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Suspension, steering, brakes and wheels

Problems with air suspension: symptoms, cost and affected models

We have documented 25 faults with air suspension in 25 cars. The most important by severity and frequency: loss of ride height, leaks and failure of the Hydractive suspension (Citroën C5 II), air suspension failure: compressor, air springs and valves (Land Rover Range Rover III) and air suspension failure: compressor, air springs and air leaks (Land Rover Range Rover Sport I).

Documented faults
25
6 of high or critical severity
Cars analysed
25
with at least one fault on this part
Affected models
25
car generations in our database
Garage repair
No data
No reliable published costs

How we work

How it works and why it fails

Air and hydropneumatic suspension

Air suspension replaces the springs with air bellows that a compressor inflates and deflates to regulate ride height and firmness; Citroën's hydropneumatic system (Hydractive) does the same with spheres of gas and pressurised fluid. They are more comfortable than conventional suspension, but have more parts that can fail: the compressor, the bellows, the valves and the height sensors.

What to do

If the car sits lower on one side in the morning, takes a long time to rise after starting, a suspension warning lights up or you hear the compressor running for a long time, have it checked soon: a leak forces the compressor to overwork until it burns out. When buying a car with this system, check that it rises to its normal height in a short time.

General explanation by MotorFiable. The specific faults of each engine and car, with their sources, are on the linked pages.

Common symptoms

The symptoms that come up most often in the documented faults with air suspension. Open each one to see what other faults cause it.

Problems with air suspension by car

Faults documented on specific cars, which occur with any engine. From most to least important.

