What 79 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Mercedes-benz Sprinter 2500 Crew Diesel

The rear camera has gone out on numerous occasions. When I place the vehicle in reverse, my infotainment displays a black area with a camera with a line through it, indicating the rear camera is not working. I’m not sure if it’s the same issue as issue “21V411” that affected other 19-21 Mercedes Sprinter vans but it seems like it from what was described.

NHTSA ODI 11520784

None responsive throttle, driving on highway and engine loses power and loses all throttle response causing rapid slowing to traffic behind the vehicle. No warning lamps and CEL’s. Problem occurs at random times with no CEL or warning.

NHTSA ODI 11519989

Cross wind assist kick on for random reason, not able to disable this feature. It slams on the brake dropping my speed by 10MPH with vehicle almost rear ending me. At times it steers the vehicle in such a way that it almost fish tail.

NHTSA ODI 11518095

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause of the failure was found. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 22V796000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

NHTSA ODI 11510013

On many occasions the Sprinter vans on the new models have what's called crosswind assist.. Not exactly sure what it's doing I believe it's engaging the brakes to try to stabilize the van when wins hit it from the side. On at least 10 occasions in the last year and a half 2 years when sidewinds or headwinds hit the vehicle or when passing a semi it activates and it's almost thrown me off the road. This is a serious safety concern this is my second van that has the same issue right in the row. At bare minimum this option should be able to be disabled by the driver in certain conditions cuz it is extremely unsafe

NHTSA ODI 11498930

On 10-27-22 the van was parked in my home driveway where it had been parked overnight. The engine was running for approximately 10 minutes while loading things into the vehicle. The vehicle was in park and the hand parking brake was not engaged. Prior to leaving I noticed the dash icon showing the rear door was not fully shut and went back to close it. Once I closed the rear door it then appeared that the transmission shifted itself into neutral and the van rolled back into the garage while I was standing outside of it. I have home surveillance camera footage showing the incident as it happened. I have tried to convey this information to Mercedes Benz but interactions with them have been less than helpful.

NHTSA ODI 11498070

Adaptive Cruise Control as well as Forward Collison warning fail to work properly when in use. Both unexpectedly malfunction for no apparent reason and vehicle will not cruise control will not function at all. The vehicle was taken back to the dealership where it was supposedly addressed and fixed, however, the issue has not been fixed. The vehicle presents the same issues as prior to the inspection and "repair" from the dealership. While driving with Adaptive Cruise Control/Forward Collison Warning, the system will malfunction. A light on the dash will indicate that it has been disabled, simultaneously, the vehicle will lose cruise control, foward collision warning immediately. Vehicle will not regain any form of cruise control or forward collison warning for an unspecified amount of time. Could be minutes, hours, or even days. Dash warnings also include cleaning sensors and cameras. Doing so does not correct the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11493007

The 2019+ Mercedes Sprinter EIS (Electronic Ignition System) module is bolted under the driver side dash board to the base of the A pillar where it meets with the firewall. The electrical connector of the module is pointing straight up - this is an issue because any liquids that might spill on the dash (dash cupholder) or any humidity from windshield interior condensation will drip right down the wiring and into the EIS module causing it to short out. _ If the EIS module shorts out, the vehicle will be inoperable until a new unit is fitted. _ The EIS module retails at $1800+ from Mercedes _ Had Mercedes installed the EIS module with the connector facing DOWNWARD - this moisture related issue would not exist. _ There is no drip loop provisions in the wiring. _ Mercedes is aware of the issue as they have created a plastic bag with part number A 638 546 00 35 and they are charging $20 for it. As of right now, Mercedes refuses to fix this issue preventatively. They will only repair it AFTER the EIS module has shorted out. They are refusing to treat this as a warranty claim even though it is clearly a manufacturer defect. Please help? Thank you

NHTSA ODI 11492020

The vehicle was delisted on Turo due to a recall. We contacted the dealer right away and they said there is no service required at the moment and we can continue to drive vehicle. We were advised to I understand, in that case you need to call or file a complaint with NHTSA directly.

