List of Suspension Issues in the GLC Class (Expert Guide)

By Vroomouk
Page last updated: 11/08/2023 | Next review date: 11/08/2025
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Vroomouk
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In this brief article we are going to discuss the different Mercedes GLC Class Air Suspension problems, what the causes are, and Troubleshooting Tips.

What are the most common air suspension issues in a Mercedes GLC Class? 

The most common Mercedes GLC Class suspension issues are:

  • Corner Sagging
  • Vehicle would be sitting low and unable to raise
  • Suspension Error message

GLC Class Suspension Set-up

The GLC Class, launched in 2016 was the successor to the GL-K. The basic Suspension set-up would be Coilovers at 4 corners with the option of an AIRMatic suspension. 

The AIRMatic system, featuring air-springs with electronic ride height control and adaptive damping at all four corners, was available from 2016 to 2020. The model year 2017 onwards had a new Air Body Control System, replacing the older version AIRMatic.

GLC Class Air Suspension Problems

Corner Sagging

  • When parked for a while, one or more corners sets very low in height compared to the other corners.
  • On starting the vehicle, the corner would rise, but only temporarily before sagging again.
  • The car would be at an uneven height even while driving

Troubleshooting Corner Sagging 

Airmatic Strut Failure

  • The most probable cause would be damage to one or of the AirMatic Struts which led to a leakage and loss of air pressure. 
  • Therefore the particular strut was unable to maintain the required ride height
  • One quick check you could do to verify that it is the Strut, is to press the ‘Axle Lift’ Button and watch how the suspension tries to raise itself. 
  • The Front generally goes up first in Axle-Lift. If there is a problem or leak in any one of the front Air Struts, then the suspension will either not be able to fully raise itself, or,
  • The problematic Strut side will go up slightly and lower itself immediately, while the other corners are raised.
  • There will also be a “Hissing’ Noise while doing Axle-Lift due to the Air Leakage

Failed Ride Height Sensor

  • If the Ride Height sensor is broken, damaged or locked, it will cause the AirMatic system to get confused and not maintain ride height

Vehicle sitting low and unable to raise

  • Vehicle would be sitting low generally after being parked for a while.
  • Even when the ignition is turned on, the suspension would not raise itself again
  • In certain cases, there would be no compressor noise
  • In some cases you might get this error message, 

‘AIR SUSPENSION FAILURE: VISIT WORKSHOP.’ 

The problem could be most likely due to an electrical fault. You should use an OBD II scanner and get it to display all the fault codes. 

Troubleshooting Vehicle sitting Low

Leakages in the Air Lines

  • If the suspension sits low, it mostly means that there is either ‘Low’ or ‘No’ pressure at the Air Struts
  • There is a possibility of leakage at any of the connection points within the Air circuit. 
  • You can easily identify the points of leakage by spraying soap and water all over the entire air circuit lines and then observing for the appearance of bubbles.

AirMatic Compressor Failure

  • If you find no compressor working noise, then this would most probably be the cause. 
  • The compressor would stop working in the following situations:
    • Burn-out of the Compressor motor
    • leakages in the air lines, 
    • airflow blockages leading to loss the of minimum pressure required to allow air suspension functioning, or 

Blown fuses 

  • It could happen due to either a voltage surge in the circuit or just simply due to age. 
  • A Bumpier than usual ride is the main symptom of this sort of failure.

Airmatic Relay Problems

  • The relay opens and closes electronic circuits. 
  • Through this, it controls the AirMatic compressor.
  • Occasionally, a relay could fail due to loads over longer periods while engaging with the compressor.

Airmatic Valve Block

  • If there happens to be an AirMatic Valve block, then air can leak back into the compressor and then potentially damage the compressor itself.

Airmatic Shock Failure

An Airmatic shock could fail due to:

  • A part defect
  • Incorrect assembly of the suspension
  • Shock has reached its end-of-life, generally the shocks last between 80K to 100K miles

Suspension Error message

  • The error would generally appear as  ‘STOP: VEHICLE TOO LOW’.  
  • This indicates that your car suspension is in a critical condition and that you should stop driving. 
  • In several cases the car may not even be driveable. 

Troubleshooting Suspension Error Message

  • The best way would be to use a Diagnostic Scanner and check for the Error Codes that the tool displays
  • Whether you use a diagnostic tool or not, you would still need to do some overall checks around the entire system. 
  • These steps are explained in the “Troubleshooting Vehicle Sitting Low” section.

Other articles about Mercedes Benz you may be interested in

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Conclusion

In this brief article we have discussed the different Mercedes GLC Class Air Suspension problems, what the causes are, and Troubleshooting Tips.