2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 Powertrain (other) Problems

trucks cut speed limit 65 to 10 normal highway i do understood %35 degrees slow down but its only %2 degrees uprise there is no power at engine rpm is shows less then 1 rpm and even if press the gas pedal all the way the truck does not accelerate like truck is lock right there very dangers any one drive back of me they are not accept that much speed change they are in dangers scarr to drive truck be couse same one get git back of truck and can get kill

NHTSA ID

11440985

Incident

Oct 4, 2021

ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2019, I WAS DRIVING DOWNHILL ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD WHEN OUR RV, A 25' LTV UNITY ON A MERCEDES SPRINTER 3500 CHASSIS, SUDDENLY LURCHED AND FELT OUT OF CONTROL. THE BREAKS AND STEERING WERE UNRESPONSIVE, AND I WAS PUMPING THE BREAKS, HARD! AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF STRUGGLING TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AROUND A CURVEY DOWNHILL ROAD, CONTROL WAS RESTORED. LUCKILY, I WAS GOING SLOW ENOUGH THAT NO ACCIDENT RESULTED, BUT IT REALLY SHOOK ME! A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER THE VEHICLE (STILL UNDER WARRANTY) WAS LOADED ONTO A FLATBED TRUCK AND HAULED 2 HOURS AWAY TO KNOXVILLE, TN; THE CLOSEST MERCEDES SPRINTER VAN SERVICE CENTER. THEY REPLACED THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR. I WAS TOLD THE OTHER SENSORS MIGHT ALSO FAIL, BUT THEY COULD NOT BE REPLACED UNTIL THEY FAILED. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HEARD FROM SEVERAL OTHER RVERS WITH MERCEDES SPRINTER CHASSIS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. FOR US, THE VEHICLE NO LONGER FEELS SAFE TO TAKE ON THE ROAD SINCE WE HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THE NEXT SENSOR WILL FAIL. (PS - I TRIED TO SUBMIT THIS FORM EARLIER, BUT ACCIDENTALLY SELECTED 'I DO NOT WISH TO RECEIVE SAFETY RECALL ALERTS' - I DO WISH TO RECEIVE THOSE ALERTS.

NHTSA ID

11394837

Incident

Sep 30, 2019

Mileage

17,300 mi

WHEEL SPEED SENSORS KEEP FAILING. I HAVE HAD EIGHT SENSORS FAIL IN THREE YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ERRATICALLY, SPEED SURGES, ABS, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND BRAKING IS IMPAIRED. THIS HAPPENS WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.