NHTSA ODI 11491844

Upon starting the engine to leave camp spot in middle of nowhere, the awning motor started extending outward on it's own very loudly and extended all the way. It would not go back in. Had to manually crank the awning in and noticed a bolt and nut not attached to anything in the railing where the awning is attached. Since the awning was not secured to drive on the freeway, used zipties to secure. Very unsafe as I was driving through high winds. I hopped on the forum for Winnebago Revels and immediately found several other instances of the same scenario happening with their Carefree awning. Never had any issues prior.

NHTSA ODI 11491790

The cruise control system and related systems (distance control and automatic braking) repeatedly malfunction. Specifically the systems go off and on without warning. For example, when driving at highway speed the systems will suddenly shut off causing the vehicle to slow down (presumably without brake lights to alert the driver behind). Also presumably the automatic braking ceases to work when this happens This problem began shortly after I purchased the vehicle in May 2021 and I have brought it in for three unsuccessful repair attempts. Internet research reveals that this is apparently a common problem.

NHTSA ODI 11491500

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the passenger’s sideview mirror started rattling, making it difficult to see out the mirror. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the housing of the mirror was pushed back into place; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 700.

NHTSA ODI 11489762

The vehicle was put into parked and somehow disengage itself from parked and rolled into a house.

NHTSA ODI 11489157

The adaptive cruise control system and forward collision system since the vehicle was new has frequently not worked or stops working. The cruise control system that is tied to the forward collision systems would stop working causing the vehicle to decelerate as no throttle input was present and cause the need to use the foot throttle. The vehicle is available for inspection. As this has happened while driving at freeway speeds with traffic around I consider this a hazard. This problem has been present since the vehicle was new and continues to the present time even after dealership fixes. The dealership is aware of this problem and initially tried to “ recalibrate the sensors “ with no success, and finally found that the wire connectors were not connected properly. Since this fix was performed the cruise control has continued to turn off primarily if minimal forward traffic is sensed, but proceeds to reset either later the same day or the following day. As the vehicle his under warranty and has not been involved in an accident the only people who have seen it are the dealership. The vehicle will give two warnings at the time of the system failing 1.”Active Distance Assist Inoperative “, and 2. “Active Brake Assist Functions Limited See Owners Manual”. For the dates and mileage listed below this issue has been present with the vehicle since new to current as an intermittent issue so the dates and mileage do not represent the actual events. Having looked at van blogs on this issue this is an common problem with owners of vans and other Mercedes vehicles with the radar adaptive cruise control referred to as “Distronic “

NHTSA ODI 11488639

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that after inclement weather, the cruise control, Forward Collision Avoidance, and Automatic Emergency braking feature failed to operate as needed. The contact restarted the vehicle however, the vehicle would intermittently return to normal operation. The contact had taken the vehicle to various different dealers where the camera, unknown sensors, and other unknown parts were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 11486690

Serpentine belt shredded, cooling fan separated from clutch, pulley screws missing and pulley completely freed from mount and loss of power steering. This seems very similar to previous recall which my vehicle was supposedly not impacted by. Losing power steering in a large vehicle like this is extremely dangerous. Loose components in engine bay has potential to cause more problems. Fan and pulley completely free to come off and fly around bay. This problem has been seen by 10+ Revel owners in the last few weeks. This topic is being openly discussed on public forums and social media. It is currently sitting at MB of Littleton in Littleton, CO and has yet to be inspected. There were no warnings.

