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

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

The adaptive distance assist system shuts down if no vehicle is sensed for approximately 1.5 hours. The system typically will not re-engage until the vehicle is restarted with an object in front of the vehicle enabling the system to self confirm that the sensors are functioning properly. This is a defect as the system should never turn off due to lack of vehicle detection. A typical drive across west Texas or SW New Mexico makes this happen all the time.

NHTSA ODI 11511473

The "Distronic" Front radar sensor that controls Forward Collision Warning , Emergency Braking and Adaptive cruise control failed twice during a 900 mile road trip. Once the sensor literally fell out of it's bracket leaving the system non working and putting my family at risk. Second time it failed during a snow storm with limited visibility in Wyoming. There are numerous reports in Mercedes forums that this sensor fails frequently jeopardizing the safety of occupants. There were not warnings prior to the failure and Mercedes

NHTSA ODI 11496277

The automatic emergency braking feature is regularly activated while driving on the highway when driving under bridges and large overhead road signs. Sometimes, the van only beeps at me, indicating that an obstruction was detected but not doing anything in response. More alarmingly, however, the van has slammed on the brakes while going full speed on the highway several times, sending my tools flying forward and almost creating an accident with the car behind me. The dealership has tried to fix it 3 times and it’s still doing it. They first told me to keep the windshield clean, then they told me to keep my bumper radars clean. They replaced the camera on my last visit but the problem still exists. It seems evident to me that this is a defective system altogether and i don’t think the dealership will be capable of fixing it. I’m afraid to drive my van and I’m not sure what to do about it

NHTSA ODI 11494521