2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Problems And Complaints

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2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van Problem, Issues Complaint, Recall and which year to avoid?

17

Recalls

0

Investigations

9

Complaints
Overall Safety Rating
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Nathan Dyer 

Senior Editor,

Updated on August 7, 2024

The Mercedes-Benz has been known to be one of the game-changers when it comes to cargo vans in the automobile market. The powerful Sprinter vans from the Mercedes Benz had been one of the best van choices for hauling maximum payload for various commercial courier agencies. 

Available with a price tag of $40,000, the Mercedes Benz Sprinter cargo van is a fairly good choice while compared to Nissan NV2500 with a starting market price of $31,440, followed by the Ford Transit with a beginning market value of $35,295. The Sprinter might appear a bit pricey while compared to some of its rivals, but the vehicle’s popularity for hitting a sales volume of 45,508 units in the respective year does prove its loyalty amongst Benz’s van lovers. 

Apart from these two, the Sprinter has got the GMC Savana Cargo with a base price of $33,295, as its primary competitor. 

The Benz’s Sprinter was expected to retain its exceptionally well popularity even in the upcoming years, but the complaints raised against its reliablity became a concern for the brand. The recall rate of 11 registered in the NHTSA website did question the publicity of the car’s performance on certain grounds. Apart from its faulty suspension system, questions were raised on its problematic rollaways issues even after parking the vehicle. That’s not all, some owners also complained about its faulty emergency calling system malfunction was another issue that some owners wanted to re replaced and fixed. 

Mechanical and Engine Problems

  • Faulty suspension 

User complaints include the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van was wrongly assembled causing inconvenience to the suspension system. Such issues might affect the car suspension while the vehicle is in motion, triggering the risk of slowing down of speed or increasing the car's speed while driving on highways. 

Miscellaneous Problems

  • Torsion bar repair parts not available 

On multiple times this has been seen that the user failed to repair the car suspension parts due to the unavailability of the torsion bar at times. Such issues are to be fixed and Mercedes should notify the owners to stop driving the vehicle till the repair parts are made available for fixing the issue.

2021 Mercedes Benz Sprinter Van Recall

S. No

Date 

NHTSA ID

Issues Noticed 

Additional Remarks 

Remedy 

1

October 21 2022

22V796000

Vehicle rollaway issues noticed triggering crashing chances 

Instances noted in which the vehicle started rolling after the deployment of faulty parking pawl. Such instances lead to the guide bushing increasing chances of car crashes

Dealers will be asked to update the software of control units, including the electronic stability and transmission control of units for free. 

2

May 20 2022

22V360000

Emergency calling feature malfunction

Disabled e-Call system preventing vehicle occupants from contacting emergency services delaying in an emergency situation might increase injury risk

The communication module sofware is going to be updated via OTA update or by the respective dealer for free.

3

April 27 2022

22V281000 

Faulty rearview camera display 

Inoperable rearview camera might reduce driver’s viewing options risking crashing chances while driving

Dealers will be asked to update the rear viewing software and fix it for free of cost

3

March 8 2022

22V131000

Incorrect assembling of torsion bar leading to failure in connecting the torsion bar and linkage causing leading to vehicle stability loss, triggering crashing chances

The torsion bar shim was incorrectly stalled while assembling

The dealers were informed about the issue and has been instructed to replace the torsion bar linkages for free

4

February 9 2022

22V073000

Overloading vehicle might lead to wear and tear increasing crashing risk 

GVWR might be improperly stated due to excessive loading of weight leading to car crash 

Dealers have been informed to replace the tires and loading info label in the vehicle for completely free. The recall number for the issue is VS3RE58HIN

5

December 1 2021

21V933000

Damaged brake hose causing leakage to the brake fluid might extend the distance needed for stopping the vehicle, increasing the chances of crashing risk

Front axle fender lines and braking hose remaining too close might allow fender liner to contact and damage brake hose 

Dealers are going to inspect the condition and has been instructed to modify the fender liner trim and replace brake hose for free of cost. The recall number for the issue is VS3BAURAVE 

7

December 1 2021

21V934000

Loose bolt fasteners might allow the rear step to get separated from the vehicle leading to road hazards and triggering crashing chances

Spring loaded rear step bolt fasteners might not be tightened properly leading to the detachment of the rear step bolt from the vehicle 

