RoadVitals

2004 Freightliner Sprinter

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Jul 25, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2004 Freightliner Sprinter, most frequently naming the electrical and engine categories. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 2 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical150.0%
  • Engine150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE04066ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

TIRE VALVE FAILURE

Opened Sep 21, 2004
Closed Feb 2, 2005

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.

TIRESLed to recall 04V600000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Electrical
Filed Jul 25, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID
11676111
Incident
Jul 4, 2025
Engine
Filed Jul 29, 2009

I OWN A 2004 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER WITH THE 2.7 DIESEL MOTOR. I HAVE HAD TWO FAILURES OF THE TURBO RESONATOR THAT IS A CHEAP PLASTIC PART THAT WILL FAIL REPEATEDLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO GO INTO "LIMP" MODE WITH LOSS OF POWER THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS. IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT MANY FAILURES OF THIS PART ARE COMMON AND THE MERCEDES FACTORY WILL DO NOTHING TO CORRECT IT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10278738
Incident
Jul 29, 2009
Mileage
66,288 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

54-239

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

FREIGHTLINER: INFORMATION REGARDING THE CASCADIA CABIN CAN ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNITS (ECU) SOFTWARE. *LJ UPDATED 8/25/15. *PE

44

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION NOTIFICATION D44 - EGR VALVE. THIS COULD CAUSE LIMITED ENGINE OUTPUT AND VEHICLE SPEED AS WELL AS ILLUMINATION OF THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL). ALSO INCLUDE THE 2004 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER. *TT

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Freightliner Sprinter by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2007420—
2005200—
2004Viewing201—
2002801—
2001001—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.