2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by Daimler Vans USA, LLC (Daimler) as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers to identify incidents related to Rear Wheel Speed Sensors (RWSS) failures. ODI's analysis identified 6,710 incidents of RWSS failure (unique VINs) in MY 2012-2018 Mercedes- Benz and Freightliner Sprinter vehicles upfitted to campers or recreational vehicles (RVs) representing 81 percent of all Sprinter RWSS reports. Complaint and warranty analysis indicated that the majority of incidents (approximately 99%) were related to RWSS moisture intrusion condition in the Sprinter 3500 5-ton variant, which accounts for 98 percent of upfit campers, where moisture build-up and crystal dendrite formation develop in parked RVs and lead to sensor failures. According to the Daimler Information Request (IR) response, if the wheel speed information is detected as implausible by the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) control unit, the ESP system enters a failsafe mode where:-Driver torque requests are no longer accepted;-Cruise control, if used, would be deactivated; -The ESP/ABS system shuts off; and -Multiple warning lamps and messages advise the operator to take the vehicle to the workshop. While the majority of reports involved only ABS and/or ESP warning lights and messages on the instrument cluster due to faulty sensor signals triggering a failsafe mode, some reports cited intermittent sensor failures resulting in increased vehicle speed while in cruise control and degraded ABS or ESP. Degraded ESP functionality may impact driving stability of the 5-ton vehicle.On Feb 3, 2021, following discussion with ODI, Daimler submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a defect in the RWSS disabling the ESP control unit functions in approximately 48,667 MY 2012 through 2018 Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter 3500 vehicles manufactured from Jan 4, 2012 through Oct 25, 2018 (Recall 21V-042). In its DIR, Daimler indicated that RWSS sensor failures are prevalent in camper vans due to sustained periods of non-use, during which time the moisture may not dry out, remaining inside the plastic housing package. If the moisture within the RWSS dries and the RWSS returns to normal operation, the failsafe mode and the warning lights will disappear at the next ignition cycle, but the sensor fault remains stored within the ESP control unit and can be accessed through a diagnostic evaluation. ODI will continue to monitor field experience in Sprinter non-RVs and Sprinter 2500 RVs 3-ton and 3.5-ton variants (approximately 626 vehicles).Daimler will notify owners of the recalled vehicles and advise them to take their vehicle to a Mercedes-Benz or Freightliner Sprinter dealer, who will replace the RWSS with a repackaged sensor with high robustness against moisture intrusion. Daimler began notifying dealers and owners in Feb 2021. This Preliminary Evaluation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following ID numbers:11352380 11351299 11350521 11348969 11342776 11342464 11341988 11341151 11340388 11338230 11337921 11331832 11331829 11331476 11331427 11331066 11328671 11325768 11325693 11322814 11322346 11320295 11319376 11317336 11311647 11310621 11308318 11254223 11253828 11252220 11196530 11194330 11164250 11145019 11141273 11139000 11138785 11124129 11094122 11394837 11390889 11390039 11389262 11387883 11387713 11386418 11383887 11383866 11382947 11377384 11376615 11376973 11375781 11375403 11374997 11374151 11373892 11373111 11366293 11365920 11365594 11365355 11365194 11364253 11364346 11363990 11363787 11362948 113629

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the transmission inadvertently downshifted into third gear and the vehicle stalled with an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the rear wheel speed sensors were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, and the failure was remedied. The contact later received notification of NHTSA campaign number 21V042000 (Electronic Stability Control) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not contacted. Vin tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was 52,000.

NHTSA ID

11426973

Incident

Feb 1, 2021

Mileage

52,000 mi

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE THE REAR SPEED SENSORS ON THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD BOTH FRONT SPEED SENSORS FAIL AND I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO AS WELL AS I BELIEVE THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM WAS EFFECTED BY MY FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILURES. THE FIRST SENSOR FAILED 30 DAYS AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 19,000 MILES. THE SECOND SENSOR FAILED ABOUT 3 MONTHS LATER.

