IN. THEN THE WHOLE RIGHT SIDE WENT DOWN. I AM TOLD THE AIRMATIC SUSPENSION WENT OUT. WHY? THE CAR SAID STOP AIRMATIC TO LOW. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WHICH MAY HAVE LEAD UP TO THESE ISSUES. UNFORTUNATELY I CAN NOT AFFORD THE $2,000 TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE WITH THE AIRMATIC. IS THERE ANY KIND OF RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE OR WARRANTY WITH MERCEDES THAT IS RESPONSIBLE. THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IS THE RADIO GOING OUT FOR 2-3 MONTHS AND THEN COMING BACK ON OUT OF THE BLUE. THE DOOR OPEN SIGNAL NOT GOING OFF IN THE ALERTS. THE TRUNK SWITCH NOT WORKING TO OPEN THE TRUNK, IT CAN ONLY BE OPENED MANUALLY. LASTLY THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUALLY GOING OUT AFTER REPLACING THE BULB FOR 1 MONTH. RUST AND DETERIORATION ON THE ROOF BY THE SUNROOF. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .