Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Complaints (2020)

103 consumer complaints on file.

#11497581December 15, 2022
AIR BAGS, STRUCTURE:BODY, SERVICE BRAKES
The above are wouldn't allow me to place a check mark in the appropriate boxes. In the Standard Vehicle Components and ADAS sections, I was unable to check the boxes, but our vehicle contains ALL of the items in the first and second sections. The vehicle was dropped off at Lazy Days, Tampa on October 21, 2022 and so far they have been unable to provide an estimate or advise when we may receive our repaired motorhome. This dealer has a reputation for very poor follow-up. If you provide an email, I can send you the items to be checked. Despite going through two highway barriers at about 40 to 50 mph, the air bag system failed to deploy. The vehicle stopped as we ran into a fence at an angle of ten to fifteen percent. We luckily dodged five opportunities to be killed. My wife jumped out of the vehicle when it stopped and screamed so loud I could not believe it was her. I've been married 28 years and was shocked at her condition. I had to hold her to quiet her. The first hint of a problem was the brakes failed and the cruise control seemed to increase speed, but I'm not absolutely sure of this, but it felt like it. There are two Tiffin reps at Lazy Days, which I wrote about this, twice, and called leaving a message and they have not sought to get in touch with me. The supervisor, [XXX], of the intake service advisor, [XXX] said she would be in touch. I told her there was so much wrong, we understand if it took longer than her usual case. When it was about a month in, I called and discovered he no longer works there. They failed to assign someone to let us know of any progress. I called and left messages for [XXX] (Lazy Days employee) and wrote two emails and he also failed to get in touch, but he assigned [XXX] who called us asking what was wrong with our coach. I was beside myself. [XXX] failed to even read the invoice! I told her to read the invoice and call us back. Ran out of room. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11493007November 10, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Adaptive Cruise Control as well as Forward Collison warning fail to work properly when in use. Both unexpectedly malfunction for no apparent reason and vehicle will not cruise control will not function at all. The vehicle was taken back to the dealership where it was supposedly addressed and fixed, however, the issue has not been fixed. The vehicle presents the same issues as prior to the inspection and "repair" from the dealership. While driving with Adaptive Cruise Control/Forward Collison Warning, the system will malfunction. A light on the dash will indicate that it has been disabled, simultaneously, the vehicle will lose cruise control, foward collision warning immediately. Vehicle will not regain any form of cruise control or forward collison warning for an unspecified amount of time. Could be minutes, hours, or even days. Dash warnings also include cleaning sensors and cameras. Doing so does not correct the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11492020November 2, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
The 2019+ Mercedes Sprinter EIS (Electronic Ignition System) module is bolted under the driver side dash board to the base of the A pillar where it meets with the firewall. The electrical connector of the module is pointing straight up - this is an issue because any liquids that might spill on the dash (dash cupholder) or any humidity from windshield interior condensation will drip right down the wiring and into the EIS module causing it to short out. _ If the EIS module shorts out, the vehicle will be inoperable until a new unit is fitted. _ The EIS module retails at $1800+ from Mercedes _ Had Mercedes installed the EIS module with the connector facing DOWNWARD - this moisture related issue would not exist. _ There is no drip loop provisions in the wiring. _ Mercedes is aware of the issue as they have created a plastic bag with part number A 638 546 00 35 and they are charging $20 for it. As of right now, Mercedes refuses to fix this issue preventatively. They will only repair it AFTER the EIS module has shorted out. They are refusing to treat this as a warranty claim even though it is clearly a manufacturer defect. Please help? Thank you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11491790November 1, 2022
EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER
Upon starting the engine to leave camp spot in middle of nowhere, the awning motor started extending outward on it's own very loudly and extended all the way. It would not go back in. Had to manually crank the awning in and noticed a bolt and nut not attached to anything in the railing where the awning is attached. Since the awning was not secured to drive on the freeway, used zipties to secure. Very unsafe as I was driving through high winds. I hopped on the forum for Winnebago Revels and immediately found several other instances of the same scenario happening with their Carefree awning. Never had any issues prior.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11491844November 1, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle was delisted on Turo due to a recall. We contacted the dealer right away and they said there is no service required at the moment and we can continue to drive vehicle. We were advised to I understand, in that case you need to call or file a complaint with NHTSA directly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11491500October 30, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The cruise control system and related systems (distance control and automatic braking) repeatedly malfunction. Specifically the systems go off and on without warning. For example, when driving at highway speed the systems will suddenly shut off causing the vehicle to slow down (presumably without brake lights to alert the driver behind). Also presumably the automatic braking ceases to work when this happens This problem began shortly after I purchased the vehicle in May 2021 and I have brought it in for three unsuccessful repair attempts. Internet research reveals that this is apparently a common problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11489762October 18, 2022
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the passenger’s sideview mirror started rattling, making it difficult to see out the mirror. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the housing of the mirror was pushed back into place; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 700.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11489157October 13, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, PARKING BRAKE, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:CVT:ACTUATORS
The vehicle was put into parked and somehow disengage itself from parked and rolled into a house.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11488639October 10, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The adaptive cruise control system and forward collision system since the vehicle was new has frequently not worked or stops working. The cruise control system that is tied to the forward collision systems would stop working causing the vehicle to decelerate as no throttle input was present and cause the need to use the foot throttle. The vehicle is available for inspection. As this has happened while driving at freeway speeds with traffic around I consider this a hazard. This problem has been present since the vehicle was new and continues to the present time even after dealership fixes. The dealership is aware of this problem and initially tried to “ recalibrate the sensors “ with no success, and finally found that the wire connectors were not connected properly. Since this fix was performed the cruise control has continued to turn off primarily if minimal forward traffic is sensed, but proceeds to reset either later the same day or the following day. As the vehicle his under warranty and has not been involved in an accident the only people who have seen it are the dealership. The vehicle will give two warnings at the time of the system failing 1.”Active Distance Assist Inoperative “, and 2. “Active Brake Assist Functions Limited See Owners Manual”. For the dates and mileage listed below this issue has been present with the vehicle since new to current as an intermittent issue so the dates and mileage do not represent the actual events. Having looked at van blogs on this issue this is an common problem with owners of vans and other Mercedes vehicles with the radar adaptive cruise control referred to as “Distronic “
