Home · 2016 Mercedes-benz Sprinter 3500 Cargo Van · Complaints

What 61 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Mercedes-benz Sprinter 3500 Cargo Van

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (61)Crash / fire / injury (5)Transmission & drivetrain (14)Brakes (13)Airbags (12)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (12)Speed control (10)Electrical system (9)Wheels (7)Engine (4)Body & structure (2)Fuel system (2)

1 of 61 complaints match · Electronic Stability Control (esc) · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jan 3, 2022Service Brakes, AirElectronic Stability Control (esc)Crash

The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the ABS warning light and the electronic stability control warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that the motorhome was making abnormal clunking sounds. The contact was able to continue to drive at less than 30 MPH. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that one of the wheels must have failed to patch the ground. The manufacturer advised the contact to turn the vehicle on and off three times using the ignition key for the warning lights to disappear. The contact stated that he did so and the warning lights and warning messages disappeared; however, they reappeared the next day. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH and towing his Volkswagen vehicle, the transmission disengaged and the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound. Then the transmission reengaged and disengaged causing the vehicle to lurch forward. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle the failure reoccurred. The RV was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the rear axle speed sensors, knock sensors needed to be replaced, and the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V042000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) was completed. The contact also stated that the dealer cross-fired the speed sensors which caused the computer to not allow the vehicle to drive more than 35 MPH. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle leaned on his right side and crashed into a street sign. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, The warning lights reappeared and the vehicle leaned and hit the curb. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and offered the contract to trade the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

NHTSA ODI 11445998

Working with the data? Download all 61 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2016 Mercedes-benz Sprinter 3500 Cargo Van verdict →