NHTSA ID

11390889

Incident

Jan 31, 2021

Mileage

18,000 mi

DRIVING ON A DRY DAY, SMOOTH ROAD, WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON 65MPH AT 7:45PM. THIS VEHICLE IS CONVERTED WITH A THOR 24HL CAMPER ON THE CHASSIS. FIVE HOURS INTO THE DAYS DRIVE THE VEHICLE FLASHED ASR/ESP TRIANGLE - AND JERKED ABRUPTLY BUT INSTANTANEOUSLY BUT REMAINED ON CRUISE CONTROL. 2 SECONDS LATER: ABS LIGHT ON, ASR/BAS LIGHT ON, ESP LIGHT ON CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED FUNCTIONING (FYI - A VERY HEAVY ACCELERATOR PEDAL SPRING MAKES DRIVING DIFFICULT, FOR HOURS ON END, WITHOUT CRUISE WORKING - ESPECIALLY FOR THE OLDER DRIVERS LIKELY TO BE DRIVING THIS RIG.) PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SET FLASHERS, AND TURNED OFF ENGINE FOR ONE MIN HOPING TO RESET THE FAULT. TURNED BACK ON - NO CHANGE OFF THEN BACK ON AND THE YELLOW CHECK ENGINE CAME ON STEADY ALONG WITH THREE PREVIOUS AUCTION LIGHTS (ABOVE) VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED (WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNER) A PREVIOUS 'WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILURE' AND IT WAS REPAIRED. . 'WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILURE' APPEAR AT EPIDEMIC LEVELS ON THE TWO RV FACEBOOK GROUPS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE 5TH KEY TURN AFTER INITIAL FAULT AND FAILURE OF CRUISE CONTROL THE THREE LIGHTS WENT OUT BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. ON APPROXIMATELY THE TENTH KEY TURN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OUT. VEHICLE RETURNED FOR SERVICE AT MERCEDES DEALERSHIP 'UNDER WARRANTY'. MY ISSUE LAYS IN THE POTENTIAL FOR THE VEHICLE TO ENTER INTO THE LIMP MODE IF ANOTHER CENSOR SHOWS A FAULT AND I'M ON THE ALASKA HIGHWAY 200 MILES FROM THE NEAREST POSSIBLE SERVICE. DEALER REFUSES TO SHARE TECH DATA CONCERNING RESET OF FAULT CONDITION OR A MERCEDES FIX FOR THIS NOW WELL KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED VEHICLE SHORTCOMING. THIS ISSUE CAN AND WILL GET PEOPLE KILLED AS THEY 'LIMP' DOWN THE HIGHWAY TO GET SERVICED OR ARE FORCED TO PULL OVER IN HEAVY TRAFFIC TO CHECK OUT WHAT MERCEDES SHOULD BE WARNING IS ALL ABOUT PROACTIVELY.

NHTSA ID

11386418

Incident

Dec 29, 2020

Mileage

13,200 mi

WHEN I WENT TO TRY THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE THE FOLLOWING THINGS HAPPENED: A CLUNKING SOUND IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. NUMEROUS WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON . ABS, COLLISION AVOIDANCE, CRUISE CONTROL, CHECK ENGINE, ESC OR ESP. OVER TIME THE LIGHTS CLEARED BUT CAME BACK ON WEEKS APART. I AM A RETIRED NASA SAFETY/RELIABLY ENGINEER. IN MY OPINION ALL OF THESE LIGHTS COME ON AS A RESULT OF FAILURES OF ONE OR MORE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM AS WHEN THERE IS A FAILED OR INTERMITTENT OPERATION OF A FAILED SPEED SENSOR. ALL OF THESE SAFETY SYSTEMS FAIL WHEN THE ONE SENSOR FAILS. THIS FAILURE COULD OCCUR UNEXPECTEDLY AT ANY TIME. LEADING TO LOSS OF LIVES AND VEHICLE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY WARNING LETTERS ON THIS MAJOR SAFETY FAILURE. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER MERCEDES IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. AFTER THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY MERCEDES SAYS THEY WILL CHARGE THE OWNER TO FIX IT. AT THE VERY LEAST THE ISSUE CLEARLY NECESSITATES THAT THIS ISSUE BE ELEVATED, TO CONSUMERS, AND THAT THE ISSUE BE FIXED . A WARNING THAT DESCRIBES THE ISSUE AND MERCEDES STATUS ON A FIX SHOULD GO OUT TO ALL THE APPROPRIATE PARTIES IMMEDIATELY. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED PUT IN NEUTRAL THEN 4 WHEEL DRIVE WAS ENGAGED, IMMEDIATELY WHEN MOVING THERE WAS A BIG CLUNK AND THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THEY WENT OUT THEN CAME BACK ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR MONTHS. ONE TIME THEY CAME ON JUST SITTING AT THE LIGHT. FAILURE OF MULTIPLE SAFETY SYSTEMS DUE TO A SENSOR FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE. I BELIEVE A DESIGN FIX IS URGENTLY NEEDED AND SHOULD BE PRESSED FOR HARD BY THE GOVERNMENT. CURRENTLY THERE IS NO FIX. AND MERCEDES IS NOT ADEQUATELY WARNING THE PUBLIC OF THE ISSUE. UNTIL I PRESSED MERCEDES HARD ON THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM I WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF WHAT EXACTLY THE PROBLEM WAS. THE FAILURE OF ONE SENSOR SPEED CAUSES MULTIPLE SAFETY SYSTEMS TO NOT WORK.

