MBCClassboy

07 C280 4-matic with 36,000 miles. Parked for almost a month and was fine when I parked it. I fired her up, broke the brakes loose from the rotors from siting so long and started on my way. I felt a little drag but figured it was the brakes and they would be fine after a few stops. Always worked before. Let her warm up a bit and drive about a mile to the highway and all is well for about 2 miles until the right front tire blew. I mean blew up at 75mph. Changing the front tire I found that the front coil spring had lost half a coil at the bottom. When it broke off the remaining spring fell off the perch and was rubbing the inside of the tire. Look at the photos. I think the discoloration on the spring shows that it was defective material because only the shinny part is the fresh break.

I rotated the spring so the sharp edge was away from the spare and hobbled home.

The other thing is that I didn't really feel the car leaning over. Even now with the spare on and effectavely no right front spring the drop is only 3/4" from one side to the other. Go figure.

Can't wait to call the dealer on this one.

Anybody ever see anything like this before?

Greg

laneshift

Holy God! Are you alright?! I'd imagine you lost control? Then again.. you're right here typing this. I've never seen or heard of such a thing happening, but I'm a new guy around here. Glad you're safe. Hopefully the senior members can tell you more.

MBCClassboy

I was absolutely amazed by the car when the tire blew out. No problem at all handling it. Fortunately I had a nice opening in traffic and just drove across the highway with my blinker on and parked it on the berm. This is a really great car. Well except for this crazy spring thing. This is the first problem of any kind since I bought the car. Figures it would be a big one.

Greg

W203E35

Maybe time to get H&R springs?

MBCClassboy

Do they make them for a 4-matic?

Greg

Glyn M Ruck

Holy MOG - that is indeed unusual. I can't see properly in your picture. Is that corrosion on the spring? Corrosion can lead to just such failures in spring steel. Could also be an inclusion in the metal in conjunction with corrosion. From the pic it looks as though the break started a while back. What was the ambient temperature when it finally let go?

That's a first for me on a Benz - let us know what MB have to say about it.

MBCClassboy

The dark spot is dark gray, not rust colored. I am assuming that it is a metallurgical issue vs. corrosion. I am an engineer but not a metallurgist. I will be showing the photos to some of the experts at work.

For sure I will report back to all on this after I see what the dealer does. I don't want to spend any money including replacing a $200 tire with only a few thousand miles on it. Fat chance of that but I got my fingers crossed.

Greg

Glyn M Ruck

The dealer must make you whole on all of this or create merry hell with MBUSA.

Get a pro to look at the break. They will easily identify cause. The outside of the spring has some lumpy material on it that looked like corrosion to me. Must be underbody compound or similar.
Good luck!

TruTaing

Wow. this is nuts. Glad the car performed well even though this happened. Keep us updated on what the dealer/MB does for ya.

MBCClassboy

Dealer picked up the car today. We went back and forth, but just a bit. New tire is ordered as well as the spring. Tire will be here in a day or so. The spring is another story. Not in stock in the USA. Ordered from Germany and will take 2 weeks. In the mean time they are searching dealers across the country and should know more tomorrow. They said that because it has such low mileage they will only replace the one spring. I told them that as long as the wheel arch is the same on both sides we won't have a problem otherwise it will stay there until it matches. I will let you know how it turns out in a day or so.

Greg

Glyn M Ruck

Good to hear you are winning. Take no nonesense from them!

lewylou78

Wow, I've never seen a broken spring like that before, good thing you are okay after that.

03MBC320

holy crap and i was scared when mine was upside down, this is absolutely nuts. glad to hear your alright i can't imagine that was like any normal blown tire, losing a SPRING at 75mph? fack man thats a first for me. Hold strong with MB and get what you want, don't be too ashamed to remind them that your lucky to be alive because of their mechanical failure

Javvy

^^^ I agree 100%.....give them hell and dont leave untill you are satisfied..........this is totally not acceptable from MB atleast who boasts on their safety factor........and the safecty factor being their strongest selling point.........I would even ask for a rental too and milk it as much as you can.........goodluck man...........this happened to me on my ford but not as catstrophic faliure as this one ............scary stuff if happens @ 75mph.......

GL

MBCClassboy

Dealer called yesterday and the car is fixed. They replaced both front springs as a set and replaced the tire as well. It was supposed to take 2 weeks but they found the springs at a dealer in the States and overnighted them. I am going to go pick it up in a few hours. I must admit I am very lucky, not only because there was no accident involved with this spring failure but also that I am close to a very good dealership. Now hopefully I won't have to eat those words. It would be just my luck that the car won't be right somehow. I hate the car being gone overnight and being gone for a week has made me a bit crazy. I don't think I will ever grow up. It is just a car. Did I write that out loud? I think about my cars more than my children. Ok, I'm sure of it; I will never grow up. I can live with that. I'll let you know how the car is after I pick it up.

Greg

Glyn M Ruck

The C Class has no shim pads up front on the spring perch like larger models do - only rear. Please allow a short while for the springs to settle before shouting at the dealer about ride height. I'm pleased for you that the dealer did the proper thing.

MBCClassboy

Well home at last and life is good.

I have nothing but complements for the dealer here in Bedford Ohio. The car is perfect and frankly it doesn't look too high in the front although Jeff ( service guy) said the same thing about it setteling. I guess I have gotten used to the 4-matics having space around the tires. Thanks to all for your concern and comments. Hopefully if things go bad for you someday your experience will turn out as well as mine did.

Take care all, Greg:

patrick_y

Very strange, glad to hear that you are alright and I'm curious as to how Mercedes Benz will go forward with this.