2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact was able to shift to neutral and restart the vehicle. The failure reoccurred at approximately 40,000. The failure became more frequent and was recurring every 3,000 to 4,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with an inoperable air charger for the turbo charger. The failure persisted, and the vehicle was returned to another dealer, Mercedes-Benz of Arrowhead (9260 W Bell Rd, Peoria, AZ 85382) to be diagnosed and the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and a case was opened to discuss a buy-back offer. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

NHTSA ID

11747881

Incident

Oct 2, 2024

Mileage

33,000 mi

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, there was an abnormal metal grinding sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The transmission was shifted into neutral(N) and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with pinion bearing failure and the LIMP Mode failure causing an Emissions issue. The rear axle, air charger GPS, turbo, and oil sensor were all replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with the same failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and a case was opened to discuss a buy-back offer for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,600.

NHTSA ID

11747880

Incident

Feb 2, 2025

Mileage

9,600 mi

There was an SRS Error message. The SRS system is non-functional on a vehicle with 400 miles. The dealership has attempted to fix the problem by replacing the fuse and control unit, but it appears to be a coding - programming issue. An engineering case has been opened for 2 weeks, but they have given me no notice of what or when the next step takes place.

NHTSA ID

11733355

Incident

Apr 7, 2026

I am filing a formal complaint against Lazydays RV (Tampa, FL) for repeat violations of NHTSA safety standards and probable violation of their 2022 Consent Agreement and Compliance Monitoring Order. In May 2024, I purchased a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter RV from Lazydays. The vehicle was sold as “new” and delivered to South Carolina. Upon delivery, I discovered it had been stripped of OEM parts and tampered with prior to shipment, including a non-OEM “Tampa Bay Battery” substituted for the factory-installed Mercedes-Benz battery. That non-compliant battery failed in May 2025, leaving us stranded and requiring an emergency replacement. Lazydays also failed to register the manufacturer’s warranty with MBUSA for nearly one year, preventing factory coverage during that time. I later obtained confirmation from the RV manufacturer (Thor Motor Coach) that the vehicle was missing several required OEM components (bike rack, ladder, seat and door covers), and they were forced to replace these at their own cost — not Lazydays’. The dealership also collected $1,600 in SC registration/title fees, then failed to perform the service or refund the charge. This case reflects a pattern of deceptive delivery, false documentation, and equipment tampering, all of which directly impact vehicle safety, warranty integrity, and federal compliance. Lazydays’ behavior is consistent with violations described in their 2022 NHTSA Consent Order. I am formally requesting NHTSA investigate this matter as a repeat offense under active probation and compliance oversight. Please initiate a formal compliance review of Lazydays RV under its existing NHTSA oversight. This is no longer a single instance — it is a persistent pattern of regulatory violations that impact consumer safety and vehicle compliance.

NHTSA ID

11674564

Incident

May 23, 2025

Vehicle suddenly lost ability to accelerate. After driving narrow mountain roads with a lot of downshifting and upshifting, vehicle was on a long, gradual downgrade, then approached a long, slight (4%?) upgrade. Vehicle would not maintain speed and began to decelerate. Pushing the accelerator to the floor did nothing. Attempted to manually shift gears, but transmission would not downshift, or upshift. This almost resulted in being rear-ended by a semi. The speed limit was 55 and vehicle had decelerated to ~25 mph by the time I found a place to pull over. I stopped and was able to shift into Park. Revved engine and it behaved normally. I shut off engine for 1 minute and then restarted. Transmission and all other systems worked fine and continued to work normally for several hundred miles since then. There was no CEL, or other warning. There was no indication that it entered "Limp Mode." I suspected that something went wrong with the logic in the electronic transmission. Mercedes Benz dealership could NOT find any codes logged in the OBDC. The service manager told me, "It might have been some kind of computer glitch." This was a 2-lane, country road. The semi was behind me, and several cars were behind the semi. For about a mile there was no place to pull over. One impatient driver passed both the semi and my Sprinter in a "no passing" zone. We were all fortunate that there was no collision.

