2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags444.4%
- Seat belts222.2%
- Electrical111.1%
- Engine111.1%
- Other / unspecified111.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 built on a Freightliner chassis. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V003000 (Air Bags) however, the contact was unable to locate a service center to repair the vehicle. After contacting the Manufacturer and the local Mercedes-Benz dealer, the contact was referred to Freightliner to have the recall repairs performed. After contacting Freightliner Customer Service, the contact was referred back to Mercedes Benz. Several individuals from Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner had been contacted regarding the issue but neither was willing resolve the safety recall 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
TAKATA RECALL. THE DEALERSHIP HAS THE PARTS ON ETERNAL BACKORDER. IT HAS BEEN SINCE THE RECALL CAME OUT THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THIS FIXED. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THE VEHICLE. WHAT CAN I DO?
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the SRS warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt buckle functioned as intended; however, the SRS warning light had remained constantly illuminated for nearly two years. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with front driver's seat belt buckle failure. The contact was informed that the front driver's side seat belt buckle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,857.
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light would intermittently appear on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where a diagnostic test showed that the wires in the front driver’s side seat belt buckle were defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 49,587.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) warning light would intermittently appear on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where a diagnostic test showed that the wires in the front driver’s side seat belt buckle were defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 49,587.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
OUR ITASCA REYO 2012 MOTOR HOME WITH MERCEDES SPRINTER ENGINE HAS HAD 5 EGR VALVE FAILURES. THE FIRST TIME IN 2012 WITH 2632 MILES. THE 5TH TIME IN MARCH 2015 WITH 11,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE GOES INTO LIMP MODE AND SPEED IS REDUCED TO 20 MPH. THIS CAUSES A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION AS THERE IS A GREAT RISK OF BEING REAR ENDED FROM HIGHWAY TRAFFIC TRAVELLING AT 60 MPH. EACH TIME MERCEDES CLAIMS TO HAVE A FIX..A CLIP...A NEW COVER ETC BUT THE FAILURES CONTINUE. THIS REQUIRES BEING TOWED OR LIMPING TO MERCEDES FOR A REPLACEMENT EGR VALVE. IT IS OUTRAGEOUS TO HAVE A LEISURE VEHICLE FAIL OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND MERCEDES REFUSES TO ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS CONTINUING FAILURE OF THIS PART. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes Sprinter 3500 equipped with the Tyron Multiband Runflat Tyre Protection system on the inside of the front driver’s and passenger’s side tires. The contact stated that while driving above 60 mph, the vehicle would shudder as if the front driver’s and passenger’s side tires were out of balance. The Tyron Multiband system was installed on the inside of front driver’s and passenger’s side tires to prevent rollovers caused by blowouts. The tire dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that since the Tyron Multiband system was installed, they could not balance the tires and the tires would self-balance after 200 miles. The dealer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to take the vehicle to a Mercedes dealer for the chassis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,900.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .