2002 Freightliner Sprinter

ODI OPENED PE04-066 TO INVESTIGATE FIVE COMPLAINTS ALLEGING TIRE VALVE FAILURE IN MY 2003-04 SUBJECT VEHICLES.SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS ALLEGED MULTIPLE TIRE VALVE FAILURES FOR A SINGLE VEHICLE.ON DECEMBER 16, 2004, DAIMLERCHRYSLER MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (DCMI) NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A SAFETY DEFECT IN APPROXIMATELY 23,000 MY 2002-05 SPRINTER 2500 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH TR-600 TIRE VALVES PRODUCED BY ALLIGATOR VENTILFABRICK GMBH (RECALL 04V-600).THE NOTIFICATION IDENTIFIED THE CHEMICAL SPECIFICATION OF THE RUBBER COMPONENTS AND AN UNSTABLE SUPPLIER PRODUCTION PROCESS, WHICH RESULTED IN INADEQUATE MIXING OF THE RUBBER COMPONENTS, AS THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS DEFECT.AS A RESULT OF THESE FACTORS, CRACKS CAN DEVELOP WITHIN THE RUBBER PART OR BETWEEN THE METAL AND THE RUBBER PARTS OF THE VALVE STEM, WHICH CAN LEAD TO A LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE AT THE VALVE STEM AND MAY POSE A RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY.ALTHOUGH THE TR-600 TIRE VALVE IS USED ONLY ON THE 2500 SERIES SUBJECT VEHICLES WITH 16 INCH TIRES, DCMI WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL FOR ALL SPRINTER 2500 VEHICLES SOLD IN THE U.S. TO REPLACE THE CURRENT TIRE VALVES WITH A TR-600 VALVE, WHICH USES A SINGLE RUBBER COMPONENT FOR THE VALVES.ALL 24 COMPLAINTS AND ALL 43 WARRANTY CLAIMS IDENTIFIED IN THIS INVESTIGATION INVOLVED MY 2002-04 SPRINTER 2500 VEHICLES, WHICH COMPRISE APPROXIMATELY 84 PERCENT OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE POPULATION.

WE PURCHASED SEVERAL 2002 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTERS AND HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS INCLUDING 2 ENGINE REPLACEMENTS. THESE VEHICLES ARE JUST OUT OF THE 6,00 MILE WARRANTY. THE CHRYSLER CORP ASSISTED ON THE REPAIRS 2 HOWEVER WE NOW HAVE A 3RD VEHICLE THAT HAS 71543 MILES ON IT AND THE CHRYSLER CORP IS REFUSING TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE IN THE REPAIR. IF THIS WAS ONLY ON 1 OF THEM I WOULD UNDERSTAND BUT THIS IS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM. THERE WERE ENOUGH PROBLEMS THAT AMERICAN LAFRANCE AMBULANCE CONVERSION STOPPED MAKING THEM INTO AMBULANCES DUE TO THE PROBLEMS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10178514

Incident

Oct 11, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ACCELERATING UPHILL AT VARIOUS SPEEDS IN VARIOUS ROAD CONDITIONS, THERE WAS A VIBRATION PHYSICALLY FELT THROUGH THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE TORQUE ARM CONVERTER AND PLATE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED.

NHTSA ID

10169600

Incident

Sep 29, 2006

Mileage

84,000 mi

I HAVE HAD FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN THE EGR VALVE ON MY SPRINTER HAS LEAKED OIL ALL OVER THE MOTOR AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COST FOR THIS REPAIR IS NOW OVER $500.00 EACH OCCURRENCE. THE AVERAGE MILEAGE FOR THIS FAILURE IS 25,000 MILES. NOT RIGHT FOR A MERCEDES BENZ PRODUCT THAT DOESN'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM IN EUROPE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10155708

