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2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 Problems and Recalls

Owners filed 61 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550, most often about the air bags (53% of complaints). It is the 2nd most complained-about E550 model year since 2000 and has 3 recalls.

Most common 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 problems

1. Air bags

   32 complaints · 53%

   Takata recall - I've contacted two dealerships (mercedes benz of san jose and mercdes benz of stevens creek) both continue to say that there are no parts. I don't want to get injured by the airbag if there is an accident.

   Takata recall. I bought the car new, received recall notices from mbusa in may and august 2016, stating that my driver's and front-passenger airbags have a defect related to safety. I have made four specific visits to the dealership in santa monica, simonson's Mercedes-Benz, asking that my airbags be replaced. Each…

2. Suspension

   20 complaints · 33%

   Half of these problems showed up before 77,000 miles. Parts named most often: front.

   Takata recall. Vehicle inoperable due to inflators not holding air. Car suspension sags while stationary. Warning comes on prompting driver to pull over.

   Airmatic front air strut/shock failure. The front left has failed on my car. It happened while driving and a short while after an accident and the two may be related due to the braking forces putting pressure on the front struts. The failure did not happen immediately after the crash. However, about a month later, or…

3. Other or unspecified

   3 complaints · 5%

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 recalls

1. Air bags: inflator module

   NHTSA 19V010000 · January 9, 2019 · 288,779 vehicles

   Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

   Fix: Mbusa will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began march 29, 2019. Owners may contact mbusa customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

   Full defect summary

   Mercedes-benz USA, llc (mbusa) is recalling certain 2014 c250, c300 4matic, c350, c63 amg, e350 4matic coupe, e350 cabrio, e350 coupe, sls amg cabrio, sls amg coupe, 2014-2015 c250 coupe, c350 4matic coupe, c350 coupe, c63 amg coupe, glk 350, glk250 bluetec 4matic, glk350 RWD, 2015-2017 e400 4matic coupe, e400 cabrio, e400 coupe, 2014-2017 e550 cabrio, and 2014-2016 e550 coupe vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of al, ca, fl, ga, hi, la, ms, sc, tx, pr, as, gu, the mp, and vi or "zone a." additionally, mbusa is recalling certain 2012-2014 c250, e350 4matic coupe, sls amg cabrio, 2012-2015 c250 coupe, c350 4matic coupe, c350 coupe, c63 amg coupe, 2011 c300, 2011-2014 c300 4matic, c350, c63 amg, e350 cabrio, e350 coupe, sls amg coupe, 2015-2016 e400 4matic coupe, e400 cabrio, e400 coupe, 2011-2016 e550 cabrio, e550 coupe, 2011-2015 glk350 4matic, glk350 RWD, and 2013-2015 glk

2. Air bags: inflator module

   NHTSA 16V363000 · May 26, 2016 · 258,163 vehicles

   Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

   Fix: Mbusa will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag modules, free of charge. Owners were sent an interim notification october 2016. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts are available. Owners may contact mbusa customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

   Full defect summary

   Mercedes-benz USA, llc (mbusa) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 c300 sedan, c300 4matic sedan, c350 sedan, c63 amg sedan vehicles, 2010-2011 glk350, glk350 4-matic and e350 coupe vehicles, 2011 sls amg, e350 convertible, e550 coupe and e550 convertible vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. Virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, unless included in "zone a" above, mbusa is recalling certain model year 2008 c300 sedan, c350 sedan, c63 amg sedan and c300 4-matic sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklah

3. Air bags: inflator module

   NHTSA 16V081000 · February 11, 2016 · 711,159 vehicles

   Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

   Fix: Mbusa will their notify owners, and fiat chrysler will notify the affected chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. This recall began november 2016. Mercedes-benz owners may contact mbusa customer service at 1-800-367-6372 and chrysler owners may contact fiat chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.

   Full defect summary

   Mercedes-benz USA, llc. (mbusa) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 ml320 bluetec 4matic, gl320 bluetec 4matic and r320 cdi 4matic, 2011 e350 cabriolet and e550 cabriolet, 2009-2011 ml350, ml350 4matic, ml550 4matic, ml63 amg, and c63 amg, 2010-2011 ml450 4matic hybrid, e350 coupe, e350 4matic, e550 coupe, e550 4matic, and e63 amg, 2011-2012 gl350 bluetec 4matic and r350 bluetec 4matic, 2009-2012 gl450 4matic, gl550 4matic and r350 4matic, 2007-2008 slk280, slk350, and slk55 amg, 2011-2014 sls amg coupe, 2012 sls amg cabriolet, 2013-2014 sls amg gt and sls amg gt cabriolet, 2005 c230 kompressor and c320, 2006-2007 c230, 2006-2011 c350, 2008-2011 c300 and c300 4matic, 2010-2012 glk350 and glk350 4matic and 2007-2008 chrysler crossfire vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.

NHTSA defect investigations

• Desiccated air bag inflator rupture

  EA21002 · opened September 17, 2021 · open
  Summary

  From 2000 through 2017, takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("psan") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004l. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 blomquist report at www.NHTSA.gov/sites/NHTSA.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa

Questions about the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550?

By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (32 complaints); suspension (20 complaints, typically around 77,000 miles); other or unspecified (3 complaints).

How many recalls does the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 have?

3 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from January 9, 2019 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.

Is the 2011 a bad year for the Mercedes-Benz E550?

It is the 2nd most complained-about E550 model year since 2000, with 61 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.

Other Mercedes-Benz E550 years

• 2010
• 2011

Mercedes-Benz E550 problems by year