I took my car into get the suspension fixed and was told that the spring perch that attached the spring to the car has rusted through and is about to break. Luckily I found it before I had a bad accident. I am in the process of checking with mercedes to see if they will stand by a poor design issue and repair it. I am amazed that someone has not contacted owners of older cars as this could be a very dangerous issue for those not fortunate to get things checked out. I am not driving the car until some decision is made.
The worst 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Suspension20
- Body6
- Brakes3
- Airbags2
- Electrical2
- Visibility2
- Engine1
- Fuel system1
- Lights1
- Seats1
- Steering1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class
Recalls 1
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some of these vehicles have experienced side air bag deployments in the absence of a crash.
- Risk
- Inadvertent side air bag deployment could cause personal injury to the seat occupant.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the driver and passenger door mounted side air bag modules. At the same time, dealers will also inspect the condition of the side air bag module wiring within the doors and replace that wiring if there is any evidence of damage.
Recall number 00V388000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class
Defect investigations
Front suspension coil spring ejection
Odi has focused this investigation on assessing the risks posed by a separated spring as (1) a road hazard and (2) the potential for vehicle control to be compromised after the front coil spring has been ejected from its intended position in the vehicle.both risks are associated with corrosion, flexing, and fracture of the upper front suspension mounting bracket.time-in-service failure rates are notably higher in salt belt states since corrosion is a primary contributor to the failure mode.since a number of incidents have occurred while the vehicle was being operated, odi is skeptical that owners can always detect the subtle side to side difference in ride height and/or inspect or notice that the upper suspension bracket has been compromised by corrosion.(1) road hazard - although the (approx. 7 lb.) front suspension spring that may be ejected at highway speeds could pose a serious road hazard to pedestrians and other vehicles, the occurrence rate has been low (.03% based on 51 reported incidents occurring and an initial population of 172,781 vehicles after 9 - 12 years of use / exposure) and there are no known injuries, fatalities, or property damage reports due to an ejected spring.also, many of the 51 incidents occurred at low speed or while the vehicle was stopped or parked.(2) vehicle control - vehicle handling and control could be affected by the fracture of the upper suspension mount and/or the associated spring ejection.odi first identified its concern about corrosion in the upper suspension bracket of subject vehicles in 2002, at which time mercedes provided a video that showed that a vehicle could be steered, stopped, and controlled through various maneuvers at high speeds with a front coil spring completely missing from the vehicle. During pe07-021, in addition to reviewing the 2002 video-tape, odi engineers drove an exemplar vehicle with the spring removed and simulated various combinations of steering angles to assess whether there were any possible conditions / displacements in which the separated spring might interfere with the wheels. In a vehicle with the front spring removed, the top of the wheel can lightly contact the bottom area of the wheel fender during high angle turns typically associated with slower speed maneuvers such as city driving. The light tire contact generated an obvious grinding noise and would likely abrade or bend the edge of the fender with continued use.however, the extent of the interference was not sufficient to affect vehicle steering and does not occur at smaller turning angles associated with highway driving.odi has not identified a safety related defect trend at this time.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding that a safety related defect does not exist.the agency reserves the right to take further action if future circumstances warrant.
PE07021
Inadvertent side impact airbag deploymen
There is no summary currently available
RQ00013
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class 5
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- SENTEX gate operator with Clik Card Remote not compatible with Homelink
- Trunk lid opens or closes too quickly while operating with remote trunk lid control button
- Consumer shutoff displayed in instrument cluster while driving
- Mercedes-benz usa will conduct a recall campaign of certain vehicles to replace the left / right side...
- Updated information to reflect additon of approved tires
1997 Mercedes Benz E Class fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6‑cyl Diesel | RWD | 23 | 30 | 26 |
| 4.2L 8‑cyl | RWD | 16 | 23 | 18 |
What 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I was coming off west rt 46. I came to a stop sign,made a right and as I was driving heard a thump noise....then as I drove a squeaking noise and I pulled over,looked at the car ,around it and under it and didn't see anything. I drove it slowly abt a mile home. When I got home I opened the hood and didn't see anything. I drove it to my mechanic around the corner and he told me I had a spring coil failure. I researched this issue and found that this was prevalent in certain mercedes vehicles and that there was a recall in canada for this failing part. I'm attempting to have mercedes cover some of the costs to have this repaired.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz e420. The contact was driving approximately 35 MPH in lightly drizzled weather conditions. There was a loss of steering control. The driver experienced difficulty in turning the steering wheel. Suddenly, pressure was applied to the brake pedal and the vehicle failed to slow down. The vehicle crashed into a utility pole. The police was called to the scene. The driver sustained minor injuries. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated the failure was related to the anti-lock brake vacuum booster system. The insurance company inspected the vehicle. The cause of failure was not determined. The failure mileage was 80,000.
