Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Complaints (2023)

38 consumer complaints on file.

#11770454October 11, 2026
POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The High-Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) and corresponding fuel delivery pressure regulator/sensors have suffered an internal mechanical failure. The system intermittently fails to maintain commanded rail pressure, leading to critical engine cylinder misfires (P0302, P0304) and severe long-term fuel adaptation breaches (P00C600, P008992, P017184, P218862). This defect is physically causing raw gasoline to leak into the combustion chambers, oil crankcase, and exhaust tract. The vehicle and all compromised components are fully intact and available for immediate inspection upon request. My life and the safety of surrounding motorists were put at risk during a severe incident on the highway. While driving uphill in fast-moving traffic, the high-pressure fuel pump experienced an abrupt mechanical failure/pressure drop. The Engine Control Unit immediately plunged the van into Limp Mode, causing an uncommanded, violent loss of propulsion. The vehicle became entirely unresponsive to the accelerator pedal. Managing a large, heavily loaded commercial vehicle that suddenly dropped speed on a highway incline nearly triggered a catastrophic multi-vehicle rear-end collision. The underlying mechanical defect has been repeatedly ignored by authorized dealerships due to diagnostic negligence. The vehicle has been presented to Mercedes-Benz of Fairfield and another authorized location three separate times. Technicians relied solely on surface-level live data, clearing active trouble codes and releasing the vehicle unrepaired. The problem routinely reproduces itself every 30 to 45 days once the computer's long-term fuel software can no longer mathematically compensate for the physical fuel drop. Independent diagnostic scans have verified the historical and stored fault codes, and physical evidence confirms heavy carbon/fuel fouling on Cylinder #
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11769942October 8, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The ECM harness was wired too close to a sharp metal piece within the engine bay, the clip MBZ uses to secure it was insufficient to hold it back, the thick wiring harness got caught on the metal piece and overtime got cut deeply causing a short with thermal issues spreading to other components, the wiring harness melted together and caused so much heat in the engine bay that other components touching the thick wiring also have visible melt spots, if it wasn't caught because we got a shock from a metall component of the car and therefore realized there must be a short it could've potentially posed a fire risk.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748198July 3, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On January 19, 2026, my neighbors / daughter noticed smoke was coming from under the van that had been parked for over 3 hours. Shortly after, he confirmed the van had caught fire. I asked him to call the fire department.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747880July 2, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, there was an abnormal metal grinding sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The transmission was shifted into neutral(N) and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with pinion bearing failure and the LIMP Mode failure causing an Emissions issue. The rear axle, air charger GPS, turbo, and oil sensor were all replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with the same failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and a case was opened to discuss a buy-back offer for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,600.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747881July 2, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact was able to shift to neutral and restart the vehicle. The failure reoccurred at approximately 40,000. The failure became more frequent and was recurring every 3,000 to 4,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with an inoperable air charger for the turbo charger. The failure persisted, and the vehicle was returned to another dealer, Mercedes-Benz of Arrowhead (9260 W Bell Rd, Peoria, AZ 85382) to be diagnosed and the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and a case was opened to discuss a buy-back offer. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733355April 23, 2026
AIR BAGS
There was an SRS Error message. The SRS system is non-functional on a vehicle with 400 miles. The dealership has attempted to fix the problem by replacing the fuse and control unit, but it appears to be a coding - programming issue. An engineering case has been opened for 2 weeks, but they have given me no notice of what or when the next step takes place.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726807March 24, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In August 2025, I had taken the van for a drive to charge things up, got home, put it in park and parked it in my driveway, which has a mild slope. ~ 30 seconds - 1 minute after me leaving the vehicle, it rolled backward out of the driveway, across a busy street and 1/4 into my neighbors yard. I was mortified, there is usually a lot of people walking their dogs, kids etc...and cars going by. The vehicle was stopped by the curb vs the 2nd back tire (Thie first one cleared the curb and was in my neighbors lawn. It ALMOST hit a BIG tree. I pulled it back into the driveway & checked it again, worried I may have somehow not put it in park, but it did it over and over again. Shortly after I put it in park and turned it off it "released" and started rolling spontaneously. I could have run over my neighbors; people, babies...pets, me... I piled logs and big rocks behind all 4 tires (put it park with the parking brake on of course,) & called the Mercedes dealer & made an appointment. I did not drive it again until it was "repaired," except for the fact that nothing showed up on the scanned as wrong. They kept if for 3 weeks but "it never did it again," & they "never found anything." They charged up the battery and said maybe it was because the battery got too low and that the chassis battery charges the transmission battery and maybe the transmission battery was low. They mentioned that they had had one other person come with the same problem. The local Winnebago dealership mentioned that they had had someone come in with the same complaint. With the vehicle unchanged after this potentially catastrophic event, how can I trust it? What happens if I am in it and it is parked on a slope and it does it again? What could happen if the transmission fails on the road? It was VERY SCARY. For a couple months I had a mini panic attack every time a young family walked by...what could have happened if they happened to be walking by when that happened. I will have to collect the info
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700815November 21, 2025
WHEELS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2023 Sprinter van jack was pulled out for the first time to be used last week and found to be unsafe. The jack base is crowned in center, the edges flare upwards and large gouge/groove in metal base, causing the jack to noticeably wobble and rock in manner that it is unsafe to use, fear of jack tilting and dropping van onto user of jack. Jack base has obvious defects and unsafe to use. Have contacted dealer and referred to MBUSA who provided a case # and no resolution to provide a safe jack to replace the defective jack.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690866October 1, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I had tuned up my sprinter van around 64000 miles. I put new ngk spark plugs and ignition coils on it. Ran for a day then. The codes said the number one ignition coil was bad. Change that out and it ran for about 8000 miles. Then stated to go in lymph mode again. I decided to replace them with original Mercedes spark plugs and Ignition coils. But when I put them in the van had no power and was jerking. It was doing this before I changed them out. It had no power and would barely go up a hill. I researched and seen certain Merecedes Sprinter vans from 2021 to 2023. Had a recall on the fuel pump. But I don't understand why my van wasn't included. It's showing all the systems them the fuel pump or something to do with the fuel pump is going bad. I changed the spark plugs and ignition coils twice in less than 3 months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684056August 30, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