NHTSA ID

11633414

Incident

Nov 7, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had attempted to restart the vehicle and the vehicle failed to restart. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the diesel fuel was contaminated, and the entire diesel fuel system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact independently had samples of the diesel fuel tested and no water or contamination was found. The contact stated that the Insurance provider also tested the diesel fuel and found no contaminants or water. The contact researched online and related the failure to a diesel filter design for the year, make, and model. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.

NHTSA ID

11622535

Incident

Sep 7, 2024

Mileage

46,000 mi

In the middle of my merge attempt, the vehicle suddenly braked hard, mimicking the feeling of an emergency stop, There was no cars around me, There was no reason for the auto to stop.

NHTSA ID

11611828

Incident

Aug 22, 2024

I noticed there was a reall of the front hub assemblies, however my truck must not be on the list of vins affected. I’m not sure where the problem originated, but I just passed over 20k miles and im experiencing signs and symptoms of what that recall would affect, this started a few weeks ago, not getting any better. It just stars vibrating and shaking pretty violently. like a wheels coming off. My father is also experiencing similar issues in is 2022 king ranch with 40k miles. Both trucks, very low mileage shouldn’t show these sort of symptoms yet. I’m not sure if they go hand and hand but it also disengages advanced track and all the front sensors and what not when it happens. After reading a few articles I do not feel the truck is safe on the road until probably inspected.

NHTSA ID

11611821

Incident

Aug 9, 2024

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.

Complaint The coolant warning lamp may be displayed in the instrument cluster. The malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) may also be illuminated. Cause Moisture or corrosion may be present in the connector of the low‑temperature circuit switchover valve (Y97/6) or coolant pump 1 (M75/11). Remedy Inspect the connectors and pins at the low‑temperature circuit switchover valve and coolant pump 1 for moisture, corrosion, or terminal damage. If moisture, corrosion, or terminal damage is found, replace the affected connector or wiring harness and the corresponding component as required. If available, use the wiring harness as the repair measure. If the wiring harness is not available or is not applicable, replace the connector housing and required small parts in the wiring harness.

OM654 Engine Oil Consumption Complaint The customer may report repeated low engine oil level warnings in the instrument cluster. The customer may also state that engine oil must be added between scheduled maintenance intervals. During diagnosis, oil residue may be observed at the oil filler neck, cylinder head cover, crankcase ventilation connection, charge air pipes, charge air cooler, intake tract, or turbocharger area. In some cases, the complaint may be accompanied by increased diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration frequency or aftertreatment‑related fault entries. Cause Increased engine oil consumption may be caused by external oil leakage, crankcase ventilation system concerns, reduced oil separation efficiency in the cylinder head cover, turbocharger oil leakage, charge air system oil accumulation, fuel dilution, vehicle operating profile, oil level sensor plausibility concerns, or internal engine mechanical damage. A measured engine oil consumption test is required before a repair direction is determined. Customer‑reported oil additions or instrument cluster oil level messages alone are not sufficient to determine the repair. Remedy 1. Perform the engine oil consumption measurement according to AR18.00‑D‑ 0025TSM. 2. If the measured oil consumption is within specification, no repair related to engine oil consumption is required. • Verify the correct engine oil specification and review the vehicle operating profile, maintenance history, idle time, and regeneration frequency. If the complaint is based mainly on an oil level message and measured oil consumption is not confirmed, verify oil level sensor plausibility before continuing with engine oil consumption diagnosis. 3. If the measured oil consumption exceeds specification, inspect the engine for external oil leaks. • Pay close attention to the oil filler neck, oil filler neck seal, cylinder head cover area, oil filter housing, crankcase ventilation connections, turbocharger oil supply and return areas, and other visible sealing points. 4. If an external oil leak is identified, repair the leak according to the applicable repair instructions. • Correct the engine oil level and repeat the oil consumption measurement if necessary. 5. Inspect the crankcase ventilation connection, turbocharger inlet and outlet, charge air pipes, and charge air cooler for oil accumulation. • A light oil film alone does not confirm a turbocharger or engine failure. Oil pooling, heavy oil accumulation, debris, or oil migration into the intake tract requires further inspection. 6. If there is no clear external oil leak, no severe charge air system oil contamination, and no obvious turbocharger damage, inspect the crankcase ventilation system first. 7. Perform the crankcase ventilation shutoff valve leak‑tightness test according to AR01.40‑D‑0050TSM. 8. If the crankcase ventilation shutoff valve fails the leak‑tightness test, replace the shutoff valve and the cylinder head cover with integrated oil separator. Replace all required seals and hardware. 9. If the crankcase ventilation shutoff valve passes the leak‑tightness test, no external oil leak is identified, no abnormal turbocharger oil entry is found, and the engine mechanical condition is not suspect, replace the cylinder head cover with integrated oil separator. • Fill the engine with oil meeting MB 229.52 SAE 5W‑30 and repeat the engine oil consumption measurement according to AR18.00‑D‑0025TSM.

