Best/Worst of e55 amg?
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Puerto Rico
2005 E55 AMG
The poll is nearly 50/50...that means that one in every two E55's has had airmatic failure. These cars don't tend to be high mileage cars so I doubt there are many people here with E55 with over 100K miles.
We can disagree all we want...but a 1 in 2 chance of failure is pretty screwed up imo.
We can disagree all we want...but a 1 in 2 chance of failure is pretty screwed up imo.
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From: NH
2012 C63 BS & 2014 E63 Estate & 2008 CLK63 BS
The poll is nearly 50/50...that means that one in every two E55's has had airmatic failure. These cars don't tend to be high mileage cars so I doubt there are many people here with E55 with over 100K miles.
We can disagree all we want...but a 1 in 2 chance of failure is pretty screwed up imo.
We can disagree all we want...but a 1 in 2 chance of failure is pretty screwed up imo.
Have you ever taken statistics buddy? You have a sample size of 60 voters compared to the thousands of E55s that were made, yet you act as if your 1 in 2 comparison is fact.. (pretty funny if you ask me)..
And what is up with your obsession in trying to prove that these airmatics are no good? Enjoy your car and quit complaining like a little *****.
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3-five-five/ TUNDRA/ 07 997 cab
The poll is nearly 50/50...that means that one in every two E55's has had airmatic failure. These cars don't tend to be high mileage cars so I doubt there are many people here with E55 with over 100K miles.
We can disagree all we want...but a 1 in 2 chance of failure is pretty screwed up imo.
We can disagree all we want...but a 1 in 2 chance of failure is pretty screwed up imo.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,173
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From: Puerto Rico
2005 E55 AMG
Obviously this is non scientific...and obviously even if I poll 5000 people you guys will only want me to poll 10,000 people. I'm not complaining, I haven't had a failure, and if you guys are good with it then great. I just don't think it's a reliable system and find it kinda akward that you guys do...lol.
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From: Caribbean/Florida/Colorado
E-ZGO 53hp., 1999 E 430 sport, 2004 E 55, 2008 Tahoe LTZ on 24"s
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Porsche 991S, Cayenne S, 1972 BMW 3.0CS E9 Coupe
This poll if from a forum with maybe 100 or so E55 drivers. How many of these cars do you think were made. This poll is worthless in reality. It means all the cry babies with suspension problems come here and complain. Now go pole the 5000 E55s in the country and get back to us. Or...sell the car so we don't have to read you negative baseless polls.
So now Airmatic has a 50% fail rate. And the internet will spread it as fast as Google can link to it. It's a fact now. Because I sawed it on da interwebs.
Has anybody asked Daimler for data? Or MBUSA? Or the dealers? Those would be the actual facts. Call me stupid but I don't think Daimler would keep on using Airmatic if their data showed it was failing at such a ridiculously high rate. That would certainly be costing them big time.
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Joined: Jun 2010
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From: Puerto Rico
2005 E55 AMG
Maybe newer airmatic systems are better. The parts aren't the same as they were in 2003 or so are they?
VW installed their new 020 transmission on their 2000lb/80hp MK1 rabbit/jetta. They then installed the same transmission on their 2500lb/120hp MK2 golfs/jetta and their transmissions would fail left and right. They then decided ( for reasons beyong my comprehension ) to install THE SAME transmission on their 2800lb/115hp MK3 Jetta...and guess what? They would STILL fail like crazy. They eventually upgraded to the 02J's and gave up on the 020....but this was in a 15+ year life span.
How do I know this? Because my brother owned a VW/Audi shop and he purchased over 40 020 transmissions just to replace them due to their absurd amounts of failures. Good thing they were stupid cheap. He himself went through 6 020 transmission before he decided to make the 02J swap... I went through 3 before I got sick of the car altogether...lol.
Car companies don't always make rational choices.
VW installed their new 020 transmission on their 2000lb/80hp MK1 rabbit/jetta. They then installed the same transmission on their 2500lb/120hp MK2 golfs/jetta and their transmissions would fail left and right. They then decided ( for reasons beyong my comprehension ) to install THE SAME transmission on their 2800lb/115hp MK3 Jetta...and guess what? They would STILL fail like crazy. They eventually upgraded to the 02J's and gave up on the 020....but this was in a 15+ year life span.