In Colorado. Vehucle has no response when pushing on the gas pedal. Dead pedal at a light in Gunnison and now again at my home at 9,450 ft.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674564July 18, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEATS
I am filing a formal complaint against Lazydays RV (Tampa, FL) for repeat violations of NHTSA safety standards and probable violation of their 2022 Consent Agreement and Compliance Monitoring Order. In May 2024, I purchased a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV from Lazydays. The vehicle was sold as “new” and delivered to South Carolina. Upon delivery, I discovered it had been stripped of OEM parts and tampered with prior to shipment, including a non-OEM “Tampa Bay Battery” substituted for the factory-installed Mercedes-Benz battery. That non-compliant battery failed in May 2025, leaving us stranded and requiring an emergency replacement. Lazydays also failed to register the manufacturer’s warranty with MBUSA for nearly one year, preventing factory coverage during that time. I later obtained confirmation from the RV manufacturer (Thor Motor Coach) that the vehicle was missing several required OEM components (bike rack, ladder, seat and door covers), and they were forced to replace these at their own cost — not Lazydays’. The dealership also collected $1,600 in SC registration/title fees, then failed to perform the service or refund the charge. This case reflects a pattern of deceptive delivery, false documentation, and equipment tampering, all of which directly impact vehicle safety, warranty integrity, and federal compliance. Lazydays’ behavior is consistent with violations described in their 2022 NHTSA Consent Order. I am formally requesting NHTSA investigate this matter as a repeat offense under active probation and compliance oversight. Please initiate a formal compliance review of Lazydays RV under its existing NHTSA oversight. This is no longer a single instance — it is a persistent pattern of regulatory violations that impact consumer safety and vehicle compliance.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673832July 15, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
Occasionally, the idle speed of the engine will drop to 400 rpm. When this happens, the vehicle does not respond to throttle input. If it happens in a parking lot, you can shift into park and coax the rpm higher, then shift to drive and move on. When it happens in the middle of an intersection while waiting to make a left turn, the story is very different. You can end up in a very dangerous situation. This has happened to me multiple times. I have not had an accident, but I have upset other drivers when I failed to clear an intersection in a timely manner. Knowing that the car will move when you press on the accelerator is critical for safely operating a vehicle. I purchased the vehicle new in October 2024, but did not start driving it until February 2025. The first incident happened about a week after hitting the road. It has happened many times since then. It took me an embarrassingly long time (months) to realize the problem was a low idle. The symptom I observed was that the vehicle failed to respond to the accelerator. That is the symptom that people will notice and that is the symptom that should be matched. It can be scary when it happens. Now that I know that it is brought on by low idle, I can watch for it and be prepared, but it can still leave me in a bad situation.
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
#11627147November 24, 2024
POWER TRAIN
My front driveshaft is backing out of both the front differential and the transfer case. This could detach, and potentially take out fuel, brake, and electrical lines (poss. incl. Electric Steering). And cause full loss of drive power. MBZ reportedly has an internal TSB but has not issued a recall. There are MANY similar reports at [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
#11622535October 29, 2024
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL, FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:FUEL FILTER
The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had attempted to restart the vehicle and the vehicle failed to restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the diesel fuel was contaminated, and the entire diesel fuel system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact independently had samples of the diesel fuel tested and no water or contamination was found. The contact stated that the Insurance provider also tested the diesel fuel and found no contaminants or water. The contact researched online and related the failure to a diesel filter design for the year, make, and model. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11620440October 17, 2024
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
The contact drives a company owned 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the crosswind stabilization system briefly activated, automatically applying the brakes and steering the vehicle in the direction the system believed was necessary to counter a strong crosswind. However, the contact stated that he was not driving through a crosswind when the system activated and that the failure had since become a regular occurrence. The crosswind assist intervention warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who was able to duplicate the failure but was unable to provide a diagnosis. The contact was informed that the crosswind stabilization system software was rolled back to a previous version. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 350.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11611821August 30, 2024
POWER TRAIN, STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I noticed there was a reall of the front hub assemblies, however my truck must not be on the list of vins affected. I’m not sure where the problem originated, but I just passed over 20k miles and im experiencing signs and symptoms of what that recall would affect, this started a few weeks ago, not getting any better. It just stars vibrating and shaking pretty violently. like a wheels coming off. My father is also experiencing similar issues in is 2022 king ranch with 40k miles. Both trucks, very low mileage shouldn’t show these sort of symptoms yet. I’m not sure if they go hand and hand but it also disengages advanced track and all the front sensors and what not when it happens. After reading a few articles I do not feel the truck is safe on the road until probably inspected.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11611828August 30, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
In the middle of my merge attempt, the vehicle suddenly braked hard, mimicking the feeling of an emergency stop, There was no cars around me, There was no reason for the auto to stop.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11608281August 13, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
30 amp fuse melted at the solar control panel.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11607963August 12, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
30 amp ZAMP solar fuse melted and almost caused a fire 🔥
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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