It is beyond belief to me that MBUSA has allowed this issue to fester as it has. They absolutely KNOW for a fact that they have a massive problem with the 21’s on the W223 models and should be stepping up and offering owners/lessees straight across trades for 19” or 20” wheel packages. It is horrendous enough of an experience to have an issue in a metro area, but can you imagine being out in the boonies and blowing a couple of 21’s while taking the wife & kids to see Mt. Rushmore?

The car gets towed into Earl’s Fillin’ Station and Earl peers down at the wheels and says “I ain’t naer seen a tar like thisun. I’m gonna have to call Omaha in da mornin’ a see if dey can get a couple out here double quick. Should have em day after tomorrow, IF they got ‘em.” So, Earl tells you to call the No-Tell-Motel, which is just “down yonder,” and says that he’ll give you a ride down there in his pickup.

Anyway, you get the idea. In this great, big country called the USA, folks take road trips. Most may drive SUV’s these days, but some still prefer big sedans. For MB to sell their flagship sedans with wheels & tires that fail at the sight of a pothole is just insane and they need to be held accountable. Owners should be pressing this issue with their dealer and MBUSA and not even thinking of going out-of-pocket to buy different wheels & tires. This is absolutely NUTS!

 

I mean...its common knowledge that large diameter wheels and low profile tires have this issue. People who modify their cars have been dealing with this forever...MB shouldn't have offered the 21 inch wheels in the first place, but there is a market demand for them.

 

If that’s the case, they should have used forged wheels and should have fully tested the various, appropriate tires, making sure their selection was sound. They didn’t. Yet another example of how I feel the W223’s were rushed to market without proper and thorough testing.

 

If RR can have large diameter wheels with wide sidewalls then, why doesn't MB offer this as an option as opposed to these infernal 21's with 2" sidewalls which are causing all these problems?

 

Yeah, there are many other vehicles out there that weigh more and have sidewalls that are just as thin, like the 22” OEM on the X5.

This is just a wild theory, but I don’t think the tire size alone is the cause of these issues, but the suspension is also contributing somehow. Maybe it’s a combination of some stiff suspension movement or resistance (for whatever reason) coupled with the thin sidewalls that is a recipe for blowouts. I’ve experienced abnormally stiff, bone-jarring, thud-including suspension movements that really surprised me. I don’t know or can explain the cause of this, but the suspension didn’t react like it should have.

 

Could be the wheel construction is contributing to the failures as well. However it may be you don't want to get the 21" wheels with this car; that much is clear. But then we all know that; were just a testy bunch that likes to work a problem, complain about it when that fails, and we seem to have no statute of limitations.

 

Range Rovers are SUVs and their large diameter wheels have tires with much more sidewall.

Easy solution is just not to select the 21 inch option

 

If RR can have large diameter wheels with wide sidewalls then, why doesn't MB offer this as an option as opposed to these infernal 21's with 2" sidewalls which are causing all these problems?

By RR I meant Rolls Royce certainly not some abdominal SUV all of which I loath.

 

LOVE IT! Yes, I believe the Rolls-Royce sedans have large diameter wheels, but also much higher profile tires with much deeper sidewalls than most MB’s.

 

Yea the rolls Royce vehicles are huge vehicles so they can accommodate a large sidewall tire even with a large wheel.

 

Like Cole said Rolls Royces are huge vehicles that can accommodate huge wheels and thick tires. They are much taller than an S Class.

If you look at the new 7 it’s the same thing. They have thicker sidewalls with 21s but the vehicle is much taller. Put those wheels and tires on an S Class they would look like wagon wheels.

 

Hello 👋🏽

New to Mercedes and this forum... but I've been lurking for some time leading up to my purchase. Recently traded in my 2020 Range Rover Sport SVR Carbon--I figured it was time to grow up. 🙄😁

To that end, I picked up a 2023 500 Luxury > 2023 S580 w/ the AMG Package and the infamous 21" AMG wheels/Pirelli tires.

But... I swapped the tires for the 255/40/21 (F)/285/35/21(R) Michelin Pilot 4S that come OEM on the upcoming S63 E Performance--they ride like a dream and perform noticeably better at speed. The pothole test remains undetermined, but they definitely fit the stature of the vehicle better than the low pros that come standard.






Current Mods:
- 255/40/21 (F)/285/35/21(R) Michelin Pilot 4S
- Ghost Links (~1" drop in Sport +)
- 15% Tint (50% on Windshield)
- Added a 12" Punch P3/LC2i Pro/Punch 500 amp

Future mods:
None!

 

Congrats on the new ride!

 

Good looking ride!

 

Congrats on the ride. Not trying to spoil your fun, but... watch out for potholes. The PS4S won't save you. I had the exact same setup as you, and I blew two of my tires on the first sizable pothole I encountered out of town. The hole wasn't even that large, and I was only going at a paltry 40 km/h.

I have since swapped out to 19s, which rode noticeably better and have survived multiple potholes with no issues. I recommend you do the same, when (seriously, it is a when, not if) you eventually blow yours.

 

All good... thanks for the heads up 👍🏾. Thankfully the roads are really nice where I live and this a mall cruiser vs commuter (I use my GLE 53 for that). That being said, I would never go with a 19" on this car... completely changes the aesthetic imo.

 

How is your GLE53? I had nothing but quality control issues with mine.

 

it's a 2024... none yet. Although, I will say, the ride quality is not the best. It's extremely unsettled over bumps/uneven roads--and I actually dented the passenger side roof side rail just by leaning on it while cleaning the roof!!!! I've never had that issue... apparently they're really soft.

What kind of issues have you had?

 

I had five different interior rattles that drove me bankers (only two if which were fixed), an electronic buzzing from the front headliner that they couldn’t fix, a transmission that would clunk very loudly and jerk on slow speed downshifts, distronic would behave dangerously and unexpectedly at times, large panel gaps, I ended up selling it six months after I purchased it. I had other issues as well and just got tired of going to the dealership.

 

Ouch... that sounds terrible. Hopefully your W223 is doing better.

 

I recently purchased a '23 s580 with the 21" AMG V spoke wheels. Just crossed over 1k miles without issue but this thread has me obviously concerned. Does anyone know if they make this same machined wheel with black inlays in a 20" version? I love the look of the silver/black and would like to keep that aesthetic if possible.

 

Go with the 19” “Aero” style wheels.

 

The aero wheels have received positive commentary on mine but fair warning; if you want wagon wheels you're not likey to be pleased with them. They're easy to get a look at on the lots.

 

The Luxury line actually comes with a good looking set of 20s. Drove 5K miles on them (all over LA) with no issues.

 

I completed my buy-back last week for my 2021 S580 with the infamous 21" tires/wheels. Very easy process. Received a check for about $48,000 and the nightmare is over. After 5 S-Class vehicles in a row, I am taking a break for now. Not sure what I will get yet. Beware of the 21" tires!