While driving, heard a rattling sound from the front end of the car. Short while later, started to proceed from a stop and the front passenger side suspension coil spring came off the car and exited out the wheel well with a big bang and rolled down the street about 75 feet.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz e300 diesel. While servicing the vehicle, the contact noticed that the spring perch on the front driver and passenger sides was rusting and separated from the suspension chassis. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The failure mileage was 140,000.
I have a 1997 e420 mercedes that my wife and our one month old baby drive daily. Well she told me she heard some strange noises coming from the wheel area of the front left tire. I told her that she better let us have it checked out before driving the car anymore. I took the car to my mechanic and he found that the spring perch was hanging on the frame by a thread of metal. Fortunately no one was hurt and no accident occurred. As it turns out this has happened to a number of cars like mine, it should be something that is recalled with out a doubt. Someone else's wife and baby could have been in a major accident if they did not have the sense to get this checked out.
My mb e300d's engine will cut off for no apparent reason. It started gradually just cutting off while sitting at an intersection or while slowing to a stop. Feeling it was anything from fuel to computer problems I took it to the shop on several occasions. They advised they could not find the problem and wanted to start replacing parts like relays. The problem came to a head while my wife was accelerating on an interstate ramp into traffic running 70mph. The car cut off causing near catastrophic accidents. This is of course unacceptable. Mercedes is acting like this is not a big problem. Upon searching the web, I found that this is a common problem -"cutting off for no apparent reason" and so far this agency seems to have not done much to force mercedes to correct this extremely hazardous condition. I can not keep driving the car until something breaks bad enough for mercedes to find it. The wiring harness is the known culprit though mercedes won't admit it.
Mr. Gary bound mercedes benz 3 paragon montvale nj 07645 dear mr. Bound, I would like to request your assistance on a very troubling matter. I have 1997 mercedes e 420, , (it has 81,000 miles) which recently developed a serious driving safety issue, more precisely a lack of steering control. I was so alarmed by the handling; I took my vehicle to the closest repair shop for an analysis of the problem. (I didn't feel safe driving the vehicle the extra distance to a mb dealer). After a quick examination they told me that the coil spring tower had become detached from the frame. They said the repair was possibly in the thousands of dollars range. They also told me they had seen this problem many times, particularly with the e series. According to them it has to do with the type of steel used, the welds, and an unusual amount of extraordinary metal fatigue regardless of miles or age of vehicle. They also informed me that mercedes benz was aware of this issue, and mb was considering absorbing the costs of these repairs, even though this issue has occurred after the warranty has expired. I also understand that the federal safety agency is so concerned about a pattern of these failures that they are urging an official recall. But understandably mb would prefer not to deal with an official recall. Now obviously I'm concerned about my safety, as well as getting a quality repair to the vehicle asap-- without paying thousands of dollars for this to be resolved out of my pocket.. I was given your name by a man named mitch carr, of mitch?s auto service in kensington maryland. As you may be aware he specializes in mercedes repairs. He explained that you had first hand knowledge of this problem; apparently either you or your staff have visited his shop to see mercedes vehicles with this problem. Mark slimp, [email protected]
On a 1997 mercedes e300d, the right front spring perch is corroding consistent with the manner described in complaint pe07021.
Socket deforms thermally causing rear brake light not to illuminate. Problem is on my 1997 mercedes e300 diesel VIN# [xxx]. Exact same problem was recalled on 98-2004 slk-class but not on model. Recall # for slk is 2006-080005. Thanks. *nm updated 07/11/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
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Questions about the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class
Is the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class reliable?
Owners have filed 37 complaints about the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class, 3.7 times a typical E Class model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class?
Suspension, with 20 complaints, typically around 96,000 miles. Next is body (6).
How many recalls does the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class have?
1 recall, covering air bags.
What gas mileage does the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class get?
Official estimates for the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class range from 18 to 26 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl diesel, RWD) gets 23 city and 30 highway.
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