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11486690September 27, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that after inclement weather, the cruise control, Forward Collision Avoidance, and Automatic Emergency braking feature failed to operate as needed. The contact restarted the vehicle however, the vehicle would intermittently return to normal operation. The contact had taken the vehicle to various different dealers where the camera, unknown sensors, and other unknown parts were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11485848September 22, 2022
ENGINE, STEERING
Serpentine belt shredded, cooling fan separated from clutch, pulley screws missing and pulley completely freed from mount and loss of power steering. This seems very similar to previous recall which my vehicle was supposedly not impacted by. Losing power steering in a large vehicle like this is extremely dangerous. Loose components in engine bay has potential to cause more problems. Fan and pulley completely free to come off and fly around bay. This problem has been seen by 10+ Revel owners in the last few weeks. This topic is being openly discussed on public forums and social media. It is currently sitting at MB of Littleton in Littleton, CO and has yet to be inspected. There were no warnings.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11485642September 21, 2022
TRAILER HITCHES
The contact owns a 2021 Tiffin Wayfarer built on a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V610000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The RV was then towed to an independent mechanic but was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue but provided no assistance. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11485408September 20, 2022
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
When the object proximity sensors in the front or rear bumpers detect an object, the vehicle completely or severely limits the throttle. For instance, the rear bumper sensors detect the bike rack attached to my van and therefore limit the throttle response, regardless of transmission direction (forward or reverse). This seems to happen intermittently. When I mute the bumper sensor’s warning by tapping a button, then the throttle responds as expected. This is a known problem on the 2019+ VS30 Mercedes Sprinters, which affects all vans; it is not isolated to my specific van. This presents a safety issue, when the driver expects the vehicle to move but it does not. For instance, when rolling into traffic yet the throttle does not respond.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11483702September 9, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V360000 (Electrical System, Communication) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11480837August 23, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11472515July 6, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
This vehicle suspends cruise control and breaking assist without notice. These systems become unavailable sometimes for days. While driving downhill, you suddenly lose speed control requiring excessive manual breaking. The problem is dangerous because you suddenly lose the ability to maintain cruise control. Breaking assist is lost and suddenly appearing people, bicycles or cars are at risk. A call to the manufacture, Mercedes-Benz yielded no help. They said they had never heard of this problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11472228July 3, 2022
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
On occasion the vehicle will loose almost all power. It occurs at random times. It could be deadly if merging into traffic or crossing an intersection where the other drivers don’t have to stop. I have no idea why it does this. It seems to happen more in the cold and maybe at altitude. It has happened at sea level and 70 degrees though too. By cold I mean 32 F and 5000’
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11470956June 25, 2022
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
There is a problem with the engine control parameters which occurs at higher altitudes. The vehicle will not produce adequate power. This is not simply normal power loss related to density altitude. This is a malfuntion where the vehicle does not respond to the throttle, and produces only about 2psi of turbo boost even upon extended application of full throttle. This problem occurs only on sprinter 4x4 models with the OM642 diesel motor. I experienced this problem for the first time yesterday when pulling onto a 2 lane highway at 7,000 feet in the sierra nevada. The vehicle began to move but as I turned uphill to cross the highway it produced no power and I was stuck straddling the center line on a blind curve. Extremely dangerous. Had to turn the vehicle off and restart it and it behaved normally until later in the day, on a steep remote 4x4 road. Unable to climb a small hill due to lack of power. Could not be resolved through any combination of turning off, waiting, warm-up periods, activating/de-activating traction control etc. Had to use winch to climb mild grade. This issue is well known to the Sprinter community and has been repeatedly reported to Mercedes Benz USA with no response or resolution. There are no warnings, messages, store error codes etc associated with this issue. Many descriptions of this behaviour can be found online: https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/106595/ https://windinmyface.com/Sprinter-Issues_Breakdowns-WillNotMove_RPMsDropEngineLugs.html https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/103019/#post-1130969 https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/94746/ There are many more. This is a known issue, relating to engine control software, that is very dangerous and the manufacturer has taken no steps to remedy. It is beyond time for regulatory intervention. Thank you.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11468446June 9, 2022
POWER TRAIN
This van is under recall for roll away incidents. The van did roll away and now has $9K worth of damage from hitting a stop sign and a wall. The van has been at MB Stockton Ca for months and months with out a resolution. Mercedes Benz sent us a letter yesterday stating they deny all responsibility and advising us to pick up the van. The recall is not complete. This vehicle is 100% unsafe and now prone to more incidents, we have refused to pick up the vehicle. Mercedes has advised us to appeal the case with them which we have done. They continue to stall the situation.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11466905June 1, 2022
SEATS
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V181000 (Seats) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available”
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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