View Poll Results: Yes or No
Yes, I've had mine fail.
46
48.94%
No failures for me.
48
51.06%
Voters: 94. You may not vote on this poll
Who has had any form of airmatic failure?
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 494
Likes: 0
From: MN
07 Z06, 08 Rover Sport, 03 Dmax, 13 Diavel
My 63 used to get driven daily at which point the rear end would not sag over time. Now, the car is in storage for winter and given every 3-4 days, the rear end is saggin like a ****. The fenders are literally level with the rim edge.
I have a appt with dealer for beginning April but they basically told me they will not replace the airbag unless it is beyond normal air loss. What kinda bs is that???
My car is stock for now but I was planning on lowring via star as soon as I pull out of storage.
Aj
I have a appt with dealer for beginning April but they basically told me they will not replace the airbag unless it is beyond normal air loss. What kinda bs is that???
My car is stock for now but I was planning on lowring via star as soon as I pull out of storage.
Aj
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,759
Likes: 96
From: NH
2012 C63 BS & 2014 E63 Estate & 2008 CLK63 BS
My 63 used to get driven daily at which point the rear end would not sag over time. Now, the car is in storage for winter and given every 3-4 days, the rear end is saggin like a ****. The fenders are literally level with the rim edge.
I have a appt with dealer for beginning April but they basically told me they will not replace the airbag unless it is beyond normal air loss. What kinda bs is that???
My car is stock for now but I was planning on lowring via star as soon as I pull out of storage.
Aj
I have a appt with dealer for beginning April but they basically told me they will not replace the airbag unless it is beyond normal air loss. What kinda bs is that???
My car is stock for now but I was planning on lowring via star as soon as I pull out of storage.
Aj
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 188
'91 964 Turbo, '02 E55's & '14 E63s-w
Please change my vote...
I thought i had a front strut replaced but after checking with the dealer, it has never been replaced.
So i have un mod '06 E55 with 42K that's on a stock VIRGIN suspension
Can one of the moderators switch my vote from Yes to No problem,please...
Thanks
So i have un mod '06 E55 with 42K that's on a stock VIRGIN suspension
Can one of the moderators switch my vote from Yes to No problem,please...
Thanks
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 724
Likes: 31
Car free at the moment
Can I vote twice if I've had two struts replaced? 
Seriously, I seem to have the worst luck here. MY '06 CPO car was purchased in fall of 2009 w/34K miles. Now at 41K miles. Had a 2 day leak in driver's rear strut. Not urgent, but had it replaced under CPO when convenient. Six months later the replaced strut failed while car was parked overnight in the garage. Would not pump up. The car rode hard, really hard. Suprisingly there were no error messages displayed. Again replaced by CPO.
So I'm averaging ~4K miles per airmatic repair. Can anyone beat that?
Seriously, I seem to have the worst luck here. MY '06 CPO car was purchased in fall of 2009 w/34K miles. Now at 41K miles. Had a 2 day leak in driver's rear strut. Not urgent, but had it replaced under CPO when convenient. Six months later the replaced strut failed while car was parked overnight in the garage. Would not pump up. The car rode hard, really hard. Suprisingly there were no error messages displayed. Again replaced by CPO.
So I'm averaging ~4K miles per airmatic repair. Can anyone beat that?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,336
Likes: 8
Porsche 991S, Cayenne S, 1972 BMW 3.0CS E9 Coupe
You are talking to a group of guys that are on airbags and race them, lower them and put 20s on them (me being one of them). One should expect failure at some point! Lets just say anything over @75k is not a failure. That is called maintaince. What do you guys think they should last forever!!
I've always redone the suspension on all my present and former BMWs and Porsches way before 75k. Conventional systems wear out and you get total crap performance, let alone cause stress on all the components.
Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
From: W Coast & E Europe
08 E63, 07 RS4, 04 GT3, 10 LR4, 02 Pajero
The poll should've been increased to distinguish between cars at stock height and those that have been lowered. I don't think "failures" on modified cars are the fault of MB.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,336
Likes: 8
Porsche 991S, Cayenne S, 1972 BMW 3.0CS E9 Coupe
Also people should post their mileage.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: Sandy Eggo, Cali
E55 AMG
My ghetto washer job was performed with surgical precision and is destined not to fail, been a year. Hit potholes so bad that my front wheels became this shape -"D" and I just checked my ghettoness and it is holding up ghettotastically wonderful. I can appreciate the friendly warning since many have tried this mod and then, FAIL+ PWNED 
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,461
Likes: 9
From: Treasure Island, FL
GLE 63S
I had the wife's 2004 E500 front left go out April last year and my 2004 E55 had the front left go out in September last year. Her E500 is completely stock and not lowered; she drives in comfort mode all the time. I wasn't lowered but did drive on SportII all the time. Only commonality was front left went out. Both were replaced with Arnott airmatic remanufactured struts. So far 0 issues.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,174
Likes: 19
From: London, UK
No longer stock '06 E55, A3 3.2 Quattro, GLE 400d, R107 280SL, Golf Polo
Washer mod should not cause airmatic failure... 1-2" of front end drop is well within the range of motion for the system. If anything the shocks may be operating outside of normal travel ranges, and they could go before the AM does IMHO.
My car sometimes is left for weeks not being driven ... '06 with 15500 miles
, and there is no drop / sag whatsoever over time.
My car sometimes is left for weeks not being driven ... '06 with 15500 miles
, and there is no drop / sag whatsoever over time.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,336
Likes: 8
Porsche 991S, Cayenne S, 1972 BMW 3.0CS E9 Coupe
This is true.
And another thing to probably consider is environment. There are a lot of rubber parts in an Airmatic system.
I think the real issue here is that the cost of replacement is so high. If they were $250 bolt on struts nobody would really care so much. They would just be another relatively affordable wear item on an expensive and technically elaborate performance sedan.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,642
Likes: 13
From: Caribbean/Florida/Colorado
E-ZGO 53hp., 1999 E 430 sport, 2004 E 55, 2008 Tahoe LTZ on 24"s
Arnott
Just a heads up, it is my understanding that Arnott dose not rebuild/reseal the electro-hydraulic strut (the oil filled shock absorber) that is the core of the AirMatic strut. They only change out the rubber bellows (pneumatic-air side). So I think it is possible to get a rebuilt strut that has more miles on it than the core you sent in.
Just saying.....
Just saying.....
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,336
Likes: 8
Porsche 991S, Cayenne S, 1972 BMW 3.0CS E9 Coupe
Just a heads up, it is my understanding that Arnott dose not rebuild/reseal the electro-hydraulic strut (the oil filled shock absorber) that is the core of the AirMatic strut. They only change out the rubber bellows (pneumatic-air side). So I think it is possible to get a rebuilt strut that has more miles on it than the core you sent in.
Just saying.....
Just saying.....
And there's this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlw6Op7GT0M
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
Mercedes E55 AMG (2006), Mercedes 560 SEL (1991)
The two fronts failed on my 06 E55 around 16k miles. Hit a huge pothole (crater?) a couple of months back (circa 20k miles) and my right rear has failed. I suspect each car's airmatic mean time between failures will depend on the state of the roads it traverses - potholes, bumps et al.
Brgds
Brgds
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,173
Likes: 7
From: Puerto Rico
2005 E55 AMG
