When driving about 30-40mph entering the freeway the car will downshift, when it downshifted it lost all drive. The engine can freely rev but no movement whatsoever. Had to pull over on the freeway and put it into the park and restart the car. Also, sometimes when driving the car will be locked into 3rd gear and won't shift, there is not warning light or check engine light to tell me what is going on. 1st and 2nd gear also has harsh engagements.
The worst 1999 Mercedes Benz E430 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.
- Suspension10
- Airbags6
- Body3
- Electrical3
- Visibility2
- Seat belts1
- Seats1
- Transmission1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1999 Mercedes Benz E430
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
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
Engine crankshaft pulley failure
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure that could result in loss of power-steering assist.odi has received a total of 546 non-duplicative reports that allege engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure on all mercedes-benz vehicles using the subject component.the subject component failures are progressive in nature and only a small percentage of the complaints and warrant claims involved a failure that had progressed far enough to effect power steering performance (6 of 55 odi complaints reference increased steering effort).there have been no crashes or injuries related to the alleged defect.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and 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 by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see summary report attached for further detail.
PE03058
Technical service bulletins for the 1999 Mercedes Benz E430 17
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- If the customer brakes sharply from a speed of > 30mph, without ABS intervention, there is a single...
- Unmotivated Reaction from Park Assist
- Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D or R
- Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D
- Airmatic
- Seat belt extender toothed rack sluggish or makes noises
- Display of suspension setting in head unit implausible
- Liftgate intermittently does not open fully
- Enclosed for your information and pursuant to part 579.5, please find our latest Service and Warranty...
- Engine diagnosis warning lamp lights up in instrument cluster, fault code U145400: "Implausible data were...
What 1999 Mercedes Benz E430 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Was driving on highway when spring came out and lost control of car put car in shop cost me 1400 for repairs someone need to help pay for it and this should be s recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercedes benz e430. While driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormal loud noise coming from the vehicle. The contact noticed that a suspension spring fractured from the front driver side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed that the spring coil tower fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The passenger side air bags spontaneously deployed while approaching a stop light. Have taken car to mercedes dealership and they have not been able to give me an answer as to why this occurred. They relate that they have sent pictures and information to "mercedes" and after 1 week I am only told that it could take. Longer.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercedes benz e430. The contact stated that the passenger air bag light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that the front occupant seat sensor needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number: 98v256000 (air bags). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,829.
Safety issues: SRS warning light is on. Ac blowing warm air, side power windows do not operate., front passenger seat cannot adjust-sensor fault indicated l/ valve cover breather nipple broken -replaced l/side valve cover -($1524.89).
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercedes benz e430. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the front end of the vehicle collapsed. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road and the contact noticed that the coil spring on the front driver side was detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the spring perch fractured because it was not welded onto the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 147,000. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 09/30/11
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercedes-benz e430. The contact was driving approximately 55 MPH when the front driver side coil spring detached from the vehicle, causing him to almost loose control of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence and the dealer was contacted who advised that the vehicle was not under recall. The contact was unsuccessful in contacting the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was approximately 119,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 mercedes benz e430. The contact stated that the front driver side coil spring support and the coil spring fell off of the vehicle while he was driving approximately 60 MPH. Because of that failure, he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into someone's yard. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. He called the dealership and the service manager was of no assistance. He called the manufacturer who told him that he would be reimbursed for the coil spring repair but he had not received the reimbursement when the complaint was filed; however, the vehicle was repaired. The current mileage was approximately 101,000. The failure mileage was 99,996. Updated 03/24/10 *bf updated 06/28/10
I own and drive a 1999 mercedes benz e430. It has approx. 133000 miles. The right front coil spring snapped off the car as I was driving it at approx. 35 MPH. I was the only person in the car driving on route 516 old bridge, nj about 3 miles from my home. I was not injured just badly shaken up. The car has been towed to a repair shop and is at old bridge collision on englishtown road, old bridge nj. I have noted this to be a common problem and the previous complaints and investigations. Please note my complaint and advise asap.
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Questions about the 1999 Mercedes Benz E430
Is the 1999 Mercedes Benz E430 reliable?
Owners have filed 21 complaints about the 1999 Mercedes Benz E430, close to a typical E430 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Mercedes Benz E430?
Suspension, with 10 complaints, typically around 119,000 miles. Next is airbags (6).
How many recalls does the 1999 Mercedes Benz E430 have?
No recalls on record.
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