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

REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 30,000 MILES AND NOW BOTH FRONT WHEEL SENSORS ARE FAULTY AT 50.000 MILES. IN MY READING THIS IS A COMMONLY FAULTY PART AND IT COST $ 760.00 TO REPLACE BOTH SENSORS. FORTUNATELY THE FIRST SENSOR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED IF YOU WILL LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE. BECAUSE YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO TRADE AN RV. I WAS ON A TRIP WHEN THE INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON ON DASH AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE 7 HOURS HOMES. MY OWNERS MANUAL EXPRESSED I SHOULD SEEK TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ASAP.

NHTSA ODI 11377384

BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS FAILED RESULTING IN TRANSMISSION LIMITED TO 2ND GEAR AND BACK UP. VEHICLE HAS DRIVEN 9800 MILES TOTAL.

NHTSA ODI 11376973

WHEN I WENT TO TRY THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE THE FOLLOWING THINGS HAPPENED: A CLUNKING SOUND IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. NUMEROUS WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON . ABS, COLLISION AVOIDANCE, CRUISE CONTROL, CHECK ENGINE, ESC OR ESP. OVER TIME THE LIGHTS CLEARED BUT CAME BACK ON WEEKS APART. I AM A RETIRED NASA SAFETY/RELIABLY ENGINEER. IN MY OPINION ALL OF THESE LIGHTS COME ON AS A RESULT OF FAILURES OF ONE OR MORE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM AS WHEN THERE IS A FAILED OR INTERMITTENT OPERATION OF A FAILED SPEED SENSOR. ALL OF THESE SAFETY SYSTEMS FAIL WHEN THE ONE SENSOR FAILS. THIS FAILURE COULD OCCUR UNEXPECTEDLY AT ANY TIME. LEADING TO LOSS OF LIVES AND VEHICLE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY WARNING LETTERS ON THIS MAJOR SAFETY FAILURE. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER MERCEDES IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. AFTER THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY MERCEDES SAYS THEY WILL CHARGE THE OWNER TO FIX IT. AT THE VERY LEAST THE ISSUE CLEARLY NECESSITATES THAT THIS ISSUE BE ELEVATED, TO CONSUMERS, AND THAT THE ISSUE BE FIXED . A WARNING THAT DESCRIBES THE ISSUE AND MERCEDES STATUS ON A FIX SHOULD GO OUT TO ALL THE APPROPRIATE PARTIES IMMEDIATELY. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED PUT IN NEUTRAL THEN 4 WHEEL DRIVE WAS ENGAGED, IMMEDIATELY WHEN MOVING THERE WAS A BIG CLUNK AND THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THEY WENT OUT THEN CAME BACK ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR MONTHS. ONE TIME THEY CAME ON JUST SITTING AT THE LIGHT. FAILURE OF MULTIPLE SAFETY SYSTEMS DUE TO A SENSOR FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE. I BELIEVE A DESIGN FIX IS URGENTLY NEEDED AND SHOULD BE PRESSED FOR HARD BY THE GOVERNMENT. CURRENTLY THERE IS NO FIX. AND MERCEDES IS NOT ADEQUATELY WARNING THE PUBLIC OF THE ISSUE. UNTIL I PRESSED MERCEDES HARD ON THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM I WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF WHAT EXACTLY THE PROBLEM WAS. THE FAILURE OF ONE SENSOR SPEED CAUSES MULTIPLE SAFETY SYSTEMS TO NOT WORK.

NHTSA ODI 11373892

THIRD-TIME SPEED SENSOR FAILED WHILE DRIVING ' ALL 3 TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SPEED UP / SLOW DOWN AND LURCH WITH THE ENGINE DOING HIGH REVS. CRUISE CONTROL BECOME INOPERABLE. ABS, FORWARD COLLISION, AND PARKING SENSORS BECOME INOPERABLE. BRAKES PERFORM ERRATICALLY FOR SEVERAL MOMENTS AND THEN ABS INDICATES IT IS INOPERABLE. VAN BECOMES HAZARDOUS TO DRIVE WHILE THE ELECTRONICS ATTEMPT TO SORT OUT WHAT IS GOING ON. VERY GLAD I WAS NOT IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC EACH TIME THIS HAPPENS AS THE VAN BECOMES UNSTABLE. M-BENZ SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE SENSOR ' THIS DOES NOT SEEM SAFE NOR VIABLE LONG TERM FIX.

NHTSA ODI 11373244

DRIVING ALONG IN CRUISE CONTROL AROUND 65 MPH ALL OF A SUDDEN CRUISE CONTROL STOPS WORKING AND VEHICLE BUCKS QUITE A BIT,VERY STARTLING.THEN I NOTICE ON DASHBOARD THE SO CALLED THREE STOOGES LIGHTS APPEAR.THIS WAS MY FIRST ENCOUNTER AROUND 18,000 MI.AUGUST 2020.PROBLEM FIXED IN CT UNDER WARRANTY. TWO MONTHS LATER DRIVING THROUGH VIRGINIA,SAME STOOGE LIGHTS APPEAR IN THE MOUNTAINS SHIFTING ERRATICALLY.CALLED M B TECH, VERY HELPFUL,DIRECTED ME TO MERCEDES BENZ OF FREDERICKSBURG VA 77 MILES AWAY.INCONVENIENCED BUT GRATEFUL WORK WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY.I BELIEVE THIS IS A HAZARD ON THE ROADS AND SHOULD BE A RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 11366386

WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILURE CAUSED VEHICLE TO DISABLE CRUISE CONTROL, ABS BRAKE SYSTEM AND PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN LIMP MODE. CANNOT ACCELERATE MORE THAN 25 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. WAS TRAVELLING AT 62 MPH WHEN EVENT OCCURED. FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE!

NHTSA ODI 11362944

DRIVING ALONG ON CRUISE CONTROL. CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATES, ANTI-LOCK, TRACTION CONTROL AND ANTI-SKID LIGHTS COME ON. I STOP THE VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION WANDERS BETWEEN GEARS JERKING. I GO TO MB DEALERSHIP THEY REPLACE R REAR SPEED SENSOR MILEAGE:9659MILES. AT 12,060 MILES THE SAME THING HAPPENS. I DRIVEA FIVE HOUR ROUND TRIP TO MB DEALER, THEY REPLACE THE L REAR SPEED SENSOR. AT 17,000 MILES (NOW OFF WARRANTY) ALL THE LAMPS ARE ON AGAIN, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE AND I FACE A 133 MILE TOW TO KNOXVILLE, TN MERCEDES DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ODI 11331427

ABS/ESP/CECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AT ONCE. MERCEDES DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS LEFT REAR RPM SENSOR. MADE REPAIR. UNDERSTAND FROM OWNER FORUMS SENSOR FAILURE IS VERY COMMON ON THESE VEHICLES. ONLY HAD 22,700 MILES. MERCEDES NEEDS TO WORK ON IMPROVING THESE PARTS OR MAKE REPAIRS AT NO CHARGE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11331476

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 3500. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND THE ABS, ESP, TRACTION CONTROL, AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, PULLED OFF THE ROAD, AND POWERED OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES DOWN THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF THE WOODLANDS (16917 I-45, CONROE, TX 77385, (936) 206-7500) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SPEED SENSORS HAD SPORADIC READINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,763.

NHTSA ODI 11252220

AT 12000 MILES, BOTH REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS FAILED CAUSING MULTIPLE INDICATOR PANEL ALARMS, SPONGY BRAKING AND DRIVETRAIN/TRANSMISSION TO STICK IN A GEAR, IE. WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS (STUCK IN FIRST GEAR ON INTERSTATE AT ONE POINT). *DT THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED. BOTH THE REAR RPM SENSORS WERE REPLACED. *JS

NHTSA ODI 11138785

WHILE DRIVING ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SEND FIRE, SMOKE AND STEAM FROM THE MOTOR COMPARTMENT UNDER THE DASH BOARD AND OVER THE WIND SHIELD, CAUSING THE MOTOR TO STOP RUNNING AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSING THE BRAKES TO FAIL SENDING MY WIFE AND I DOWN A WINDING MOUNTAIN AND ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN A NEAR FATAL CRASH INTO A MOUNTAIN RETAINING WALL. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THIS VEHICLE WAS BRAND NEW WHEN PURCHASED BY US AND ONLY 5 MONTHS OLD WITH 4500 MILES (2325 MILES WERE PUT ON VEHICLE BY THE TRANSPORTER TO GET IT FROM FACTORY TO POINT OF SALE). *TR*DT*JB*DT*TR

NHTSA ODI 11079855

HAD TO SLAM ON BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING A CAR THAT PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME AS I APPROACHED A RED LIGHT. REAR PASSENGER BRAKE LINE FAILED AS A RESULT OF THE STOP. PUMPING BRAKES RESULTED IN FLUID BEING PUMPED OUT OF THE LINES.

NHTSA ODI 11011853

THE VEHICLE HAS EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL FREE-PLAY TRAVEL BEFORE BRAKING OCCURS. ALTHOUGH THE MANUFACTURER'S OWNERS MANUAL WARNS AGAINST PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO DO SO ESPECIALLY IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. IF THE DRIVER HAS TO HESITATE TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER TO BRAKE OR ACCELERATE, THE FREE-PLAY TRAVEL WILL NOT ALLOW THE DRIVER ENOUGH TIME TO BRAKE SAFELY. THE VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO BRING TO A SAFE STOP UNLESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PUMPED AT LEAST TWO PUMPS BEFORE IT FEELS LIKE AND BRAKES LIKE A NORMAL SYSTEM. THE EXISTENCE OF THIS CONDITION WAS CONFIRMED BY A LOCAL MERCEDES DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN. HIS RESPONSE WAS, "THIS IS NORMAL FOR THE 1-TON CHASSIS TO HAVE A SOFT, SPONGY PEDAL AND MAY GO TO THE FLOOR BEFORE THE BRAKE GRABS, BUT IN A EMERGENCY SITUATION IT WILL STOP EVEN IF THE PEDAL IS ALMOST TO THE FLOOR."

NHTSA ODI 10891844