NHTSA ID

11413331

Incident

Jul 20, 2019

Mileage

18,500 mi

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE BY ITSELF. THE BRAKES WILL PULSATE WHEN YOU TRY TO STOP AT THE ACCELERATED LEVEL YOU MUST PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO STOP. THEN 3 LIGHTS APPEAR ON DASH, ABS,TIRE AND TRACTION. WHEN THE LIGHTS APPEAR THE VEHICLE RUNS FINE BUT CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT WORK. WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF FOR THE DAY THE NEXT DAY THE LIGHTS ARE GONE FROM DASH AND THE VEHICLES RUNS PROPER FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS ISSUE IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT.

NHTSA ID

11405400

Incident

Mar 6, 2021

Mileage

13,000 mi

WE WERE TRAVELING ON FLAT, OPEN INTERSTATE ROADWAY IN RAINY WEATHER AT NIGHT WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET WHEN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED QUICKLY. I NOTICED THE VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT DOWNSHIFTED AND FELT LIKE IT WAS ACCELERATING HARD. I LOOKED AT SPEEDOMETER AND SPEED HAD INCREASED BY MORE THAN 5 MPH OVER WHAT CRUISE WAS SET IN A MATTER OF 4 SECONDS OR SO. I THEN APPLIED PRESSURE TO BRAKE PEDAL AT WHICH POINT THE VEHICLE FELT LIKE BRAKE SYSTEM PULSED 4 TIMES, AND CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT APPEAR TO DISENGAGE. I THEN HIT BRAKES AGAIN, AND PUSHED THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVEL TOWARD DASH AND CRUISE DISENGAGED THIS TIME. DURING OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS EVENT, WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON IN DASH FOR ABS, ESP, VISIT WORKSHOP, AND OTHER WARNING LIGHTS THAT SAFETY FEATURES WERE DISABLED SUCH AS FORWARD COLLISION, BLIND SPOT INDICATORS IN MIRROR, ETC. THESE WARNING LIGHTS HAVE OCCASIONALLY WENT OFF FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME, BUT HAVE REMAINED ON FOR MOST OF TIME. SOMETIMES THEY WILL BE OFF WHEN STARTED, BUT COME ON AFTER TOUCHING BRAKE PEDAL. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON PRIOR TO THIS EVENT.

NHTSA ID

11395932

Incident

Feb 6, 2021

Mileage

6,700 mi

BOTH REAR WHEEL SENSORS WENT OUT WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. ONE 6,000 MILES, THE OTHER 8,000 MILES. BOTH HIGHWAY DRIVING NO ROUGH ROAD

NHTSA ID

11387883

Incident

Feb 13, 2020

Mileage

6,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH MY CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 65. THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STARTED ACCELERATING. FORTUNATELY I HAD LEFT MYSELF A GOOD DISTANCE FROM THE SEMI IN FRONT OF ME OR I WOULD HAVE RAMMED INTO THE BACK OF IT. THIS WAS QUITE UNNERVING AND AFTER BRAKING I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING ERROR CODES: ABS, ESP, TRACTION CONTROL AND CRUISE CONTROL.

NHTSA ID

11376216

Incident

Nov 19, 2020

Mileage

22,800 mi

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD 4 SEPARATE WHEEL SPED SENSOR FAILURES. WHEN EACH INCIDENT OCCURRED, THE VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN AND AT THE SAME TIME THE ABS WILL NOT ALLOW FULL BRAKING PRESSURE WHILE UNDERWAY. YOU WILL HEAR THE ABS SOUND LIKE IT'S SLIDING ON A SLIPPERY SURFACE IN ANY CONDITION. AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES AND BRAKING PRESSURE IS GREATLY REDUCED, IT IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY TO QUICKLY SHOVE THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO KEEP FROM HITTING ANYTHING AHEAD. WHEN THESE FAILURES OCCUR IT CAN BE AT ANY SPEED OR ON ANY SURFACE. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW AND NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000 MILES. OCCASIONALLY, PRIOR TO THE DASH LIGHTS INDICATING A WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WILL ALSO CUT ALL POWER. THIS TYPICALLY HAS HAPPENED ON HARD ACCELERATION ONTO A HIGHWAY, BEING EQUALLY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE IS JUST GOING OUT OF WARRANTY AND I HAVE TRIED TO WORK OUT A SOLUTION WITH MERCEDES WHO HAVE NOW STATED I HAVE NO CLAIM. A FINAL FACTOR IS THAT AT ABOUT 10,000 MILES THIS VEHICLE HAD A MASSIVE SHORT THAT LITERALLY MELTED THE BATTERY DOWN. I HAVE SUGGESTED TO MERCEDES THAT THAT INCIDENT, UNDER WARRANTY, MAY HAVE DONE SEROUS HARM TO THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM/COMPUTERS.