NHTSA ID

11373892

Incident

Nov 3, 2017

Mileage

3,000 mi

MB SPRINTER HAS FAULT THAT GENERATES INSTRUMENTS INDICATORS OF ABS, SKIDDING AND ANOTHER. BEFORE THIS OCCURRED TRANSMISSION SHIFTING BECAME ERRATIC AND WHEN BREAKING THE ENGINE REVVED UP AND ALSO MADE BRAKES UNLESS. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED BUT WAS ALMOST OUT OF CONTROL.

NHTSA ID

11365059

Incident

Oct 4, 2020

Mileage

11,000 mi

WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILED AT 10000 MILES (REFER TO PREVIOUS COMPLAINT), AGAIN FAILS AT 20000 MILES CAUSING ERRATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTING AND PROPULSION WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT.

NHTSA ID

11362948

Incident

Oct 5, 2020

Mileage

20,000 mi

2016 MERCEDES BENZ SPRINTER 3500. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ACCELERATION ISSUES. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED, WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 20, THE VEHICLE LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND SHIFT GEARS. THE SPEED DECREASED TO LESS THAN 20 MPH. *JS

NHTSA ID

11354676

Incident

Jun 14, 2020

DRIVING ALONG ON CRUISE CONTROL. CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATES, ANTI-LOCK, TRACTION CONTROL AND ANTI-SKID LIGHTS COME ON. I STOP THE VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION WANDERS BETWEEN GEARS JERKING. I GO TO MB DEALERSHIP THEY REPLACE R REAR SPEED SENSOR MILEAGE:9659MILES. AT 12,060 MILES THE SAME THING HAPPENS. I DRIVEA FIVE HOUR ROUND TRIP TO MB DEALER, THEY REPLACE THE L REAR SPEED SENSOR. AT 17,000 MILES (NOW OFF WARRANTY) ALL THE LAMPS ARE ON AGAIN, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE AND I FACE A 133 MILE TOW TO KNOXVILLE, TN MERCEDES DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ID

11331427

Incident

May 9, 2018

Mileage

9,659 mi

THIS MB SPRINTER 3500 3.0 DIESEL IS THE CHASSIS FOR A 2018 THOR CHATEAU 24FS RV. 2018-07-06 - 8485 MILES: LEFT REAR SPEED SENSOR REPLACED. 2018-09-14 - 9488 MILES: RIGHT REAR SPEED SENSOR REPLACED. 2020-05-22 - 14127 MILES: LEFT REAR SPEED SENSOR REPLACED. IN ALL CASES THE TRACTION, SKID, AND ABS LIGHTS COME ON ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE TRANSMISSION CAN SHIFT MANY TIMES PER SEC WHEN TURNING A SHARP CORNER (AND CAUSE THE RV TO "BUCK"). ALSO THE TRANSMISSION CAN DROP OUT OF DRIVE MULTIPLE TIMES AND REV THE ENGINE RPMS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ALSO CAUSING THE RV TO "BUCK". A STARTLED DRIVER MIGHT TRY TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND LOCK THE STEERING WHEEL. MB SERVICE AGENT ON 5-22-2020 TOLD ME THAT THEY SEE THIS WITH RV'S "ALL THE TIME, BUT NEVER SEEM TO SEE IT WHEN THE SPRINTER IS JUST A VAN. UNCLEAR WHY THIS IS HAPPENING". THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT!!! IT ALMOST DID FOR ME DRIVING 55 MPH ON I-515 IN GA NEAR WOODSTOCK AND OTHER TIMES. ALSO CAUSED ME TO HAVE THE RV TOWED TO THE MB DEALER IN ATLANTA FROM TYBEE ISLAND GA AT AN EXPENSE OF $600. AT MINIMUM, MB SHOULD UPDATE THEIR ESP COMPUTER TO SANITY CHECK THE DATE BEING GIVEN BY THE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS. IF THEY DON'T MAKE SENSE, THEN DISABLE ABS, TRACTION AND SKID, BUT DON'T START SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION MULTIPLE TIMES PER SECOND, OR TAKE IT OUT OF GEAR AND REV THE ENGINE. *DT*JB*DT *DL

