There wasn’t a lot of news in the commercial vehicle segment until Mercedes decided to upset the status quo. With their low-quality plastics and bare minimum levels of equipment, these vehicles were downright horrible until the German luxury brand stepped in. The 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo Van is plush and luxurious. But being a Mercedes, it is similarly expensive to maintain. The one question that remains in buyers’ minds then is whether this car can perform reliably or whether it might turn into a liability for businesses due to expensive repair bills. Some electrical problems like EIS issues have made life difficult for a lot of owners as well. You will see that there is the Ford Transit, the GMC Savana, and the Chevrolet Express ruling the roost over here. Prices for the Sprinter Cargo start at MSRP $39,945, which makes it slightly more expensive than its rivals. Read on to find out more about the Mercedes Sprinter reliability quotient.
2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo Van User Complaints and Problems
With Mercedes being a luxury brand, many people feel that it is beyond their capacity in terms of the financial aspects associated with ownership to own one of their cars. In the past, it has a history of doing so as we see with numerous Mercedes Sprinter turbo problems that included boost pressure faults and actuator faults. Other expensive repairs in the past include Mercedes Sprinter air-conditioning problems. The car is now in its third generation and was introduced in 2019. Even though it is not a car that sells a lot of units, it is still pretty successful in this category. Let us go through the complaints that have been reported by owners on the NHTSA website.
Mechanical problems:
- One owner reported while driving that the car was producing a very loud noise. The driver looked under the vehicle and found that the rear differential had sheared off and the axle was hanging by the rear suspension. This could have been a fatal accident if it happened somewhere else.
- Another owner had reported that the van automatically goes into ‘Park’ without the driver engaging it. The person also reported that this is a common problem according to online forums.
- One contact has noted that the power steering disconnects at times. The problem is that the power steering hose is not long enough. The power steering system in these vans has been noted as an area that is very much prone to failure by several owners.
- Several owners have reported that the electronic four-wheel-drive system engages by itself as the car is moving down the road. Many owners have reported the same issue and it is not easy to disengage the system.
Electrical system problems:
- The Electronic Ignition System (EIS) module inside the Mercedes Benz Sprinter is bolted directly under the dashboard which makes the position susceptible to liquid spills. In the event of this happening, it suffers an electrical short and causes a lot of damage to the car. This is one of the most common issues with the van.
- Another issue associated with the electrical system is that the factory harness installation rubs against the engine components and this leads to the vehicle shutting down completely. The safety risk in this event is huge and it needs to be addressed immediately.
Safety problems:
- One owner reported that the car automatically engages the brake without any driver involvement even when obstacles are not present in the front.
- There have been multiple complaints about the lane departure warning applying the brakes too aggressively and even causing safety concerns in the process. In fact, this is a common problem reported in many cars with active safety systems.
|
Category |
Number of complaints |
|---|---|
|
Mechanical |
12 |
|
Electrical System |
2 |
|
Exterior |
0 |
|
Interior |
0 |
|
Safety |
13 |
|
Miscellaneous |
0 |
Nearly all of the complaints discussed above are from the 2020 or 2021 model years since they are part of the same generation. The current model has not yet sold enough units or reached enough buyers to show up with complaints and hence we should look at its recalls history during the past few years to understand more about this car.
2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo Van Recalls
The recalls history of this car is a mixed bag as we will find the company being involved enough to issue a large number of recalls but not following it up with sufficient action. Many owners have reported that the parts scheduled to be replaced during recalls did not arrive on time. If we take a year-by-year comparison, the reassuring sign is that the complaints have reduced over the years. When it launched in 2019, this car had only five complaints since it sold only a few units. Subsequently, this climbs to 27 in 2020. From then on, it drops to just one in 2021 and 0 in 2022. Newer generations, especially the diesel variants have started reporting Mercedes Sprinter DPF problems. Take a look at the recalls below.
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA Campaign Number |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
December 1, 2021 |
21V934000 |
Bolt fasteners on the rear step might not be properly tightened |
The rear step may break away from the car as its fasteners might not be tightened properly and this will prove to be risky. |
|
2 |
December 1, 2021 |
21V933000 |
Fender liner may damage brake hose |
The front axle fender liner and the brake hose may be too close causing damage to the latter. |
|
3 |
October 6, 2021 |
21V779000 |
Starter generator wiring harness may short |
A wiring harness causing an electrical short will increase the risk of a fire. |
|
4 |
July 7, 2021 |
21V513000 |
Automatic locking retractor malfunction |
The child restraint system might have an automatic locking retractor malfunction and increase the risk of injury during a crash. |
|
5 |
June 2, 2021 |
21V411000 |
MBUX system software malfunction |
The backup camera image may be displayed blank and this reduces the driver’s rearview. |
|
6 |
June 2, 2021 |
21V410000 |
The front seat wiring harness routed incorrectly |
The wiring harness for the front seats may become damaged and this will prevent the side airbag from deploying correctly. |
There were several common problems reported with this car and many are addressed through the recalls issued by the brand. But what we can observe is that not all problems have found a solution yet. Given how dedicated the brand seems to be, we can expect them to be solved and it is extremely reassuring to know that.
Which model year of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo Van should you avoid?
The current generation of the Mercedes Benz Sprinter Cargo Van has been in production since 2019 and it wasn’t a very unreliable car, to begin with. If we had to ask you to avoid any particular model year, it would be the 2020 model which had a total of 27 customer complaints and 14 recalls that covered many issues associated with it. But even still, if you got one for a good deal we would still ask you to pursue it. However, the 2021 model seems to be a much more reliable one unless you go for the diesel variants which have DPF problems.
Should you buy the 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo Van?
The Mercedes Benz Sprinter Cargo Van is the S-Class of commercial vehicles. However, the greatest fear associated with owning this car is whether it might turn out to be expensive to repair and maintain. In this regard, the car having a mixed reputation regarding reliability has not helped either. It requires a certain commitment from its owners and the maintenance costs will certainly be higher than all of its rivals. Although the brand has followed up with a sufficient number of recalls, it is still not the most dependable cargo van around.