NHTSA ID

11374997

Incident

Oct 10, 2020

Mileage

10,000 mi

SEE UPLOADED DOCUMENT

NHTSA ID

11366869

Incident

Jul 8, 2019

Mileage

400 mi

EGR Valve Diagnosis & Cleaning (and EGR Cooler Cleaning) – OM642, Sprinter 906/907 Complaint Complaint A: The engine is jolting/bucking between 1700 and 1900 rpm. Complaint B: One or more mechanical related fault codes for EGR Valve stored in CDI control unit, with possible Check Engine Light. Review list of mechanical fault codes in table below. NOTE: If one or more electrical related fault codes for EGR Valve are also present in CDI, utilize Complaint C. Review list of electrical fault codes PDF document in attachments. Complaint C: One or more electrical related fault codes for EGR Valve stored in CDI control unit, with possible Check Engine Light. Review list of electrical fault codes PDF document attached. NOTE: This LI supersedes LI14.20‑N‑073813, which is no longer valid. Cause Cause of Complaint A: Increased friction between the EGR Valve blade and seat due to soot deposits causing a delay of the EGR Valve being able to reach the target value of the EGR Valve position controller. NOTE: This causes the EGR Valve blade and potentially the boost pressure controller to oscillate. Cause of Complaint B: Soot deposits between the EGR Valve blade and seat leading to the EGR Valve no longer being able to meet the desired target of the EGR Valve position controller. Cause of Complaint C: Internal EGR Valve or other electrical faults related to the EGR Valve function.

Acoustic Warning or message occurring when a closed sliding door is not recognized Complaint Customer may state the warning message or indicator accompanied by acoustic tone alerting the sliding door is ajar when the door is completely closed Cause There are several reasons that lead to the failure occurring: ‑ Mechanical damage through bending when loading and unloading ‑ Worn contact plates ‑‑> After detachment of silver plating, the coper plate is corroded ‑ Movement of sliding door/body when driving ‑‑> Contact pins do not always make contact with contact plate ‑‑> Central locking system fault message in instrument cluster Remedy In a problem case, replace contact switch for vehicles with +T50/+T55/+EL9 or contact plate with A4478201903 Check the fit of the sliding doors here and make any necessary adjustments as per AR72.16‑S‑1023E (447 /448) and AR72.16‑D‑1023TS (907/910). Further valid damage codes: 82326 Contact switch for central locking system on sliding door 82347 Contact plate for central locking system on sliding door 53196 K/Z contact plate for central locking system on sliding door 82645 Contact switch for sliding door

Unavailability of MB Apps Complaint A popup is seen on the HU with the message "data connection temporarily not available". Cause MB Apps is officially sundowned for all vehicles with NTG5 Head Unit Variant. Remedy No support available for NTG5 Head Unit Variants for MB App related topics.