Dealers will be notified about the issues who will be replacing the console and retightening the bolt fasteners by attaching hardware for free of cost. The recall for the number is VSHECKTRI

8

October 6 2021 

21V779000

Electrical short in the starter generator wiring might trigger chances of fire risk 

Dropping out of the cable duct due to an unlatched engagement hook inside the battery case might compel the starter generator wiring harness to chafe against the transmission career causing a short circuit

The dealers have been asked to replace the engagement hooks and repair the afffected cable duct with expanding rivets for free of charge. The recall began on November 2 2021

July 7 2021 

21V513000

Malfunctioning automatic locking retractor may affect the child restraint system increasing the chances of a car crash 

Technical fault in the automatic locking retractor might disable the child restraint system triggering injury risk if the car encounters an accidental crash

Dealers are always going to inspect and replace the seat belt assemblies for free of cost. 

10 

June 2 2021 

21V411000

Back-up camera may not work due to MBUX software malfunction 

Faulty backup camera might not work properly after a reboot or start-up causing inconvenience to the drivers to see the objects in the rearview mirror

Dealers have been instructed to update the multimedia system software via OTA update for free of cost. The recall for the issue is VS3UXPOBOX

11

June 2 2021

21V410000

Incorrect routing of front seat wiring harnesses 

Incorrect wiring harnesses might be a serious cause for preventing airbag deployment within the seat increasing the chances of injury on encountering a car crash

Dealers are going to attach the mounting clip to the correct position for free of charge. The recall number for the vehicle is VS3DREHSEL 

Should you Buy a 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van?

The Sprinter Van from Mercedes Benz is always going to be a wise option for those who’re looking for a reliable and spacious cargo van for hauling heavy payloads. In fact, the 2021 Mercedes Sprinter van would have been a tough hunk for the rival brands, if the users had found 0 issues with vehicle’s reliability. But, since, that was not the case, the brand had to ask the dealers to inspect the issues and repair the faulty parts that bothered the market goodwill of the car. The best part is, Benz did not take much time to address the issue and find a proper remedy to eliminate the problems once and for all. They asked the dealers to change the malfunctioning emergency calling system, repaired the faulty brake hose, restored a software update to fix the rearview camera image malfunction without much delay. That helped the brand to revive its brand reputationm, before its competitors could make any smart move. 

In our opinion, if someone is looking ahead to buy an old Mercedes Benz Sprinter van that has none of these issues discusses above, they shouldn’t wait longer if the resale market price of the van looks like a pretty good bargain. 

  • Complaints
  • Recalls
  • Investigations
  • Manufacturer Communications

September 2, 2024, NHTSA ID Number: 11612105

Components: 180000 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

NHTSA ID Number:
11612105

Incident Date:
September 2, 2024

Vehicle Identification Number:
W1X8E33Y4ME

Consumer Location:
GRANBURY, TX

Summary
The Distronic Cruise Control stops working and then will start working again several times on long trips....

August 12, 2024, NHTSA ID Number: 11607908

Components: 100000 POWER TRAIN

NHTSA ID Number:
11607908

Incident Date:
August 12, 2024

Vehicle Identification Number:
W1W4EBVY5MT

Consumer Location:
JACKSON, WY

Summary
Vehicle is unable to move apparently because of a design flaw that allows water to travel down cables int...

June 7, 2024, NHTSA ID Number: 11593062

Components: 180000 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

NHTSA ID Number:
11593062

Incident Date:
June 7, 2024

Vehicle Identification Number:
W1W70BGY8MT

Consumer Location:
SANDPOINT, ID

Summary
On long trips (when you need cruise control the most) the adaptive cruise control will (seemingly at rand...

September 29, 2023, NHTSA ID Number: 11547376

Components: 060000 ENGINE (PWS)

NHTSA ID Number:
11547376

Incident Date:
September 29, 2023

Vehicle Identification Number:
W1W70BGY0MT

Consumer Location:
WOODSTOCK, GA

Summary
Fuel pump recall July 5. No resolution. Vehicle deemed unsafe per recall. Please advise. Have contacted M...

September 15, 2023, NHTSA ID Number: 11544754

Components: 980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

NHTSA ID Number:
11544754

Incident Date:
September 15, 2023

Vehicle Identification Number:
W1W70BGY0MT

Consumer Location:
WOODSTOCK, GA

Summary
This recall has been outstanding since July. It is now 2 months later and there is no remedy or repair no...

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