Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Complaints

760 consumer complaints on file.

#11660365May 12, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Mercedes Dealership is refusing to get the vehicle in to make this safety recall repair in a timely manner. I have been told that i will need to wait for over a month just to drop the vehicle off with no time frame given in terms of how long the vehicle will be gone while being repaired.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659088May 5, 2025
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
The driver and passenger side mirror glass on 2024 Sprinter 144" Awd Passenger Van shakes violently while driving at any speed over 50mph. This creates a safety issue where it is nearly impossible to judge the type and speed of vehicle that is in your side mirror view. The Mercedes Benz dealership has been asked to investigate the issue but has stated, "Everything is secure, shakes and rattles are inherent to these vans." This response is unacceptable given the public and personal safety risk associated with decreased visibility in such a large vehicle. There is additional anecdotal evidence of this problem spanning multiple production years on online forums dedicated to Sprinter van ownership experiences. This information and a potential remedy of investigating and replacing an improperly installed rivet nut, has been provided to the Mercedes-Benz Baton Rouge dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656249April 23, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654889April 16, 2025
POWER TRAIN
While driving the vehicle, 4x4 and low range would engage on its own. It would cause the transfer case to grind, clunk, and lock up. This happened while the vehicle was in motion and could have easily sent the vehicle out of control. Some warning lights appeared on the dash. I took it into the dealership, they diagnosed it as a glitch in the transfer case actuator software. They updated the software and declined my warranty claim since the powertrain warranty did not cover software updates. I had to pay out of pocket for this fix. The issue is common to this model.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655029April 16, 2025
ENGINE
I have a 2022 Mercedes Sprinter with the M274 engine. At approximately 139,100 miles the check engine light came on and my driver was stranded on [XXX] . I took the vehicle to Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City South for diagnosis. I was told that the #4 piston cracked and scored the engine wall. I was quoted $23,820.12 to replace the engine long block. When I asked about trading the vehicle in, they offered me $2,000 for it if I was willing to purchase another vehicle from them. I did some research and there is currently a class-action lawsuit for this exact issue. In reading the comments of various class-action lawsuit websites, this seems to be a manufacturing issue that Mercedes knows about, but is doing nothing to fix the issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651549March 30, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STEERING, SERVICE BRAKES
I am writing to formally raise a critical safety concern regarding the performance and behavior of the Crosswind Assist system in my 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500, upfitted by Airstream as a B-Class RV. This vehicle, identified by VIN [XXX] , exhibited behavior that I believe constitutes a significant and potentially dangerous flaw in its integrated driver-assistance programming. During a westbound trip from Minnesota to Nevada—traversing high-wind corridors in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah—the Crosswind Assist system activated on multiple occasions while overtaking large trucks during gusty wind conditions. The system appeared to override driver input by abruptly applying the brakes and modulating throttle response. On one particular occasion, this intervention forced our vehicle laterally toward a semi-truck in the adjacent lane while simultaneously initiating a hard brake event. This caused not only a near side-impact collision but also a chain reaction behind us, as trailing vehicles panic-braked, narrowly avoiding a rear-end collision. This level of autonomous intervention, especially under highway-speed wind shear, presents what I consider a severe safety risk to occupants and other motorists. No reasonable amount of driver anticipation, route planning, or wind-speed awareness could have prevented the unintended and forceful application of braking and steering commands we experienced. Upon referring to the owner’s manual and engaging in discussions on several Airstream and Sprinter-owner forums, I discovered that other owners have experienced similar incidents. Some users referenced the ability to disable the system through authorized Mercedes-Benz diagnostic software. Based on this information, I scheduled a service appointment at Mercedes-Benz of Farmington, Utah on March 17, service invoice [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646502March 5, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
My vehicle is activating “crosswind assist” and applying the brakes automatically, unilaterally, and abruptly while traveling at speeds over 40 mph on the highway, even when conditions are NOT windy. It seems that the sensor is overactive in detecting wind. I have taken it to the Mercedes dealer and they have stated they found no problems with the ESP sensors and state that the vehicle is responding to perceived wind conditions/instability normally and as it should. However, this was NOT like this for the first two years I drove the vehicle. It is DANGEROUS and not normal and the unilateral application of the brakes while I’m going 60 or 70 miles an hour on the highway forces my vehicle out of the lane and into parallel traffic lanes! The unilateral braking is sometimes so severe that my vehicle fishtails and feels like it is going to roll over into an adjacent lane or off the highway. This is going to cause a major accident to me and fellow drivers. Since the problem started six months ago and has steadily worsened, I have been advised to upgrade the suspension and install an “swaybar” and also to change the tires to make the vehicle more stable. I have done both. Neither has helped at all. I don’t know what to do or where to take it. It seems like deactivating the crosswind assist would be helpful in determining if the sensors are too sensitive or defective and whether it drives safely without them. But there is no way to deactivate that system. I have owned my vehicle for three years and for the first 2 1/2 years it drove perfectly, without this issue ever happening. My vehicle has not been in any collision and has had no damage, so I do not know where this came from. It seems like an electrical or sensor issue that has arised and neither a sprinter specialist mechanic nor the Mercedes-Benz dealership with a sprinter technician have been able to figure out what is wrong and how to fix it. This is URGENT and I need help or there will be a catastrophe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11642281February 12, 2025
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) tank had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 15,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11639645January 30, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Charging issue with house battery side of class B camping van. It became somewhat apparent the system was not charging properly and quickly escalated to a high overcharge situation, followed by evidence of electrical short in smells and possible smoke in engine bay. The car was in for service for a month and a half. I am not sure the issue is completely resolved and Winnebago has been fairly unresponsive when asked questions afterwards. This issue could cause a fire. There are multiple units with similar issues. Ultimately the secondary alternator was replaced, and a recall kit applied. I am not sure what the specific kit entailed. The repair was done at Johnson RV in Sandy Oregon
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11635683January 13, 2025
STEERING
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the power steering functionality returned. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power steering hose had detached and had lost power steering fluid. The vehicle was repaired, and the mechanic informed the contact that there were metal shavings found in the power steering pump. The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed and determined that the power steering pump needed to be flushed and refilled. The contact was informed that metal shavings were found in the power steering pump. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V241000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634134January 4, 2025
POWER TRAIN
At high altitudes (it's happened over 5000ft and not under that) while in 4x4 mode, the car occasionally just simply does not respond to throttle input while in drive. This is usually from a start while shifting from park or reverse into drive, but there is zero power which has now been dangerous a few times for us while on inclines or near traffic. It eventually goes away after shifting back and forth to park/reverse/neutral and trying to rev the engine. But it's inconsitent, infrequent and not particularly easy to reproduce.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634114January 4, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
My van has a "cross wind assistance" feature that can not be turned off. Apparently it helps to keep the vehicle in the lane during cross wind situation, I found it to be way too aggressive and turning itself for no apparent reason. I find it that while it may be helpful in some situations it certainly does more harm than good.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11633974January 3, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER
When driving on a cold rainy day, I turned on defrost heat to clear my windscreen. No heat came out. AC, fans and zone select worked fine, but no heat. So I had to stop repeatedly on a narrow road to wipe windshield. After reviewing user forums, some pointed to a known problem with these Sprinter vans. Apparently the actuator servo motor that controls the heater flap can get stuck at limit positions and fail. This explains why my heater is stuck on cold. Also mentioned in forum, there is also a manufacturer software update that prevents this issue by keeping the actuator servo motor from moving to the very last position (cold or hot). This simple preventive fix was never offered to us during our warranty period. Some forum users went further with a modification to servo motor shaft - apparently this fixed the undesirable flexing on heater flap. Now that the servo motor has failed and I no longer have any heat, I do recognize that there were warning signs. I now recall there were occasional instances where my temperature select did not have any effect until I drove the temperature all the way up or down. I believe this was the servo motor getting stuck briefly but it became unstuck before it completely failed. I feel this can be a grave safety issue because of individual circumstance. Most times it may be an annoyance. But in certain conditions (as I experienced) it will be a significant impediment to driver visibility. It also exposed me to roadside risk when I stopped to wipe inside of windshield.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11633414December 31, 2024
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Vehicle suddenly lost ability to accelerate. After driving narrow mountain roads with a lot of downshifting and upshifting, vehicle was on a long, gradual downgrade, then approached a long, slight (4%?) upgrade. Vehicle would not maintain speed and began to decelerate. Pushing the accelerator to the floor did nothing. Attempted to manually shift gears, but transmission would not downshift, or upshift. This almost resulted in being rear-ended by a semi. The speed limit was 55 and vehicle had decelerated to ~25 mph by the time I found a place to pull over. I stopped and was able to shift into Park. Revved engine and it behaved normally. I shut off engine for 1 minute and then restarted. Transmission and all other systems worked fine and continued to work normally for several hundred miles since then. There was no CEL, or other warning. There was no indication that it entered "Limp Mode." I suspected that something went wrong with the logic in the electronic transmission. Mercedes Benz dealership could NOT find any codes logged in the OBDC. The service manager told me, "It might have been some kind of computer glitch." This was a 2-lane, country road. The semi was behind me, and several cars were behind the semi. For about a mile there was no place to pull over. One impatient driver passed both the semi and my Sprinter in a "no passing" zone. We were all fortunate that there was no collision.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632275December 24, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Since date of purchase, May 2022, the electrical components have not worked properly. The solar panels have never worked, the second alternator used to only charge while driving intermittently now it doesn't work at all, and plugging into shore power sometimes melts the cord. The chassis battery frequently drains requiring constant starting or a jump. It has been replaced four times. The cabin lights continue to flicker when turned on. I sought help from the dealer just weeks after purchasing the van. Due to parts and labor shortages, it wouldn't be for 5 months that they could work on the vehicle. Which they did on and off for five months before sending me from Oregon to Alabama to have the manufacturer work on it. They sent me 2300 miles to fix a brand new vehicle that they sold me. After having been to over 15 Mercedes dealers, towed to many, and to the Tiffin manufacturer (and when it turned out not to be fixed. I took it right back but then when it still wasn't fixed. I sought help from Mercedes.), the van is still not fixed and I am often without power.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11632139December 23, 2024
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz M3CA76 Sprinter 3500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the diesel purifier, Diesel Exhaust Fluid, DEF system, warning illuminated. The contact stated that the failure of the DEF system had occurred before the recent failure. The contact stated that the first failure had occurred several years ago. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the DEF system again needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 325,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631555December 19, 2024
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes- Benz Sprinter 350. The contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds the warning message "DEF Is Low" had suddenly displayed and the vehicle went into "Limp Mode" causing the speed to suddenly reduce to 5 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the DEF tank was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 44,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629941December 10, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN PARK RUNNING, AFTER 2 MINUTES I HEARD A POP AND IT POPPED OUT OF PARK INTO DRIVE AND SPED OFF RUNNING INTO A WALL.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11629637December 9, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owned a 2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, a loud pop was heard, and noticed there was smoke coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was a Sprinter van driver. The contact pulled the vehicle over and had the passengers located in the vehicle exit the vehicle. The contact stated that the engine had caught on fire. The vehicle was extinguished by the Fire Department. A fire report was not filed, however, the cause for the failure was not yet determined. A police report was not filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11628848December 4, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES
The emergency parking brake will not disengage. Renders vehicle immobile.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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