Oil Leak at Crankcase Near the High-pressure Fuel Pump OM654 Complaint Visible oil leak at the crankcase near the mounting area of the high‑pressure fuel pump on OM654 engines. Cause Oil leakage near the high‑pressure fuel pump may result from insufficient sealing performance of the jump shaft seal and/or reduced sealing effectiveness at the interface between the high‑pressure fuel pump and crankcase. Relative movement of the high‑pressure fuel pump within the crankcase bore may reduce sealing effectiveness at the pump‑to‑crankcase interface and promote oil migration during engine operation. Remedy Install a new high‑pressure fuel pump together with the design‑optimized sealing ring.

Complaint Low Coolant warning with possible engine misfire caused by a leaking Charge Air Cooler (Intercooler), accompanied by one or more of the following possible fault codes related to the coolant system: P30040B: Component 'Temperature sensor downstream of charge air cooler' has an open circuit or short circuit to positive. P25567B: Sensor 'Coolant level' has a malfunction. The fluid level is too low. Cause The potential causes for this topic are: A. A leak in the Coolant System, other than the Charge Air Cooler. B. An Internal leak of the Charge Air Cooler. C. An unapproved/aftermarket upfit or modification to the coolant system. Remedy A. A leak in the Coolant System, other than the Charge Air Cooler 1. Complete a coolant system pressure test: •Refer to WIS Doc AR20.00‑D‑1011TS ‑ Check engine cooling system for leak tightness. •Use Tester Cap 210 589 00 91 and Pressure Pump 124 589 24 21 00. •Apply test pressure to the engine cooling system. Do not exceed the specified test pressure of 1.5 Bar to prevent damage to the engine cooling system. •Perform a visual check on the top and bottom of the engine compartment and in the vehicle interior. •If coolant loss or pressure loss is present, perform suitable repair measures depending on the vehicle equipment. •If NO signs of coolant loss are found but pressure loss is present, proceed to Step B. B. An Internal leak of the Charge Air Cooler 1. Inspect the Charge Air Cooler for an internal leak: •Remove either the Throttle Valve or Charge Air Temperature Sensor to inspect for coolant loss. See attachments for the failed Charge Air Cooler. •If coolant is found inside the Charge Air Cooler: •Perform a manual compression test to confirm the absence of internal engine failures per WIS Doc AR01.00‑D‑1201TSM ‑ Check compression pressure. •Remove and clean any coolant present in the Charge Air System, Intake System, and Cylinders. •Replace the Charge Air Cooler, the glow plugs, and then conduct an oil and filter change. Refer to AR09.41‑D‑6817TSM ‑ Remove/install charge air cooler. •If coolant is not found inside the Charge Air Cooler, proceed to Step C. C. An unapproved/aftermarket upfit or modification to the coolant system 1. Inspect the Coolant system for any unapproved/aftermarket upfits or modifications: •See the Attachments for examples of non‑approved upfits or modifications. •Note: The OM654 cannot have any aftermarket modifications made to the coolant system per the Body and Equipment Guidelines (BEG) under 4.4.3 Engine Cooling, "Do not make modifications to the cooling system (cooler components, air ducting, hose, and other detachable parts that are part of the cooling system)". •If there are modifications made to the coolant system that violate the BEG, do not complete any repairs on the system under warranty until either your Vans Aftersales Business Development Manager (VABDM) or facing Field Service Engineer (FSE) reviews the vehicle.

An authorized Mercedes-Benz eSprinter dealer will update the drivetrain control unit on the affected vehicles. An authorized Mercedes-Benz Sprinter dealer will update the engine control unit on the affected vehicles.