Airmatic suspension failure rate

[DuFFmAn]

Hi all.

I am looking at buying a W205 estate C Class but it has airmatic. Having recently had a problematic BMW 5 Series Touring which had air springs in the back, I can't help but worry about the cost implications of things going wrong. The vehicle is 2015 with 70k on the clock.

I have googled everywhere and it seems if things go wrong, it is usually a compressor or valve block issue which is semi bearable. But I can't really find anyone having issues with the struts which can be £500 per corner for supply only. Are they relatively reliable? Has anyone had any issues or come across any?

 

[Londonscottish]

Hi all.

I am looking at buying a W205 estate C Class but it has airmatic. Having recently had a problematic BMW 5 Series Touring which had air springs in the back, I can't help but worry about the cost implications of things going wrong. The vehicle is 2015 with 70k on the clock.

I have googled everywhere and it seems if things go wrong, it is usually a compressor or valve block issue which is semi bearable. But I can't really find anyone having issues with the struts which can be £500 per corner for supply only. Are they relatively reliable? Has anyone had any issues or come across any?

Nor sure how similar the system is to that on the E Class; in my E's I've had two faults in 12 years. Compressor on my 211 at round 10 years and 120k miles and a leaking rear airspring on my 212 at around 10 years/70k miles.

Look on Autodoc for decent prices on OEM or Arnott replacements.

Personally I love the system and don't mind the very occasional issue.

 

[DuFFmAn]

Thanks for the heads up. I keep reading up on issues and nervous to make the jump after my 5 Series and its issues.
Did you E class have rear air suspension with air bags that are separate to the strut? I think the Airmatic system is different where the strut and 'air bag' element is one unit at circa £500 per corner. I can deal with the compressor or valve block failing but £500 per strut is a difficult pill to swallow.
Anyone else had any experience?

 

[Londonscottish]

Thanks for the heads up. I keep reading up on issues and nervous to make the jump after my 5 Series and its issues.
Did you E class have rear air suspension with air bags that are separate to the strut? I think the Airmatic system is different where the strut and 'air bag' element is one unit at circa £500 per corner. I can deal with the compressor or valve block failing but £500 per strut is a difficult pill to swallow.
Anyone else had any experience?

On E Classes (211's and 212's anyway) the rears are separate units and the fronts are combined. So you can change only the bellows at the back, saving money.

The dampers are active so not the cheapest - so the combined strut at the front obviously more expensive to replace if the air part lets go. That does seem to be comparatively rare, though; the rears seem to let go far more often.

FWIW, when I had my rears done last year the garage I use said the Merc stuff was generally far less trouble some then the BMW and Audi systems.

 

[CaptainChaos]

On my C350e (W205) the suspension failed at around 35,000 miles and five years. Cause of the failure was water ingress into the wiring harness which connects to the compressor. Water creeps along the wires and then blows the compressor. On a RHD car the wiring/compressor is tucked in to the nearside front wing so picks up a lot of spray and debris. The wheel arch liners are not exactly the greatest fit so it's a weak spot. The car was under extended warranty which covered the compressor (£1,100) but I had to pay for the wiring harness (£100'ish). (No idea why, but if you have ever tried to deal with Mercedes warranty this seemed like a good outcome). More worrying was the fact the rear suspension lost its air within about a mile of the "go to dealer" warning light coming on. I managed to get to work and abandon it on its **** in a big car park as it was a pig for the recovery truck to pick up. If it had been the front suspension which had gone, I wouldn't have been able to steer as the wheels were so deep in the arches. It's a shame the failure position isn't up rather than down!

On the plus side, the ride with Airmatic is truly excellent. You only appreciate it when you go back to a conventional car.