AT 5,600 MILES, TRAVELING WEST BOUND ON I-68 IN WESTERN MARYLAND NEAR EXIT 62. SPRINTER DANGEROUSLY AND UNCONTROLLABLY ACCELERATED AND DECELERATED RAPIDLY SHIFTED GEARS. I SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND DRIFTED TO AN OFF RAMP. DASH LIGHTS INDICATED THREE PROBLEMS ABS, SWERVE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL. SHUT DOWN ENGINE AND RESTARTED - SAME RESULT. DISCONNECTED BATTERY THEN RECONNECTED - SAME RESULT. CONNECTED A SCANNER WHICH INDICATED RIGHT REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILURE. CONTACTED SELLING DEALER SHOP MANAGER AND WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NO WORK-AROUND AND STATED I SHOULD HAVE IT TOWED TO NEAREST FREIGHTLINER DEALER IN APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES AWAY. AFTER DRIVING VERY SLOWLY TO A SAFE AREA, I INSPECTED THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY AND NOTED TWO CONNECTORS ON EACH SIDE, CHECKED FOR TIGHTNESS AND INSPECTED THE WIRING FOR DAMAGE, BUT NONE OBSERVED. AFTER CHECKING BLOGS ON MY SMART PHONE, I DISCOVERED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SPRINTERS FROM 2010 TO 2017 AND COMMENTERS NOTED THAT MERCEDES STATES THE VENDORS CHANGED ALLOYS ON THE SENSORS AS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ISSUE. TYPICAL REPAIR COSTS WERE INDICATED TO BE $350 TO $400, AND MANY COMMENTERS STATED THEY HAD PAID FOR MULTIPLE SENSORS AND ONE COMMENTER STATED THE ABS MODULE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN HIS CASE FOLLOWING SEVERAL SENSOR REPLACEMENTS. BOTTOM LINE, MERCEDES NEEDS TO OWN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR FAILURE AND REPLACE ALL FOUR SENSORS WITHOUT COST TO THE OWNERS (AKA RECALL). THE DANGEROUS UNWANTED ACCELERATION COULD COST LIVES AND EXTENSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF SERVICE TFN AWAITING SELLING DEALER RESPONSE.
- NHTSA ID
- 11363739
- Incident
- Oct 8, 2020
- Mileage
- 5,600 mi