How do I know this? Because my brother owned a VW/Audi shop and he purchased over 40 020 transmissions just to replace them due to their absurd amounts of failures. Good thing they were stupid cheap. He himself went through 6 020 transmission before he decided to make the 02J swap... I went through 3 before I got sick of the car altogether...lol.
Car companies don't always make rational choices.
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3-five-five/ TUNDRA/ 07 997 cab
Maybe newer airmatic systems are better. The parts aren't the same as they were in 2003 or so are they?
VW installed their new 020 transmission on their 2000lb/80hp MK1 rabbit/jetta. They then installed the same transmission on their 2500lb/120hp MK2 golfs/jetta and their transmissions would fail left and right. They then decided ( for reasons beyong my comprehension ) to install THE SAME transmission on their 2800lb/115hp MK3 Jetta...and guess what? They would STILL fail like crazy. They eventually upgraded to the 02J's and gave up on the 020....but this was in a 15+ year life span.
How do I know this? Because my brother owned a VW/Audi shop and he purchased over 40 020 transmissions just to replace them due to their absurd amounts of failures. Good thing they were stupid cheap. He himself went through 6 020 transmission before he decided to make the 02J swap... I went through 3 before I got sick of the car altogether...lol.
Car companies don't always make rational choices.
VW installed their new 020 transmission on their 2000lb/80hp MK1 rabbit/jetta. They then installed the same transmission on their 2500lb/120hp MK2 golfs/jetta and their transmissions would fail left and right. They then decided ( for reasons beyong my comprehension ) to install THE SAME transmission on their 2800lb/115hp MK3 Jetta...and guess what? They would STILL fail like crazy. They eventually upgraded to the 02J's and gave up on the 020....but this was in a 15+ year life span.
How do I know this? Because my brother owned a VW/Audi shop and he purchased over 40 020 transmissions just to replace them due to their absurd amounts of failures. Good thing they were stupid cheap. He himself went through 6 020 transmission before he decided to make the 02J swap... I went through 3 before I got sick of the car altogether...lol.
Car companies don't always make rational choices.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,173
Likes: 7
From: Puerto Rico
2005 E55 AMG
Nissan/Infiniti has huge oil consumption problems on their VQ35DE Revup engines. You wanna how how they fixed it? They didn't....they would literally keep replacing the engine over and over until they the engine installed would NOT consume oil. Don't believe me? Read up on it. This was true from 2005 all the way up to 2007 when they decided to change the engine all together. But they never fix the problem with the 2005-07 models so they still have the problem. Now the new VQ37VHR's are starting to have the very same problems the VQ35DE Revup had...and they have no solution.
Again, car companies don't always make sense.
Again, car companies don't always make sense.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,173
Likes: 7
From: Puerto Rico
2005 E55 AMG
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,336
Likes: 8
Porsche 991S, Cayenne S, 1972 BMW 3.0CS E9 Coupe
Maybe newer airmatic systems are better. The parts aren't the same as they were in 2003 or so are they?
VW installed their new 020 transmission on their 2000lb/80hp MK1 rabbit/jetta. They then installed the same transmission on their 2500lb/120hp MK2 golfs/jetta and their transmissions would fail left and right. They then decided ( for reasons beyong my comprehension ) to install THE SAME transmission on their 2800lb/115hp MK3 Jetta...and guess what? They would STILL fail like crazy. They eventually upgraded to the 02J's and gave up on the 020....but this was in a 15+ year life span.
How do I know this? Because my brother owned a VW/Audi shop and he purchased over 40 020 transmissions just to replace them due to their absurd amounts of failures. Good thing they were stupid cheap. He himself went through 6 020 transmission before he decided to make the 02J swap... I went through 3 before I got sick of the car altogether...lol.
Car companies don't always make rational choices.
VW installed their new 020 transmission on their 2000lb/80hp MK1 rabbit/jetta. They then installed the same transmission on their 2500lb/120hp MK2 golfs/jetta and their transmissions would fail left and right. They then decided ( for reasons beyong my comprehension ) to install THE SAME transmission on their 2800lb/115hp MK3 Jetta...and guess what? They would STILL fail like crazy. They eventually upgraded to the 02J's and gave up on the 020....but this was in a 15+ year life span.
How do I know this? Because my brother owned a VW/Audi shop and he purchased over 40 020 transmissions just to replace them due to their absurd amounts of failures. Good thing they were stupid cheap. He himself went through 6 020 transmission before he decided to make the 02J swap... I went through 3 before I got sick of the car altogether...lol.