Incident

Mar 10, 2006

Mileage

700 mi

DT: THE CONSUMER HAS 2002 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER VAN HAD A CARRIER BEARING ON THE DRIVESHAFT WHICH SEIZED AND SPINNED OUT. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE DRIVESHAFT TO A REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE IT CHECKED. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT THE CONSUMER REPLACE THE DRIVESHAFT. THE CONSUMER MADE SEVERAL CALLS TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT IT IS WAS ONLY WARRANTED FOR 36,000 MILES. THE VAN HAS 130,000 ON IT. THE MECHANIC TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE LASTED MUCH LONGER THAN THIS. THE CONSUMER IS GOING TO HAVE TO BUY THE DRIVESHAFT AT THE PRICE OF $1,000.00. CHRYSLER DENIED THE CLAIM TO HELP REIMBURSE OR EVEN TALK TO THE CONSUMER TWICE AT THIS POINT. THE VAN IS BEING REPAIRED THIS WEEK. THE VAN WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED. THE CONSUMER IS UNHAPPY WITH THE WAY THAT DAIMLER/CHRYSLER IS TREATING HER. *AK THE AUTOMATIC LOCKING SYSTEM FAILED. UPDATED 12/06/05. *JB

NHTSA ID

10134033

Incident

Aug 18, 2005

Mileage

132,773 mi

TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF TERRAIN, BUT IT HAS BEEN MOST COMMON IN AREAS WITH STEEP HILLS. AFTER ACCELLERATING TO MAINTAIN SPEED WHILE CLIMBING A STEEP INCLINE AND FEATHERING THE THROTLE AS THE HILL IS TOPPED, THE (AUTOMATIC) TRANSMISSION KICKS COMPLETELY OUT OF GEAR ON THE DESCENT AND WILL NOT RE-ENGAGE WITHOUT BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP, SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL OR PARK AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE. SO FAR, THE DRIVERS FOLLOWING ME HAVE ALL PASSED THE BRAKE TEST AND THEIR HORNS SEEM TO BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE SINCE JULY OF 2004 AND IT CURRENTLY HAS ONLY 25K MILES. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE IT OCCURS INTERMITENTLY AND YOU CAN'T TELL THE TRANS HAS DISENGAGED UNTIL YOU REACH THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL AND TRY TO ACCELERATE TO CLIMB THE NEXT INCLINE. I CALLED A LOCAL DEALER AND THEY MUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT LEAKY O RINGS BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER THERE HAVE BEEN ANY RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS.

NHTSA ID

10121243

Incident

May 17, 2005

Mileage

25,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO DO SO. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10108895

Incident

Aug 24, 2004

THIS IS RELATED TO THE DIAMLER CHRYSLER DODGE SPRINTER TIRE VALVE STEMS THAT I READ YOU ARE INVESTIGATING. I HAVE A 2002 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER (SAME VAN AS THE DODGE MADE BY MERCEDES). MY VAN HAS THE 15"GOODYEAR CARGO TIRES. I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH BOTH REAR TIRES. OCCASIONALLY, THEY WOULD LOOSE 10-20 PSI PRESSURE. BOTH REAR TIRES HAVE HAD BLOW OUTS IN THE 35-45K MILES RANGE. FROM OTHER DRIVERS, I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE TIRES SHOULD LAST 80-90K MILES. BOTH REAR TIRES HAD SIMILAR FAILURES, DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, PART OF THE THREAD WOULD TEAR OFF THE WHEEL. ALSO, AFTER INSPECTION, IT APPEARED THAT THE TIRES HAD EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE OUTER PART, AS THOUGH THEY RAN WITH INSUFFICIENT PRESSURE. I DID TAKE SOME DIGITAL PICTURES OF THE SECOND TIRE THAT DID THIS, BUT I WAS FOCUSING ON THE UNUSUAL THREAD WEAR. I'D BE HAPPY TO SEND THEM TO YOU. ALSO, I BELIEVE GOODYEAR SHOULD STILL HAVE THE LAST TIRE AS I HAD IT REPLACED ONLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. THE FIRST TIRE FAILED IN MARCH, THE SECOND AROUND THE END OF JUNE. I DID CONTACT GOODYEAR & DC ABOUT THE TIRES, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE FROM EITHER.*AK PE04066_CAT

NHTSA ID

10093228

Incident

Jun 24, 2004

Mileage

43,865 mi

THE PARKING BRAKE WORE OUT WHICH CAUSED THE CALIPERS AND CABLE TO FREEZE. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THE PARKING BRAKES WERE HAVING A LOT OF FAILURES. MANUFACTURER AND DEALERSHIP WERE NOT PROVIDING ANY ASSISTANCE ON THIS ISSUE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10083791

Incident

Jul 25, 2004

Mileage

23,000 mi