What 9 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Mercedes-benz Sprinter 3500 Cargo Van

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) tank had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 15,000.

NHTSA ODI 11642281

We have a 2019 motorhome on a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter chassis. We are concerned about the wheel speed sensor failing. Three out of 4 sensors have already failed and been replaced on ours and Mercedes will not replace the 4th sensor until it fails. When this sensor fails it affects the ABS brakes and the braking distance is increased which can cause an accident. The cruise control is also affected and could increase speed on its own. The ESP can also be affected and can increase the risk of skidding and accidents. We have spoken to many other motorhome owners with the same chassis and they have also had problems with the sensors. Mercedes is aware of this problem and we feel they should replace all the sensors before they fail and cause a serious accident and injury or death. We would like to travel to remote areas of our country but haven't done so because there is no place to get the sensor replaced if it fails. We have spoken to Mercedes Benz of Sarasota FL and Mercedes Corporate and they are unwilling to do anything to replace the 4th sensor.

NHTSA ODI 11508752

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, there was an abnormal sulfur odor coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. As the odor persisted, the contact’s eyes started burning and the contact also started having a headache. The contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that acid had leaked from the battery due to internal pressure inside the battery. The contact then called that dealer where he was instructed to take the vehicle in to be serviced under the vehicle warranty. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer and the mechanic confirmed the cause of the failure but informed him that his vehicle was out of warranty, despite previously being informed that the vehicle was covered under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 7,400.

NHTSA ODI 11466047

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the ABS, check engine, and cruise control warning lights illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact indicated that the vehicle was recently serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V042000 (Electronic Stability Control) however, the failure occurred. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 18,000.

NHTSA ODI 11440922

This vehicle was sold to us new with the manufacturer's window sticker stating it was equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) as a Standard Accessory - Safety/Cargo Protection. The provided owner's manual describes the TPMS system and the low tire pressure warning lamp indicator on the dash. It was not until our first flat tire after 2.5 years and 24000 miles, that we learned our vehicle does NOT have TPMS OR a low tire pressure warning lamp. Another motorist flagged us down as it was the inside dually tire that deflated and delaminated. Luckily we learned of the deflated inner tire before the outer tire also had issues because of the extra load placed on it. We have since learned that vehicles with a GVWR over 10,000 pounds and dual-wheel rear axles are not required to have TPMS. The owner's manual does not state this and does not exclude our model as having this safety equipment. As far as we know, this exclusion is not standard public knowledge. Many heavy duty trucks with dual wheels do have such a system, so why should we question our window sticker? Our issue and safety concern is that we were lead to believe our van did have a TPMS by both our window sticker and our owners manual. Many of these vehicles are being converted to RVs (like ours but has seat belts for 6 passengers) and may be being driven unsafely due to this miscommunication. Owners/drivers of van conversions and RVs need to be fully aware of the lack of this safety feature. The dealership we bought the van from has been unhelpful and has said they have forwarded our complaint to Mercedes USA but we have yet to hear anything from them.

NHTSA ODI 11440080

The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V663000 (Steering) and 21V042000 (Electronic Stability Control) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact contacted Mercedes-Benz of Westminster (10391 Westminster Blvd, Westminster, CO 80020) confirmed the first dealer’s information. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11434749

On or about April 27, 2021 the driver's side rear taillight assembly randomly fell off between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona on Interstate 10. The assembly is large, containing the taillight, brake light, turn signal light and back-up light. It could have (and may have) hit another vehicle or at least caused it/them to engage in a dangerous turning maneuver to avoid hitting the large assembly while on the freeway. In addition, the RV was then rendered unsafe and in violation of the laws of virtually every state, as well as federal regulations, due to lacking the required lighting assembly. This has also happened to another RV unit from the same manufacturer (Regency). The driver's side taillight assembly fell off this RV during windy conditions on Interstate 40 while traveling through Arkansas on April 2, 2021. There are photos of the missing assembly for both RV's. My RV was inspected by a collision repair facility in California and their determination was two fold: 1) the RV body was molded in way that would not permit the taillight assembly to properly fit in the cavity. The tolerance was off by up to 1/4 of an inch. 2) the taillight is a stock mercedes sprinter taillight assembly which has three hard point connections (top middle, and bottom. However, the body of the RV only has two points to connect the taillight assembly (top and bottom) thereby leaving the middle area open to intrusion by wind and other elements. As a result it was very difficult to find a facility to repair/replace the assembly ( they "did not want to touch it"). It has now been replaced by a collision facility which used a silicone sealant and HD velcro in the HOPE that the assembly will not fall off again in predictable weather conditions. There was no warning or other indication that the taillight assembly was going to fall off. Finally, Regency claims to manufacture just 200 to 250 of these units annually. This incident therefore involves 1% of their annual production.

NHTSA ODI 11420930

WHEN TURNING A CORNER,ENGINE RACED TO 45 MPH WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE THROTTLE.ALMOST LOST CONTROL.HAD TO PUT VEHICLE,MEREDES SPRINTER 3500,INTO NEUTRAL TO STOP IT.HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD THE DEALER REPAIR SPEED SENSORS THREE OTHER TIMES.WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AND I LOOSE CRUISE CONTROL.DANGEROUS CONDITION.MB SHOULD RE ENGINEER THE PART AND INSTALL IN AFFECTED VEHICLES.DEALER CONTINUES TO INSTALL DEFECTIVE PARTS.

NHTSA ODI 11390039

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE HARDER THAN USUAL. THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD QUICKER THAN USUAL AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF TEMECULA (40910 TEMECULA CENTER DR, TEMECULA, CA 92591,(951) 216-7800) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT NO FAILURE WAS FOUND. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CONTACT NEEDED TO "GET USED TO IT". THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,366. THE VIN WAS INVALID.

NHTSA ODI 11219255