Car companies don't always make rational choices.
Nissan/Infiniti has huge oil consumption problems on their VQ35DE Revup engines. You wanna how how they fixed it? They didn't....they would literally keep replacing the engine over and over until they the engine installed would NOT consume oil. Don't believe me? Read up on it. This was true from 2005 all the way up to 2007 when they decided to change the engine all together. But they never fix the problem with the 2005-07 models so they still have the problem. Now the new VQ37VHR's are starting to have the very same problems the VQ35DE Revup had...and they have no solution.
Again, car companies don't always make sense.
Again, car companies don't always make sense.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 7,217
Likes: 6
3-five-five/ TUNDRA/ 07 997 cab
Nissan/Infiniti has huge oil consumption problems on their VQ35DE Revup engines. You wanna how how they fixed it? They didn't....they would literally keep replacing the engine over and over until they the engine installed would NOT consume oil. Don't believe me? Read up on it. This was true from 2005 all the way up to 2007 when they decided to change the engine all together. But they never fix the problem with the 2005-07 models so they still have the problem. Now the new VQ37VHR's are starting to have the very same problems the VQ35DE Revup had...and they have no solution.
Again, car companies don't always make sense.
Again, car companies don't always make sense.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,461
Likes: 9
From: Treasure Island, FL
GLE 63S
Nissan/Infiniti has huge oil consumption problems on their VQ35DE Revup engines. You wanna how how they fixed it? They didn't....they would literally keep replacing the engine over and over until they the engine installed would NOT consume oil. Don't believe me? Read up on it. This was true from 2005 all the way up to 2007 when they decided to change the engine all together. But they never fix the problem with the 2005-07 models so they still have the problem. Now the new VQ37VHR's are starting to have the very same problems the VQ35DE Revup had...and they have no solution.
Again, car companies don't always make sense.
Again, car companies don't always make sense.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,052
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From: PHX/PIE/OMA ---> Yes, all three
E55 then E63, now back to an E55
+1
And we've also been through this plenty of times on MBWorld: these are not inexpensive cars when new and they aren't inexpensive cars to maintain when used. People buying a used 996 because they're cheap to buy run into the same issue: expensive to fix. Go buy a used Italian exotic or an Aston or a Jag for cheap. Used prices are affordable. Repair isn't.
Show me 7 billion threads of people stranded with Airmatic. Airmatic can fail (like any strut) but you have plenty of warning signals. The few who have reported being stranded never pay attention to the car's behavior and keep on driving when they get symptoms. There are hundreds of thousands of MBs fitted with air suspension. They still use Airmatic on current cars. Where are all those people? On the side of the road?
The rear is a "killer" but not a "real" one. That's because the MB protocol at the dealer is to drop the rear to install. Because the air line isn't supposed to be pulled off the nipple to the reservoir. It's primarily a labor cost. But an Indy will show you how to do it. They don't have to follow protocol like the dealer does.
And we've also been through this plenty of times on MBWorld: these are not inexpensive cars when new and they aren't inexpensive cars to maintain when used. People buying a used 996 because they're cheap to buy run into the same issue: expensive to fix. Go buy a used Italian exotic or an Aston or a Jag for cheap. Used prices are affordable. Repair isn't.
Show me 7 billion threads of people stranded with Airmatic. Airmatic can fail (like any strut) but you have plenty of warning signals. The few who have reported being stranded never pay attention to the car's behavior and keep on driving when they get symptoms. There are hundreds of thousands of MBs fitted with air suspension. They still use Airmatic on current cars. Where are all those people? On the side of the road?
The rear is a "killer" but not a "real" one. That's because the MB protocol at the dealer is to drop the rear to install. Because the air line isn't supposed to be pulled off the nipple to the reservoir. It's primarily a labor cost. But an Indy will show you how to do it. They don't have to follow protocol like the dealer does.
Well said 220,
and please tell me more about the rear airmatic (specifically the repair process).
Thanks buddy
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From: PHX/PIE/OMA ---> Yes, all three
E55 then E63, now back to an E55
One was a 993 and the other was a M3. There's no way I was going to drive either with a failed strut. I'm not talking a Honda Accord with 100k on the same OEM suspension components. An expensive Bilstein PSS-10 or KW v1/v2 shouldn't fail but they did. And they do. They're pretty sophisticated (similar to Motons) and can have issues, like an Airmatic strut (take a look at a schematic, there are a lot of parts involved; I have the tech bulletin on the system in a pdf file if you want it.)