NHTSA ID

11325768

Incident

May 22, 2020

Mileage

14,000 mi

AT 12000 MILES, BOTH REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS FAILED CAUSING MULTIPLE INDICATOR PANEL ALARMS, SPONGY BRAKING AND DRIVETRAIN/TRANSMISSION TO STICK IN A GEAR, IE. WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS (STUCK IN FIRST GEAR ON INTERSTATE AT ONE POINT). *DT THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED. BOTH THE REAR RPM SENSORS WERE REPLACED. *JS

NHTSA ID

11138785

Incident

Oct 4, 2018

Mileage

11,500 mi

7-9-2018: PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WITH A 2018 THOR CHATEAU 24FS (WITH A 2016 SPRINTER 3500 DIESEL CHASSIS) WITH LESS THAN 9K MILES, I HAD A "BANG" FROM THE TRANSMISSION. IN HINDSIGHT, THIS WAS JUST AFTER A RIGHT TURN. ABOUT 300 MILES LATER AFTER A STOP LIGHT AND 90 DEGREE RIGHT TURN, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TRYING TO SHIFT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN 2 AND AND 3 (OR MAYBE 1ST AND 2ND) IN SOMEWHAT VIOLENT RAPID ALTERNATION. I STOPPED AND RESTARTED THE RV. RAN FINE. ABOUT 75 MILES LATER AFTER A RIGHT TURN, SAME THING. STOPPED & RESTARTED. ODBII (SCANGAUGE) GAVE C0037 "LEFT REAR WHEEL SENSOR" CODE AND THE DASH LIGHTS SHOWED: CHECK ENGINE, ABS, TIRE ROTATION AND TRACTION LIGHTS...AND THEY WOULDN'T GO OFF AFTER RESTARTING ENGINE. MB DEALER REPLACED LEFT REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR. 9/2/2018: DID A LEFT TURN AND STARTED HAVING SAME PROBLEM. SAME DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. ODBII CODE WAS C003A ('RIGHT REAR WHEEL SENSOR'). I WAS ABLE TO NURSE THE UNIT HOME, BUT IT DID HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER LEFT TURNS A COUPLE OF TIMES. SAFETY ISSUE: IF YOU MAKE 90 DEGREE LEFT/RIGHT TURN (DEPENDING WHICH SENSOR WENT OUT), THE SPRINTER STARTS SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS RAPIDLY WITH GREAT NOISE. NO CHOICE BUT TO MANUALLY PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL. AT THAT POINT, UNTIL YOU STOP THE VEHICLE AND TURN OFF/ON THE ENGINE, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ENGAGE AND YOU ARE STUCK COASTING TO STOP. IF YOU JUST PULLED ONTO A BUSY INTERSECTION AND HAVE THIS PROBLEM, YOU WOULD STOP TRAFFIC AND MAY GET REAR-ENDED. THE SPRINTER'S COMPUTER OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT CHANGING GEARS MULTIPLE TIMES PER SECOND IS NOT GOOD AND THUS THE SPEED SENSOR MUST BE BAD. THERE SHOULD BE A THRESHOLD LIMIT THAT IF EXCEEDED, THE COMPUTER WOULD IGNORE THE SENSOR'.GO AHEAD AND TURN ON THE DASH LIGHTS, BUT DON'T TRY TO DESTROY THE TRANSMISSION...AND DON'T LEAVE THE POOR DRIVE A 'SITTING DUCK'.

NHTSA ID

11124129

Incident

Sep 2, 2018

Mileage

9,000 mi