  1. 1High severityCommonFrequency: CommonCitroën C5 IILoss of ride height, leaks and failure of the Hydractive suspensionIn a reliability survey with 650 reviews of the C5 II (2008-2017), the suspension and shock absorbers account for 62 cases; a German used-car guide adds leaks from the hydropneumatic sphere cylinders and hydraulic block failures beyond a certain mileage on versions with Hydractive 3+ suspension.Appears at around 90,000 km
  2. 2High severityCommonFrequency: CommonLand Rover Range Rover IIIAir suspension failure: compressor, air springs and valvesAccording to the testimonials collected by fiches-auto.fr, it is the most repeated weakness outside the engine: leaking air springs, a worn compressor and a faulty valve block or height sensors, with cases between 100,000 and 185,000 km. No official campaign is recorded.
  3. 3High severityCommonFrequency: CommonLand Rover Range Rover Sport IAir suspension failure: compressor, air springs and air leaksAccording to fiches-auto.fr, air suspension is the most cited non-engine fault on the Sport I (17 suspension mentions out of 65 testimonies): failed compressor, air leaks and the car sagging. One testimony cites more than €2,500 for the repair.
  4. 4Critical severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalVolkswagen Crafter ICracks in the rear axle mounting plates on air-suspension modelsIn 2014, Safety Gate was notified (alert A12/0673/14) that on the Crafter with air suspension (5 t types 2EKZ and 2FJZ) the rear axle mounting plates can crack, with a risk of a self-steering effect and an accident. It covers units built from October 2006 to February 2014.
  5. 5High severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalAudi A6 C6Failure of the adaptive air suspension compressor (equipped versions)On cars with the optional adaptive air suspension (standard on the allroad quattro), gebrauchtwagenberater.de documents compressor failures that can make the car settle completely; fiches-auto.fr records a case of the rear air springs being replaced along with the compressor.
  6. 6High severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalMercedes-Benz CLS C219Airmatic air suspension faults: air struts and compressorThe Airmatic air suspension is the most-cited chassis complaint on the CLS C219 on fiches-auto.fr (23 cases): front air struts and compressor. One case cites around 3,500 euros at the main dealer at 105,000 km.
  7. 7Medium severityCommonFrequency: CommonMercedes-Benz GLC X253Recurring failures of the AIRMATIC air suspension compressorThe (optional) AIRMATIC air suspension compressor on the GLC X253 fails repeatedly: several owners document its replacement on different cars between 51,000 and 165,000 km, with the body sagging, noise and harshness as warning symptoms.Appears at around 51,000 km
  8. 8Medium severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalBMW Serie 5 F10Failure of the air springs and compressor in the Touring's (F11) rear air suspensionAccording to the reports collected by fiches-auto.fr, the rear air suspension bellows on the 5 Series Touring burst relatively often from around 110,000-210,000 km, and there are also cases of a failed compressor. There is no known official campaign.Appears at around 110,000 km
  9. 9Medium severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalBMW X5 E53Shock absorber and air suspension failure on the X5 E53According to the owner reports collected by fiches-auto.fr (206 for the 2000-2007 X5), there are 18 cases of shock absorber and suspension problems, including air suspension failures.
  10. 10Medium severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalCitroën C4 Picasso ILeaking rear air suspension bellowsAccording to the listing, the rear air suspension bellows (boudins) can become porous at around 80,000-120,000 km. We have not verified the figure in another source.
  11. 11Medium severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalCitroën C5 IHydractive suspension failure: spheres, pump and hydraulic block on the Citroën C5According to the reports collected by fiches-auto.fr, the Hydractive suspension of the C5 (2001-2008) gives trouble in 58 of 447 cases: faulty height sensors, worn spheres, hydraulic leaks and pump failures.
  12. 12Medium severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalCitroën C6Hydractive suspension faults on the Citroën C6: leaks, height sensors and spheresAccording to the fiches-auto.fr owner reports, 16 of 151 C6 owners cite Hydractive suspension problems: leaks, faulty height sensors, incorrect ride height and excessive firmness; repairs of around €350 to €1,090 depending on the case.
  13. 13Medium severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalMercedes-Benz Clase E W211Leaks and compressor failures in the Airmatic air suspensionThe Airmatic air suspension, more comfortable than a conventional one, is also much more expensive to maintain: the bellows and the compressor are prone to failure, and leaks can leave the car lower than normal on one side and force the compressor to work non-stop, which can end up draining the battery.
  14. 14Medium severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalMercedes-Benz Clase M W164Airmatic air suspension compressor and control unit failureAccording to the owner testimonies collected by fiches-auto.fr, the M-Class W164 has around 19 cases of Airmatic air suspension failure: a failed compressor or a suspension control that stops working, often beyond 130,000 km, with repairs from around €800.
  15. 15Medium severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalMercedes-Benz Clase R W251Wear and failure of the Airmatic air suspensionA second-hand buying guide from Diariomotor identifies the Airmatic air suspension as the R-Class point whose good condition is decisive in avoiding costly repairs, and even recommends preferring the conventional suspension. The guide gives no figures for faults or cost.
  16. 16Medium severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalMercedes-Benz Clase S W221Airmatic air suspension failure (air springs and shock absorbers)It is a fault cited by W221 owners: the fiches-auto.fr page records several reports of repaired Airmatic suspension, some more than once, with bills of the order of €840 to €1,500 depending on the case. We have found no official recall.
  17. 17Medium severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalTesla Model SPremature wear of the front suspension and bushes on the Model SThe fiches-auto.fr entry records 3 suspension mentions in 21 testimonies: premature wear of front parts, collapsed air suspension and faulty bushes, with one case that required replacing the whole wishbone at 40,000 km.
  18. 18Medium severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalVolkswagen Touareg IAir suspension: loss of ride height, compressor or air linesAccording to the fiches-auto.fr page, the Touareg I air suspension can lose ride height because of the compressor, porous air lines or a faulty sensor; a compressor that runs non-stop indicates air leaks.
  19. 19Medium severityOccasionalFrequency: OccasionalVolvo XC90 IICompressor failures and air suspension leaks, especially in cold weatherOn the XC90 II with air suspension, both fiches-auto.fr and gebrauchtwagenberater.de document compressor failures and leaks that leave the car sitting lower than normal; the problem gets worse in sub-zero temperatures, when the system may not recover its height on start-up.
  20. 20Medium severityRareFrequency: RareAudi A6 C7Rear air suspension leaks and compressor failureAccording to testimonies collected by fiches-auto.fr, some A6 C7 cars with air suspension lose air in the rear bellows or need a new compressor, with cases from around 80,000 km. It is a fault cited by few owners.
  21. 21Medium severityRareFrequency: RareBMW Serie 7 F01Wear of the control arm bushes and air suspension bellowsAccording to the reports collected by fiches-auto.fr, on the 7 Series F01 the suspension arm bushes and the air bellows "don't last long" because of the car's weight; one owner replaced the front bushes at 130,000 km. There are few cases and no official data.Appears at around 130,000 km
  22. 22Medium severityRareFrequency: RareBMW Serie 7 G11Rear axle air suspension failureAccording to the owner reports collected by fiches-auto.fr, one owner describes faulty air suspension on the rear wheels from around 90,000 km. It is an isolated case among only three reports, not a fault documented as general.
  23. 23Medium severityRareFrequency: RareBMW X5 E70Rear air suspension failure on the X5 E70According to fiches-auto.fr, the X5 E70's rear air suspension can sag because of leaking air springs and level sensor faults, which overloads the compressor. The entry does not give the number of cases.
  24. 24Medium severityRareFrequency: RareBMW X5 F15Rear air suspension and rear shock absorber failure on the X5 F15According to the owner reports collected by fiches-auto.fr (56 for the 2013-2018 X5), there are cases of air leaks in the rear air suspension, with the compressor working excessively and the car sagging after being parked, and of a rear shock absorber breaking at only 14,000 km.
  25. 25Medium severityRareFrequency: RareMercedes-Benz Clase M / GLE W166Wear of the Airmatic air suspension (adaptive dampers, air bellows and compressor)According to reports collected by fiches-auto.fr, the Airmatic suspension on the 2011-2015 ML can cause problems with age: a body that sags, a noisy compressor or slow height correction. The page records 4 suspension cases out of 62 reports.

Problems with air suspension by make

Frequently asked questions

Which cars have problems with air suspension?

Among those we have analysed: Citroën C5 II (loss of ride height, leaks and failure of the Hydractive suspension), Land Rover Range Rover III (air suspension failure: compressor, air springs and valves), Land Rover Range Rover Sport I (air suspension failure: compressor, air springs and air leaks), Volkswagen Crafter I (cracks in the rear axle mounting plates on air-suspension models), Audi A6 C6 (failure of the adaptive air suspension compressor (equipped versions)), Mercedes-Benz CLS C219 (airmatic air suspension faults: air struts and compressor), Mercedes-Benz GLC X253 (recurring failures of the AIRMATIC air suspension compressor) and BMW Serie 5 F10 (failure of the air springs and compressor in the Touring's (F11) rear air suspension). In total, 25 cars with documented faults with air suspension.

What symptoms does a fault with air suspension cause?

The most frequently cited in the documented faults: knocks or creaks from the suspension over bumps and battery goes flat while the car is parked.