You should also poll the S Class forum (ABC is an option on the S, the rest have Airmatic), the R Class, the GL Class, the ML Class, the CLS Class.
But maybe this time around make a poll with mileage, stock/modified, etc., taken into consideration rather than just a fail yes/no. It would be informative to understand any variables involved (like any good poll.)
And I wonder about the Range Rover forums, the Audi forums, the Lexus forums, the BMW forums, the Jaguar forums. They have models with air suspension. I wonder what the stats are on those systems.
The only folks who have the real data outside of random polls in car forums are MBUSA and the dealers. I'm curious why Daimler keeps using this system if it's bad? Maybe Daimler uses Airmatic to get rich off spare parts? Although it sounds like they're shooting themselves in the foot since most Airmatic replacements seem to be under CPO or extended warranty.
p.s., my Indy claims the components have changed over the years and the system gets less replacement rates each time around. Can we assume that a 2009 or 2010 is less prone to failure than a 7-8 year old E55?
You should also poll the S Class forum (ABC is an option on the S, the rest have Airmatic), the R Class, the GL Class, the ML Class, the CLS Class.
But maybe this time around make a poll with mileage, stock/modified, etc., taken into consideration rather than just a fail yes/no. It would be informative to understand any variables involved (like any good poll.)
And I wonder about the Range Rover forums, the Audi forums, the Lexus forums, the BMW forums, the Jaguar forums. They have models with air suspension. I wonder what the stats are on those systems.
The only folks who have the real data outside of random polls in car forums are MBUSA and the dealers. I'm curious why Daimler keeps using this system if it's bad? Maybe Daimler uses Airmatic to get rich off spare parts? Although it sounds like they're shooting themselves in the foot since most Airmatic replacements seem to be under CPO or extended warranty.
p.s., my Indy claims the components have changed over the years and the system gets less replacement rates each time around. Can we assume that a 2009 or 2010 is less prone to failure than a 7-8 year old E55?
I know Rovers fail a lot...
Have owned one, love the trucks but they aren't very reliable...
I am of course talking new gen bodies (03+ but even including 09 and 10 models)
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From: PHX/PIE/OMA ---> Yes, all three
E55 then E63, now back to an E55
Thread Starter
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05 STI
sooooo how about some BEST of E55 AMG lol. thanks for all your responses guys. i will make sure to avoid the toys such as pano roof, keyles go, electric trunk pop etc..... Honestly that stuff isnt priority to me anyway. I am really interested in the e55 because its a classy sedan and has a big pair of ***** under the hood! lets hear some good stuff!!!!! any model year superior to the others? styling and performance wise?
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From: Chicagoland
AMG
Imho, the best thing about it is opening all the windows, turning off the radio, and hitting the gas and listening to that puppy SCREEEAAAMM! nothing beats a true Merc V8 Kompressor engine, but like Emoving said, its all going to be opinionated now.
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3-five-five/ TUNDRA/ 07 997 cab
I sold my E55 to get my dream car 996tt.....dont get me wrong......they are fast as Hell.....but they don't feel like a 55......the torque is addictive.......which lead me to my CLS55
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05 E55 AMG, E320 CDI, Turbo E46 M3,IS300 2JZGTE,VQ35 Turbo Maxima, Mercedes 300D
... all I know is my E55 hates me if I let it sit for too long without driving it. I think my rear airmatic is starting to go bad now. Used to be able to sit a couple of weeks without sagging. Very nice CLS ... maybe time to trade in!!
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From: merryland
cornfed gtr and m3
I don't love the keyless go. I don't love how the air suspension will be the perfect height one day and a tad different the next day. I am a stance ***** and that pisses me off. Other then that I love this car. It puts a smile on my face everytime I drive it!
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From: Caribbean/Florida/Colorado
E-ZGO 53hp., 1999 E 430 sport, 2004 E 55, 2008 Tahoe LTZ on 24"s
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Mercedes E55 AMG (2006), Mercedes 560 SEL (1991)
Lovely machine, the E55k. Handsome looks, heavenly exhaust note and murderous acceleration. Comes at a price though. Have spent circa 13k US dollars on maintenance in the last year. Have also averaged between 7.3 and 16 mpg depending on whether I've been in heavy traffic or cruising on the highway...and the weight of my right foot on a given day...!
Brgds
Brgds