Complaint While driving through muddy / sandy/ off road terrain "4Matic Currently Unavailable" message on the dash Cause This vehicle is not equipped with a fixed force distribution AWD, rather force is only applied to the front axle according to ESP calculations. As per GF28.00‑D‑ 9900A: "vehicles with 4MATIC all‑wheel system and variable force distribution, an electronically regulated multiplate clutch integrated into the transfer case provides for the torque distribution. If the multiplate clutch is open during normal driving operation, only the rear axle drives the vehicle. If the clutch is closed, the front axle comes into play." The message "All‑wheel drive temporarily unavailable" is not indicative of a malfunction but rather informs the driver that all‑wheel drive is currently not available due to the transfer case clutch overheating. This occurs when the vehicle is driven in such a way that maximum front axle torque is needed for an extended period, causing the clutch to get excessively hot. If the vehicle is being driven under heavy load conditions, like in deep sand or snow, the rear axle may slip while the front axle does not deliver power. The transfer case then attempts to distribute torque to correct the slip, but it is limited to a maximum of 1150 Nm to protect the front axle transmission. In extended heavy‑load scenarios, the multidisk clutch in the transfer case slips, increasing the temperature. If the temperature model detects a critical temperature of 240°C, the system protects itself by disconnecting until it cools down to around 160°C, after which the all‑wheel drive becomes available again and the warning message disappears.Vehicles can handle flat terrain easily, but steep slopes or situations where wheels slip might cause additional resistance, leading to the described protection events and message in the dash. Remedy Recommendation is to release the vehicle back to the client with an explanation that the vehicle is operating as designed. Please advise the client to limit vehicle acceleration in limited traction situations to avoid disabling of the 4Matic system ‑ please see "Notes on all‑wheel drive" provided in the operators manual.

ASSYST PLUS service reminder appears earlier than expected due to vehicle operating conditions Complaint The ASSYST PLUS service reminder appears earlier than expected. The customer or dealer may report that the vehicle did not reach the starting maintenance interval shown in vehicle documentation, option coding, sales literature, or the Owner's Manual. The service reminder may appear significantly earlier than anticipated even though no faults are stored and no malfunction is present in the vehicle. The remaining distance and remaining time continue to decrease normally until the service reminder is displayed. Cause This condition is not caused by a malfunction of ASSYST PLUS. ASSYST PLUS is a dynamic maintenance management system that continuously evaluates vehicle usage and opera-ting conditions to determine maintenance requirements. The starting maintenance interval specified by variant coding represents a maximum interval that may only be achieved under favorable operating conditions. Actual maintenance intervals may be significantly shorter depending on vehicle use. Vehicle operating conditions such as driving conditions, engine load, engine operating conditions, idling, short-trip operation, environmental influences, oil aging, and Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) regeneration activity may reduce the maintenance interval from its starting value. These conditions may accelerate engine oil aging through increased soot loading, fuel dilution, moisture accumulation, and additional engine operating stress. As a result, the remaining distance and remaining time until the next service may be reduced from the starting maintenance interval. Remedy Do not replace any parts. A due service must be assumed if the maintenance data calculated by ASSYST PLUS indicates that service is required.

Complaint Complaint A: The engine is jolting/bucking between 1700 and 1900 rpm. Complaint B: One or more mechanical related fault codes for EGR Valve stored in CDI control unit, with possible Check Engine Light. Review list of mechanical fault codes in table below. NOTE: If one or more electrical related fault codes for EGR Valve are also present in CDI, utilize Complaint C. Review list of electrical fault codes PDF document in attachments. Complaint C: One or more electrical related fault codes for EGR Valve stored in CDI control unit, with possible Check Engine Light. Review list of electrical fault codes PDF document attached. NOTE: This LI supersedes LI14.20-N-073813, which is no longer valid. Cause Cause of Complaint A: Increased friction between the EGR Valve blade and seat due to soot deposits causing a delay of the EGR Valve being able to reach the target value of the EGR Valve position controller. NOTE: This causes the EGR Valve blade and potentially the boost pressure controller to oscillate. Cause of Complaint B: Soot deposits between the EGR Valve blade and seat leading to the EGR Valve no longer being able to meet the de-sired target of the EGR Valve position controller. Cause of Complaint C: Internal EGR Valve or other electrical faults related to the EGR Valve function. Remedy Remedy for Complaint A: Perform the following steps: 1. Disable the EGR Valve (Y27/17) by disconnecting the electrical connector. 2. Perform a test drive to check if the jolting/bucking issue resolves. 3. If the jolting/bucking is resolved, proceed to Remedy for Complaint B. 4. If jolting/bucking is still present, proceed with diagnosis to determine the root cause. Consider checking the follo-wing, but not limited to: •EGR system including the EGR Cooler, EGR Bypass Flap, EGR Temperature Sensor, and pipes for proper operati-on, excessive sooting and/or clogging, as well as EGR Bypass Flap vacuum element, switchover valve, and vacuum system. •Visually check the leak oil line or T-piece; reference LI07.00-N-059118.