What 67 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Mercedes-benz Sprinter 2500 Cargo

The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was started, the message "Distance Assistance Currently Unavailable" was displayed. The contact also stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the cruise control was activated, but the option failed to appear on the screen. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,149.

NHTSA ODI 11613946

Depressing accelerator while in 'D'rive or 'R'everse does not increase RPM or power and vehicle does not move. While keeping the pedal pressed to the floor it will then slowly RPMs will increase and it will creep forward. It will rev. while in park or neutral.

NHTSA ODI 11600124

THE VEHICLE HAS SOME EMERGENCY STEERING CONTROL THAT IS AUTOMATICALLY BUILT IN. IF YOU GO OUTSIDE OF THE LANES, IT NOT ONLY STEERS YOU BACK TO WITHIN THE LANES, BUT ALSO SLAMS ON THE BRAKES. IT IS AUTOMATICALLY ON. IT CAN BE SHIFTED OFF EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU START THE VEHICLE, BUT IT IS A DEFAULT SETTING. THIS HAS PROVEN TO BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN APPROXIMATELY 5 SITUATIONS WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND I JUST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FOUR MONTHS AGO. TO ILLUSTRATE IT: WE WERE DRIVING THROUGH A CONSTRUCTION ZONE. AT TIMES IN CONSTRUCTION/WORK ZONES, THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC FORCES YOU OUTSIDE OF THE LINES FOR SAFETY PURPOSES. HOWEVER, THE VAN TRIED TO FORCE US BACK "INTO THE LINES" MULTIPLE TIMES, IN CONSTRUCTION, AT NIGHT, WITH MANY OTHER VEHICLES. IT ACTUALLY FORCED OUR VEHICLE BACK ACROSS THE LINE AND INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC IN MULTIPLE SCENARIOS. THIS IS A CASE OF AN AUTOMATIC "SAFETY" SETTING GONE WRONG. IT IS HIGHLY, HIGHLY DANGEROUS TO HAVE IT AUTOMATICALLY DO THIS, WHETHER IT'S DUE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, SAME DIRECTION TRAFFIC, CONSTRUCTION OBSTACLES OR EVEN SWERVING TO AVOID DEBRIS OR ANIMALS. THIS LANE ASSIST MUST BE DISABLED TO ALLOW FOR SAFE OPERATION OF THIS VEHICLE.*DT *TR

NHTSA ODI 11362197

THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH SOME SORT OF WIND SHEER WARNING SYSTEM THAT DETECTS CROSS WINDS AND SUDDENLY SLAMS ON THE BRAKES, WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT. I WAS DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT ON I-40 IN ARIZONA AT 75 MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL, AND WAS PASSING A TRUCK IN THE LEFT LANE. IT WAS A SOMEWHAT WINDY DAY, BUT I WAS DEALING WITH THE WIND AS ANY NORMAL DRIVER WOULD DO, BY STEERING INTO THE WIND A BIT, AND DEALING WITH GUSTS AS THEY AROSE. AS SOON AS THE NOSE OF MY VEHICLE PASSED THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK, MY VAN SUDDENLY BRAKED WITHOUT WARNING. I DID NOT EXPECT IT AND THE CAR BEHIND ME DID NOT EITHER. I SUDDENLY GRABBED THE WHEEL WITH BOTH HANDS, AND TRIED TO CORRECT THE STEERING, NOT KNOWING WHAT WHAT GOING ON, AND NEARLY VEERED OFF THE ROAD. THE VAN SWERVED NEXT TO THIS TRUCK, RIGHT TO LEFT IN THE LANE, AND I BATTLED TO REGAIN CONTROL WHEN THIS UNEXPECTED SUDDEN SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES RANDOMLY HAPPENED THAT I DID NOT DO. THIS SUDDEN BRAKE-SLAMMING OCCURRED AT LEAST 5 MORE TIMES IN THIS 4 HOUR TRIP. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T EXPECT AND WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AND CONVERSING WITH SOMEONE AND SUDDENLY THE BRAKES ARE SHARPLY APPLIED WHILE YOU ARE ON CRUISE CONTROL, WITHOUT ANY SORT OF WARNING. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING PROBLEM. I CALLED MERCEDES AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I ASKED THEM TO TURN THIS FEATURE OFF, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, AND MORE OR LESS IMPLIED THAT WE HAD TO "LIVE WITH IT". THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED TO ONE OF MY OTHER DRIVERS THAT ROUTINELY DRIVES THIS VEHICLE AS WELL. AND HE REACTED IN THE SAME VIOLENT WAY THAT I DID, TRYING TO OVERCOMPENSATE FOR THIS SUDDEN AND UNPLANNED BRAKING. THIS IS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE FOR SURE IF WE CANNOT GET IT TURNED OFF. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS FEATURE TO HAVE ON A VEHICLE!.

NHTSA ODI 11341715