bok873

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and would like to share one of my experiences with my 08 R350 with slightly over 30K miles now.

After about 20k, I've been having shock absorbers going bad and had to leave it in the MB dealers so that they can change them. It's not that I'm loading 500lbs weights on this car.. something totally less than 100lbs, like a couple boxes of 1 gallon water once in a week or two, and shock absorbers just don't seem to be handling them.
It's happening again and I do feel that shocks are just not absorbing anything, and I am planning to go to leave this car in a dealership.
This is very, very frustrating for a car that was $58k on a sticker. Does any of you here who owns this car having a similar problem?

I'm so much worried now b/c once I am out of warranty which ends at 40k, I might have to spend so much money just to change those damn shocks every three month..
Any thoughts?

nanoera

Do you have airmatic? Is it front or rear suspension? Which side?

bzliteyear

isn't MB warranty 4 yrs/50k miles, so you should have quite a bit more? also, have you thought of trying a different MB dealer?
Patrick

bok873

It's the rear two, and this car is not an airmatic.
Yeh, I should try different dealer this time, and I will be glad if the warranty ends at 50k. I will find out the detail.

Does anybody else have a similar problem though?

BallJack

Do you mean that the rear of the car becomes bouncy for while after hitting a bump?

bok873

yes.. instead of them being firm but absorbative.. the car bounces everytime it hits a pothole or bumps.

rosswell

The top cap portion of the shock will sometimes separate from the tube, most often noticed by signs of a fluid leak. Newer Rs have a different designed shock tube.

Mine was replaced (only on one side) under warranty.

chilledbenz

I was told from my service adviser that all 2008+ R classes have a version of the airmatic shocks in the back. They aren't user controllable like in the airmatic suspension package, but they raise and lower with the speed of the car. I had a slight whine noise coming from the front and he took one listen to it and said it was the air compressor. He's the head service adviser and has been right many other times with problems I have had, so I would like to think he knows what he's talking about, but I have yet to find anyone else that can back that up. The window sticker does say something about auto leveling rear air suspension, but I've been too lazy to check my owners manual and the online info only has specs on the airmatic package. I do know for a fact I don't have the airmatic package.

bok873

Newer R's meaning 08 or 09? This is an 08 model, and I do noticed the fluid leak on one side. It is visible.
I am not so sure about rear air suspension but I am clearly aware that they are autoleveling.

I suggest all of you who owns this car should check the rear suspension.. This car itself is very heavy and some people may not notice it. It's my dad who's been driving over 40 years who tells me these things.. he's really sharp and sensitive.
I'm going to post my entire experience with this car soon, hopefully by this weekend so that prospect buyers will have an idea of what they are getting into..
I will certainly not recommend it.

R. Reyes

08's have auto leveling in the rear. I would have the work and or parts inspected/done by another dealership.

If there were problems with the rear suspension, with the car's weight people would notice, it's not something most of us are gonna miss.

Are you saying you're feeling this, or your dad? Maybe someone is too sensitive? If it's bouncing visibly that's one thing. If you or your dad feel the suspension is too soft (which it really is for a heavy car like this) that is a total other deal.

I've got an '06 and have put just over 30k miles on it and have only had one bad experience with the car so far. I think that's pretty reliable.

bok873

That's exactly what I'm planning to do. I am taking this car to another dealer. It was my dad who told me the rear shock feels bad for the first time, and indeed it was. I took it to the dealer and they had to replace one. That was the right side, rear. It seems like it is the left now, that I feel, and I did take a notice of fluid leak. Let's forget the car being bouncy or what not, fluid leak tells me something is abnormal.
This car's been driven for slightly over 30k and I think I do have good judgements on whether this car is feeling like it used to, not being biased just because this car's been giving me small problems here and there. I took a round trip that was 1400 miles with this R350 a couple weeks after it was purchased. I learned what this car iss capable of back then, after that long drive.
Like I said, I will post the entire experience with this vehicle this weekend. Feel free to comment, please.

Nosteroids

I just had one rear shock replaced under warranty at the dealer yesterday. I have a R500 2006.

Nosteroids

I just had one rear shock replaced under warranty at the dealer yesterday. I have a R500 2006. I have 22,000 miles on the car. The leak was very noticable on mine.