1997 Mercedes-Benz 420 Suspension Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 50%of 22 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 150,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the suspension of the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 420, 50% of the 22 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 150,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I am a victim of a dangerous safety design flaw in my 1997 mercedes benz e420. Last week, my wife was driving the car in a straight line on a local street near our home, when the passenger side coil spring flew out of the car, resulting in her completely losing control of the vehicle. There were no warning signs - no sounds, rattles, etc. Luckily, she was driving at a slow speed of 35mph and that the cars around her stopped, allowing her to maneuver the car to the shoulder of the road. As a result, she avoided any accident and was not hurt. …”
NHTSA complaint #10413904, filed 2011-07, 200,150 miles“Left upper suspension spring support separated from the frame of the vehicle. I noticed a scraping sound coming from the left from on the car. I removed the tire and found that the spring support was just about ready to break away from the frame. I was horrified to think of what could of happened if this would have failed during highway speeds. Mercedes benz offered to pay half of the repair however, this is a know problem with this model and they should pay for the whole repair. This type of failure should never happen.”
NHTSA complaint #10160968, filed 2006-06, 150,000 miles“- on 1/16/07 the left upper suspension spring support separated from the frame of a 1997 mercedes benz 420. On 01/02/07 the contact took the vehicle to the dealer in morristown, nj for a safety check, and they didn't find anything wrong with the suspension coil springs. On 01/23/07 contact took the vehicle to local dealer, who stated that the left perch was rusted ,and that the suspension coil springs needed to be replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #10180740, filed 2007-01, 107,000 miles“While driving 65 MPH, the consumer noticed the steering wheel vibrating hard. The consumer looked under vehicle and noticed the frame well was broken. Please provide further details. Metal on frame well was replaced due to fatigue. Also, front shock absorbers were replaced. Vehicle was purchased by consumer in an auction.”
NHTSA complaint #10080293, filed 2004-07, 80,000 miles“I am filing a complaint regarding after warranty support for the above referenced vehicle. The spring seat detached from the body of the automobile causing the suspension to fail while the vehicle was in motion at 45 MPH on a downhill grade. As the suspension detached from the car, the left front side dragged on the road causing the right rear to slide into the other lane of traffic. Impact from an approaching vehicle was narrowly adverted. Further, large pieces of the vehicle including the coil spring where left in the road causing a hazard. …”
NHTSA complaint #10424746, filed 2011-09, 163,000 milesSuspension: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 11 | 50% |
| 1986 | 1 | 17% |
Other parts of the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 420
3 complaintsFuel system
2 complaintsSeat belts
2 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
1 complaintsSeats
1 complaintsBody and structure
1 complaintsVehicle speed control
1 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 420
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology