Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Complaints

760 consumer complaints on file.

#11566221January 18, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Function goes off intermittently sometimes for a week at a time Also signals brake problems on dash
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11563046January 2, 2024
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
At 3,000 miles, my 2023 Van (purchased new) developed significant reduction in power and acceleration. The transmission also shifts incorrectly (too late, resulting in higher then normal RPM's) and then abruptly downshifts upon stopping. When going uphill, the van obtains a max speed of about 35-40MPH, forcing me to travel on the local Interstates on the shoulder with my hazards flashing so other vehicles know to pass me. Van was left at Mercedes Dealership for 1 month. Van was not repaired, no plan or remedy was communicated. Van has only been inspected by the dealership where it was purchased. A check engine light came on about 1 week after van lost power.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11563139January 2, 2024
SEATS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AIR BAGS
The wiring harness under my front passenger swivel seat became pinched and severed the wires. The air bag warning light came on. I took the vehicle to the dealer and got it fixed at my own expense. I noticed the recall #21V410000 which is for the same thing, however my van was not included. Can my van be included so I can be reimbursed by the mfg? Thanks, [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
#11561668December 23, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
At approximately 104 miles into a recent trip in our RV, while traveling at highway speed under cruise control, we noticed a strange odor. Almost at the same moment we immediately lost engine and braking power. The check engine light came on. We then noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment and noxious fumes had begun to enter the cabin area. After pulling to the side of the highway by use of the emergency brake, we were able to exit the vehicle. Flames could be seen coming from the engine bay and quickly engulfed the RV giving my wife, myself, and our dog only enough time to exit and get a safe distance away. The RV burned to basically nothing but the frame left.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11560427December 16, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
since I am chemically sensitive and they had sprayed so much cleaner in this vehicle that when my husband got it home he took vinegar and cleaned it out many times and then he took it to someone to have them do the floor over so the plastic smell wouldn't stink so bad for me. It had to be there for a couple weeks or this I'm sure would have showed up much sooner. At one time our vehicle would not accelerate enough to pass or pull out safely from a stop sign but that seems to have gotten fixed but it continues to have the cruise control go off at the same time warning lights come on that says no brake assist no Lane keeping assist no distance. We have had it in the shop four times one time they had us replace the battery which really didn't need replaced and the things came back up again. It's a very frustrating vehicle and this happened within 30 days of us buying it. They gave us a limited 90 day warranty which they've been working on sporadically for months and keeping it for weeks at a time. We have spent a lot of time and money on this vehicle and it needs to be reported and something done about it as it's really really bad. It is an ongoing situation. Every time we take it in they either erase the warnings or somehow don't get it to act the same but it always happens with us within 200 miles of driving it. It's a constant thing on and off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11558131December 2, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The locking mechanism on the sliding door of our 2019 15-passenger Mercedes Sprinter seems to be defective at best, and at worst, may be a safety hazard. The hand-locking part has been broken twice during our less than three-year stint with this vehicle. Twice we’ve had the lock looked at when we’ve had the van serviced or in for repairs. Once it was put back together by our local Mercedes dealership. The second time, we were informed that we would need to pay over $300+ to repair the lock, even though the van is still under the three-year bumper-to-bumper warranty and has approximately 12,000 miles on it. We were also told to not use the locking mechanism to lock/unlock the door from the inside, as it’s not really designed for such usage. And since it had been broken by such usage, repairs would not be covered under the warranty. Anyone looking at the locking mechanism would find it reasonable to think that the locking mechanism should be able to be used to unlock the door from the inside. Furthermore, the fact that the door cannot be easily unlocked from the inside provides a significant safety concern should passengers need to quickly exit the van for any reason. Finally, the ease of breaking the locking mechanism, without any unreasonable force used, is an insult to the Mercedes brand and certainly not up to par with the quality of the vehicle we thought we were purchasing. And we found it additionally disappointing for the dealership to then inform us that Mercedes would not honor these repairs under our bumper-to-bumper warranty period and to attempt to charge us for this diagnosis. Please investigate.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557883December 1, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
Vehicle hood opened on its own while driving. We have video of the incident from front dash camera. Vehicle hood was not operated prior to 300 miles when employee start the day with pre-trip information. There were few people also verified that the hood was closed properly. While driving from Ontario, CA to Las Vegas , NV and driver returning from Las Vegas the vehicle midway to Ontario California, the hood suddenly opened and smashed the windshield, driver was successfully able to pull over as he was driving in right lane blindly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11556272November 21, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55-65 MPH, the Crosswind Assist inadvertently activated, causing the front and rear driver's side brakes to activate. The vehicle started swerving. The Crosswind Assist warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred on four separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no error codes were retrieved. The dealer determined that the vehicle had recalibrated while driving. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 2,100.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11556297November 21, 2023
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
The contact owns a 2023 Renegade RV built on a 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Chassis. The contact stated that while an independent mechanic was servicing the vehicle, he noticed that the rear inner tires had rubber valve stems. The contact stated that an independent mechanic had informed him that the rubber material of the valve stems was inadequate for the RV weight capacity. The mechanic informed the contact that the rubber material was inadequate because the generation of heat while driving could add more pressure to the tire, which could in turn damage the rubber valve stems, and could cause the tire to deflate or to blow out. The mechanic replaced the rear inner tires rubber valve stems with steel valve stems. The contact stated that the information had raised concerns because the rubber valve stems had caused the tires of the RV he previously owned to fail while driving. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 8,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11554700November 12, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Adaptive brake assist slammed on the brakes without warning at 20-30mph while crossing railroad tracks bringing the van to a complete stop and putting it into park with the parking brake engaged while on the tracks. No object or vehicle was in the path of the van or anywhere nearby. Cargo slid forward in the van and some things being transported were damaged. This is at least the 4th time this vehicle has done this without a reason to, but this time was the only while at speed and moving forward. They have usually occurred because of a shadow on the ground or change of road surface while backing up. Warning beeps also happen when passing under overpasses on the highway and it appears to momentarily consider braking because of the shadow. At 70mph. Taking to the dealer to try and assess, but this appears to be a known problem according to online Sprinter forums and related to software. Incredibly dangerous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11554151November 8, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Emergency brake assist, distance sensing and adaptive cruise control randomly and intermittently deactivate while driving. In a recent 8-hour highway trip this deactivation occurred 7 times, sometimes correcting itself with no driver intervention, and other times remaining disabled for hours and hundreds of driving miles. Durning motor off and restarting occasionally reset the issue, but many times it did not. When these systems disable, the van’s speed rapidly decreases and may cause other vehicles to hit the rear of the van, or cause van drivers to panic and/or lose control of the vehicle. Random and unpredictable electronic failures such as this are a definite hazard and need to be addressed by the manufacturer.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11554202November 8, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
Mercedes has a design and installation flaw for the EIS Connector. Its location under the wheel by the metal wall allows for condensation to directly be absorbed into the connector causing corrosion. Once corrosion happens, the van becomes inoperable as the driver cannot shift gears and the van must be towed to the nearest Mercedes dealership. This happens often to vans built after 2019 due to a change in design. Corrosion will happen over time after a change in temperature with condensation build up on the windshield. Mercedes has a solution for this, a boot cover over the EIS, however, it is not widely shared over a safety recall causing Sprinter owners to have an inoperable vehicle when such corrosion happens. This issue can be prevented with a safety recall by installing the cover allowing for a safe and reliable vehicle for civilians on the road.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552875October 31, 2023
LANE DEPARTURE: LANE KEEP: STEERING ASSIST
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the crosswind assist activated, applying the brake, and briefly taking control of the steering, prompting the contact to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality however, the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 126,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551140October 21, 2023
SEAT BELTS
