Today a Bilstein rear air spring that was less than 1 year old burst along its seam. The vehicle was travelling slowly at off-road height towing an empty box trailer with nothing in the boot. Has anyone else had problems with Bilstein air springs or is this an isolated failure?
I have refitted the original air spring that was kept as a spare. Apart from getting a replacement for the burst one, I'm nervous about the other one which was replaced at the same time.

That's worrying as I fitted a pair of Bilstein rear air springs to my car as well.

David. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2007 Range Rover Supercharged in Java Black with Ivory Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

Aerosus aren't much better, had one fail on the front after a day or two, the bag had slipped out of the top clamp creating a massive leak....

The other side 11-month old Bilstein just split open after selecting off-road height while driving over uneven ground to my hose to remove the dry mud from the wheels and from under the guards. Either both were from a bad batch or Bilstein air-springs can't take off-road height other than very infrequently. Either way, I'm very unimpressed.

This worries me, Just proactively replaced the rears recently. Was it sourced locally?

In the process of replacing my front bilsteins that are around 5 years old (with BWI and original AMK compressor (proactively)) SOLD | Tuned MY 2011.5 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 TDV8 Orkney Grey | e-diff | ACC

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They were purchased from Island4x4 who are looking into the 1st failure and have now been notified of the 2nd.

Neither show any signs of having been anywhere near fully extended which isn't possible anyway with shocks fitted, which are Bilsteins anyway. On both a small section of the top layer has torn away from the underlying layer in an area that is inside at normal height but probably on the outside at off-road height. I suspect that the torn area is the point of failure and the spiral split top to bottom has simply torn along the threads. Regardless of whether manufacturing or design fault, I'm very surprised that they both burst within 10 days of each other having been fitted for 11 months, although in recent weeks off-road height has been used quite a few times to get through a very boggy section on my lane so perhaps the recent extra use has been the trigger.

My front struts purchased as Bilstein struts arrived fitted with Dunlop air-springs.

I've just spotted that MY07+ 3.6 TDV8 (not the 4.4/4.2 petrol) and all MY10-12 use a different rear air-spring to earlier vehicles. MY07+ TDV8 uses a different rear shock which might have a longer extended length which might be the same as the MY10-12 CVDs. Today's failure occurred while at off-road height travelling slowly over light ruts which may have been the final straw if the air-springs have been operating outside their design criteria if Bilstein haven't properly allowed for more suspension droop than earlier models, if that is indeed the reason for the difference in spring and shock part numbers.

PS: The vehicle has very recently been on a hoist for its annual registration inspection whereby the shocks would have been fully extended, the first time with these air-springs fitted.

I have done the same, would you have the part numbers by any chance? what is the resolution? SOLD | Tuned MY 2011.5 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 TDV8 Orkney Grey | e-diff | ACC

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What I purchased from Island4x4 2 x RKB500240 SOLD | Tuned MY 2011.5 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 TDV8 Orkney Grey | e-diff | ACC

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The Bilstein part number is 40-240732 which is marketed as an alternative to the LR part number RKB500240.
I suspect that they are too short and due to the proximity of the 2 failures to each other that the damage was probably done when the vehicle was on a hoist very recently as part of its rego inspection, last done with the original LR air-springs.

I will now only fit the LR genuine rear air-springs. I hope to have discussions with Island4x4 tonight, wanting the air-springs to be accepted as unsuitable and that Island4x4 will offer a reasonable upgrade to genuine springs, which they sell at the best price of all resellers that I can find.

I believe I will have the same issue also keen to understand how to take this forward SOLD | Tuned MY 2011.5 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 TDV8 Orkney Grey | e-diff | ACC

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I intend asking Island4x4 tonight to order in a pair of LR air-springs as I need them urgently as I'm having to remove the 20A suspension fuse every time the vehicle is parked so that only 1 corner, not 4, has to be pumped-up on restart.

I suspect that Bilstein would have to acknowledge a design fault before any reseller would contemplate replacing/crediting ones that are still intact, which might take a while. Mine were purchased less than 12 months ago and Island4x show 12mth warranty on their web-site so there shouldn't be a warranty issue with mine. You might want to refer to mine in communications with Island4x4 but perhaps wait a day or so to see what the response is to both mine failing.

Do you still have your old ones?

I do have my old ones, goodluck with your conversation tonight SOLD | Tuned MY 2011.5 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 TDV8 Orkney Grey | e-diff | ACC

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Last edited by ffrr14 on 18th Jul 2022 9:39pm. Edited 1 time in total

The only response so far is that they're in touch with Bilstein and that Island4x4's previous air-spring failures were soon after a vehicle had been on a hoist as the crimps get pulled. The ends didn't pull off and this would only occur if the shocks were removed or the shocks were too long for the springs. Vehicles are regularly lifted at 1 or both ends to fit new tyres which also fully extends the shocks.

No comment on my urgent need to get hold of a pair of LR springs, which I don't want to order via the web-site as I want a credit for the failed Bilsteins to go towards the cost.

Thanks for the update Graeme, did the original springs fail also? I replaced rear shocks and springs with matching Bilstein set not so long ago. SOLD | Tuned MY 2011.5 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 TDV8 Orkney Grey | e-diff | ACC

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