NHTSA ODI 11485848

There is a problem with the engine control parameters which occurs at higher altitudes. The vehicle will not produce adequate power. This is not simply normal power loss related to density altitude. This is a malfuntion where the vehicle does not respond to the throttle, and produces only about 2psi of turbo boost even upon extended application of full throttle. This problem occurs only on sprinter 4x4 models with the OM642 diesel motor. I experienced this problem for the first time yesterday when pulling onto a 2 lane highway at 7,000 feet in the sierra nevada. The vehicle began to move but as I turned uphill to cross the highway it produced no power and I was stuck straddling the center line on a blind curve. Extremely dangerous. Had to turn the vehicle off and restart it and it behaved normally until later in the day, on a steep remote 4x4 road. Unable to climb a small hill due to lack of power. Could not be resolved through any combination of turning off, waiting, warm-up periods, activating/de-activating traction control etc. Had to use winch to climb mild grade. This issue is well known to the Sprinter community and has been repeatedly reported to Mercedes Benz USA with no response or resolution. There are no warnings, messages, store error codes etc associated with this issue. Many descriptions of this behaviour can be found online: https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/106595/ https://windinmyface.com/Sprinter-Issues_Breakdowns-WillNotMove_RPMsDropEngineLugs.html https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/103019/#post-1130969 https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/94746/ There are many more. This is a known issue, relating to engine control software, that is very dangerous and the manufacturer has taken no steps to remedy. It is beyond time for regulatory intervention. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11470956

This van is under recall for roll away incidents. The van did roll away and now has $9K worth of damage from hitting a stop sign and a wall. The van has been at MB Stockton Ca for months and months with out a resolution. Mercedes Benz sent us a letter yesterday stating they deny all responsibility and advising us to pick up the van. The recall is not complete. This vehicle is 100% unsafe and now prone to more incidents, we have refused to pick up the vehicle. Mercedes has advised us to appeal the case with them which we have done. They continue to stall the situation.

NHTSA ODI 11468446

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V181000 (Seats) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available”

NHTSA ODI 11466905

Component that malfunctions: drivers (left) side fixed mirror, It is available for inspection upon request. Vehicle owner's safety and the safety of others is put at risk because the mirror image is distorted due to rattling/vibration: there is a noise produced as well when the vibration begins, distortion ensues immediately thereafter. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a Mercedes Benz Dealer. The vehicle should be inspected by the manufacturer as soon as possible since the unsafe condition should be addressed immediately for the benefit of all owners. There were no lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure and the unsafe situation began immediately after purchase.

NHTSA ODI 11466485

The closest authorized service center cannot inspect my vehicle for all three recalls for five months. Since the recall information states that the recall may effect the safety of the vehicle, this seems like an unacceptable time to wait.

NHTSA ODI 11464883

cross wind assist too sensitive, kicking on randomly causing more mouvement than if it wasn't doing anything. Wind would normally move me sideways about 6" and this thing moves me by 2', slams on the brakes, slows down when trucks are in my ass. The swing it gives when kicking on with side winds lifted 2 wheels in the air and also did a couple tire marks on asphalt from blocking wheels.

NHTSA ODI 11462329

Cross wind assist if really dangerous. Very little cross wind and it hit the brakes really hard, the van fish tails and slows down so much people will rear end me. Date is last time it happened but it's been doing this since we got this vehicule. Very well know problem across many Sprinter owners. There's currently no way to disable this feature for the driver. Also have an older sprinter without this feature and it's unnecessary.

NHTSA ODI 11460698

I purchased my van Feb 5, 2021 with 8 miles on it. By April, it was hesitating intermittently at low speeds. It got progressively worse. MB of Athens could not diagnose it in 2 visits in May and June of 2021. By August, the Sprinter service manager at RBM of Atlanta, Charles told me on the phone that he was sure it was the EGR valve and none were available. ETA of a valve was Nov, 2021. The date then moved to Jan, 2022. It is April and there are no EGR valves in the world to be put on my van. The hesitation has progressed to higher speeds. I am going to be killed in this van, my only work van, as I never know when the hesitation will occur. It is dangerous. Mercedes knows they have a problem. I have 2 MB Customer Care complaint files and no results. This problem is a result of their faulty emissions system. I know they are fully aware and do not want to admit their issue and take liability. I bought this van on the MB reputation for quality and service as my job depends on it. I am scared to drive it, but must make a living. I need help. The public should be made aware. I know I am one on many, many with this issue and no resolve. They continue to manufacture new vans in Charleston, SC daily with EGR valves. This is wrong. Please respond. Thank you!

NHTSA ODI 11460110

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V411000 (Electrical System, Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11457873