Drivers seat belt buckle steel cables that secure it broken, one completely in half. SRS light activates intermittently. I am 160lb male and have in no way contributed to this failure. This vehicle has under 12,000 miles on it and has barely used. This is clearly a safety violation
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11550239October 16, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The contact owns a 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds with the cruise control activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking, with the traction control warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times while the cruise control was activated. The contact stated that the failure worsened over time. The contact stated that the failure ceased after turning off the cruise control feature. In addition, the contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance feature was disabled and failed to operate as needed. The dealer was notified of the failure; but the manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 6,800.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11550018October 15, 2023
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
At least 5 occurneces, all at elevations above 7000' and in moderately warm weather. After normal engine start, put vehicle in reverse, able to roll out of parking spot, but throttle completely unaffected by accelerator position. Leaving vehicle in a dangerous position. Putting back in park, vehicle can rev to 5000RPM, but back in R or D, no throttle response. Eninge OFF/ON several times seems to clear the issue which appears to be software related. No indications or faults were given on the dashboard. The situation is potentially life threatening, and has been reported on multiple occasions on Sprinter Online forums. This needs a recall and fix.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11549736October 13, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The windshield wipers are malfunctioning. They randomly turn on after using the blinkers. I cannot get them to turn off unless I turn off the vehicle. I'm afraid they will begin to fail completely and eventually not turn on. This will be a safety issue when it rains. I took the vehicle to the Mercedes-Benz dealership and they were able to reproduce the problem. They said the windshield wiper module in the steering wheel needs to be replaced. It is available for inspection upon request. There were no warnings, messages, or symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. They first appeared 9/18/2023. I also called several third-party Mercedes mechanics and they said this is a common problem with Mercedes.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11549365October 11, 2023
POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
After starting engine and putting transmission into drive, vehicle does not respond to throttle and will not move forward. If I put the transmission into neutral or park, the engine will respond to throttle input. Vehicle may respond to throttle when in reverse. This is an intermittent problem that seems to occur at higher altitudes than our home base of near sea level. The issue has occurred at 4,000 to 12,000 feet elevations. Sometimes the check engine light has come on during these events, but the check engine light clears by the time returning home. When taking the vehicle to Mercedes Van Service to have it checked, no diagnostics data can be found and they cannot reproduce the issue. This issue has occurred numerous times has has been to the Mercedes Van Service Center 4 or 5 times already for the issue. The last event occurred on 10/10/2023. The vehicle eventually behaves normally after several start attempts but makes it very difficult and potentially hazardous when attempting to leave remote campsites. When issue occurs, you don’t know when it will decide to behave normally or if you’ll need to call for emergency assistance via our Garmin satellite handheld unit because of being in a no cellphone service area.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11548553October 6, 2023
STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The “Cross Wind Assist” my vehicle came equipped from the factory with has nearly caused me to have a serious accident due directly to -totally - distracting me when driving the speed limit on a major highway. The “Cross Wind Assist” activates with no notice to the driver and indiscriminately applies the brakes with out any warning and momentarily causes loss of steering control as the vehicle overcorrects to compensate for detected crosswinds. The majority of the time this happens when passing or being passed by large fast moving tractor trailers. I am not the only one with this complaint as noted on this forum stream: [XXX] I firmly believe this will cause me, or other drivers of Mercedes Benz Sprinter Vans - to wreck and potentially harm innocent drivers around me when the “Cross Wind Assist” is activated with no notice to me as I am driving by overcorrecting while fighting the aggressive automatic “cross wind assist”. The “Cross Wind Assist” is NOT driver selectable, i.e., the driver cannot turn this feature off. 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
#11548679October 6, 2023
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:POWER STEERING FLUID
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the vehicle became difficult to steer. The contact stated that she safely drove the vehicle to her residence. The contact stated that when she opened the hood, she discovered that the vehicle was leaking power steering fluid. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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