Don’t Let a Bad Mercedes-Benz E550 Air Suspension Put You at Risk

Don’t Let a Bad Mercedes-Benz E550 Air Suspension Put You at Risk

David Straughan
4 minute read

Are you having issues with your Mercedes-Benz E550 suspension? You might be in more danger than you thought.

In many cases, even before you see the suspension warning light, you might notice some other symptoms of air suspension failure: an overly bouncy ride, sagging in the rear, doing a “nose dive” when coming to a stop, or simply failing to maintain the proper ride height.

While many people think of suspension problems as simply a comfort issue, they can be far more serious.

The Dangers of Driving on a Bad E550 Suspension

Suspension problems are not just an issue of comfort. Your car’s suspension is one of its primary safety features.

A properly functioning Mercedes-Benz E550 suspension allows the driver to turn, stop, and maneuver a vehicle with a great deal of control. If a suspension becomes worn down or broken, the driver’s ability to control the vehicle decreases significantly.

Studies have shown that driving on struts at 50% effectiveness increases your car’s stopping distance by 12%. At highway speeds, this can literally mean the difference between life and death.

Accidents are more difficult to avoid as well. Your suspension system is what helps you navigate through traffic and around turns. As a result, you may be unable to maneuver around a wreck or obstacle if your Mercedes-Benz E550 suspension is failing.

The Effects of Worn-Out Shocks on Your E550

You can think of your car’s suspension as being similar to your body’s legs and hips. They serve a similar purpose--to connect you to the ground while also serving as a buffer for your body’s core.

Now, imagine running with a sore knee on one side and a bad hip on the other. Even if they are just minor injuries, pretty soon those parts will start to suffer.

Soon after that, other parts of your body will start to suffer as they try to compensate for the difference in function.

This is what happens to your E550 when driving on bad struts and shocks. But since you thankfully can’t feel physical pain, it’s easy to ignore the damage that’s being done to your vehicle.

Driving around on a blown out E550 air suspension will put extra stress on everything from your car’s brake pads to the steering column. Avoiding a suspension repair now means repairing a lot of things in the future you might not have had to.

What to Do

One of the biggest problems with the Mercedes-Benz E550 air suspension is a problem with all air suspensions: cost.

Air suspensions are prohibitively expensive to repair and replace. It’s no wonder people put off repairs for so long.

Replacing just one of the air springs in your E550 could set you back around $300 for the parts alone. Given that they are parts that are guaranteed to fail at some point, you’re looking at $1200 before you even pay anyone to install them.

Air suspension systems are highly complex and require a lot of skills, tools, and patience to work on. There are many computer-controlled parts and an expensive compressor that generates all the air used to inflate the system.

A full replacement of your air suspension system could end up costing you thousands upon thousands of dollars. For many people, that’s just not realistic.

An Alternative for your E550

Replacing that air suspension with another isn’t your only option, however.

You can say goodbye to that faulty, troublesome air suspension for good and convert to a trusty coilover suspension instead.

For less than $1,000, you can purchase this kit from Strutmasters which will replace all four corners of your air suspension.

Backed by a limited lifetime guarantee, once you install this conversion kit, you’ll never need to spend another dime on your E550 suspension again.

Best of all, it’s simple enough for most people to install at home. All you need is a few simple tools, a quality lift, and the better part of a morning or afternoon.


If you’re ready to end your E550 air suspension problems for good, call and speak with one of our Suspension Experts. They’ll set you up with exactly what you need to have you riding high once again!

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