What 23 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Mercedes-benz Sprinter 2500 Passenger Van

one or more of the rear-wheel speed sensors may experience an electrical failure, which potentially could lead to a disablement of the Electronic Stability Control (“ESP”) control unit functions. If ESP control unit functions are disabled, vehicle driving stability may be impacted under certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.

NHTSA ODI 11691804

ON THURSDAY JULY 9TH AFTER 9:00 PM, I WAS DRIVING UP ROUTE 8 IN VIRGINIA FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT. MY VAN HAS SUFFERED FROM SUBSTANTIAL NOISE AND VIBRATION BETWEEN 1600 AND 2000 RPM ON SLIGHT GRADES SINCE THE DAY AFTER I PURCHASED IT. WITH JUST SHY OF 20,000 MILES ON THE VAN, MUCH OF IT GOING UP AND DOWN GRADES, IT IS MY PERCEPTION THAT THE POWER STEERING FLUID HOSE VIBRATED LOSE. ALMOST 500 HOURS OF DRIVING, JUST SHY OF 20,000 MILES IN TEMPS THAT VARIED FROM LOWS OF 40 TO HIGHS OF 110, AND CONSISTENT VIBRATIONS DURING THE SPECIFIED RPM AND THE HOSE VIBRATED LOOSE AND LOST POWER. THE VIBRATIONS ARE A KNOWN ISSUE FOR SPRINTER 4X4'S AND THEY HAVE TRIED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE UNSUCCESSFULLY WITH DAMPENING AND THICKER LEAF SPRINGS. THIS REMAINS INEFFECTIVE AND NOW, DANGEROUS. I AM GRAVELY CONCERNED THAT OTHER ITEMS IN THIS 4X4 MODEL VAN COULD COME LOOSE, OR WORSE SOMEONE ON A MOUNTAIN PASS COULD LOSE CONTROL AS I DID AND CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT. DUE TO THE 4X4 SYSTEM AND THE DESIRE OF IT'S OWNERS TO DRIVE TO REMOTE PLACES, I FEEL THIS WARRANTS AN IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION TO PROTECT THE OWNERS WHERE DIAMLER VANS HAS CLEARLY DECIDED NOT TO MANAGE IT'S SAFETY. IF ANYONE HAD COME DOWN THE SWITCHBACKS ON ROUTE 8, NEITHER OF US WOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH TIME OR SPACE TO AVOID AND ACCIDENT. I WAS INCREDIBLE LUCKY. I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE ACROSS THE ROAD LINES TO MOVE THE VAN AS I COULD NOT CONTROL THE STEERING. I FEARED FOR MY LIFE UNTIL I GOT TO THE TOP OF THE SWITCH BACK AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ON RELATIVELY STRAIGHT FLAT GROUND. THE TRAILER I WAS TOWING SUFFERED AS I WAS NOT ABLE TO ARTICULATE THE VAN ON THE ROAD SUCH THAT IT DID NOT GO OFF THE ROAD AND HIT TREES AND EMBANKMENT.. .UPDATED 07/21/15 *BF.....UPDATED 08/12/15 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE SUSPENSION WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER, IT DID NOT RESOLVE THE VIBRATION ISSUE. ...UPDATED 9/24/2015 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10734629