59 of the
595 complaints filed about the Mercedes Benz Sprinter 2500
are about the engine —
10% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2020.
SAFETY DEFECT REPORT & RECALL NON-COMPLIANCE: 2018 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 (VIN: [XXX]) This complaint involves an uncorrected emissions system defect that causes a sudden, dangerous engine shutdown and low-speed countdown limp mode on live roadways, combined with manufacturer recall non-compliance by Mercedes-Benz USA and its authorized franchise dealer, Euro Motorcars Bethesda. The vehicle was brought to an authorized dealership under a mandatory manufacturer recall (Recall Campaign 2025070001 / ECU software update) at 108,575 miles, well within the legally mandated 10-Year / 120,000-Mile Extended Emissions Modification Warranty. Prior to the recall service, the vehicle suffered an abrupt EGR loop breakdown and threw active safety shutdown code P19DE00 (EGR Shut Off / Exhaust Gas Recirculation Limp Mode), placing the vehicle in a hazardous low-speed countdown state. Instead of opening a mandatory Star Support warranty override file to replace the failing physical EGR hardware while the asset was legally under-mileage, the dealership cleared the fault codes to quickly process and bill for the software recall update, pushing the commercial vehicle back onto public roadways with active component restrictions. Because the manufacturer's franchise network failed to properly execute the recall and process the manual hardware extension while under-mileage, the automated database now blocks the required fix based on current elapsed mileage (129,093 miles). The vehicle is locked in an un-driveable limp mode condition in my driveway, completely destroying its utility. Mercedes-Benz USA Corporate Executive Care has actively refused to override the tracking error, violating the terms of the federal modification campaign and leaving an unsafe, defective vehicle in service. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11755370 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sudden complete engine failures occurred in my Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van during highway operation while transporting freight, creating a serious safety hazard due to immediate and total loss of engine power in active traffic conditions. The first engine failure occurred at approximately 303,000 miles. The second failure occurred at approximately 140,000 miles after engine replacement. In both cases, there were no prior warning signs, diagnostic alerts, abnormal noises, or performance issues before sudden and catastrophic engine shutdown. Both incidents occurred while I was operating the vehicle at highway speeds during commercial freight delivery. The engine failed without warning, resulting in immediate loss of propulsion while in traffic. On both occasions, I was forced to rapidly maneuver the disabled vehicle to the shoulder under reduced control and arrange emergency towing to safely remove the vehicle from the roadway and prevent a potential collision or injury. These failures created a significant highway safety risk due to the abrupt loss of power while merging, traveling in traffic flow, and operating at speed. A sudden engine shutdown in these conditions could result in a rear-end collision, loss of control, or multi-vehicle accident, particularly in high-speed or heavy traffic environments. The repeated nature of catastrophic engine failure following engine replacement raises concern about a potential underlying defect in the engine system, components, or related assemblies, or possible unresolved mechanical or installation-related issues. The recurrence of identical failure conditions under similar operating circumstances increases concern that this may not be an isolated incident. Vehicle Information: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter used for commercial freight delivery First engine failure: ~303,000 miles Second engine failure: ~140,000 miles (replacement engine) Failure type: Sudden, complete engine shutdown with no warning at highway speed
NHTSA complaint #11737931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 170 High Roof caught fire suddenly and without warning. The vehicle was in its original condition and had not been modified in any way. The fire escalated quickly and resulted in a total loss. The cause of the fire is unknown. This incident raises serious safety concerns.
NHTSA complaint #11725258 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Complaint Description I am filing this complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding a safety issue with my new Mercedes Benz Sprinter 2500. I purchased this vehicle brand new from Mercedes Benz Manhattan. From the first day of ownership, I began experiencing multiple serious problems with the van. The main issue is that exhaust smoke and/or crankcase gases enter the cabin while driving. In addition, the vehicle experiences strong vibrations and the transmission frequently kicks or shifts abruptly. On several occasions this issue has caused the engine to stall while driving. (Traffic light stop) These problems create a potentially dangerous situation and make the vehicle unsafe to operate. The dealership, Mercedes Benz Manhattan, has attempted to repair the vehicle many times, but the problems persist and have not been resolved. Because of the ongoing safety risks, I believe this issue should be investigated.
NHTSA complaint #11724480 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I had tuned up my sprinter van around 64000 miles. I put new ngk spark plugs and ignition coils on it. Ran for a day then. The codes said the number one ignition coil was bad. Change that out and it ran for about 8000 miles. Then stated to go in lymph mode again. I decided to replace them with original Mercedes spark plugs and Ignition coils. But when I put them in the van had no power and was jerking. It was doing this before I changed them out. It had no power and would barely go up a hill. I researched and seen certain Merecedes Sprinter vans from 2021 to 2023. Had a recall on the fuel pump. But I don't understand why my van wasn't included. It's showing all the systems them the fuel pump or something to do with the fuel pump is going bad. I changed the spark plugs and ignition coils twice in less than 3 months.
NHTSA complaint #11690866 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed knock sensor, debris in the EGR valve, insufficient Selective Catalytic Reduction(SCR), and low DEF. The contact was informed that the knock sensor and the SCR converter needed to be replaced, and the EGR valve needed to be cleaned. The vehicle ws not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
NHTSA complaint #11676933 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed knock sensor, debris in the EGR valve, insufficient Selective Catalytic Reduction(SCR), and low DEF. The contact was informed that the knock sensor and the SCR converter needed to be replaced, and the EGR valve needed to be cleaned. The vehicle ws not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
NHTSA complaint #11676933 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
repeated EGR clogging and malfunction: bucking or stumbling behavior, inability to accelerate properly, disabled shifting affecting ability to slow or stop without excessive use of brakes, Limp Home Mode suddenly without warning including inability to maintain a safe speed on highway and speed minimums that the vehicle cannot keep up (20 mph max while climbing moderately), unable to downshift when going downhill - relying solely on braking to keep speed below safe limit or speed limits. EGR failed again after cleaning, in as little as 3 months. No repair seems possible, only repeated cleanings. Since this happened so much, we have been in several unsafe situations due to the sudden and unheralded degradation of performance and safe use of the vehicle. Once repaired, the condition can come back immediately due to the computer still guessing that it is still in failure (limp home mode returned suddenly without warning as we merged onto an interstate with no exit for 7 miles uphill… and only made 20mph). Check Engine light could come on, and did, but never during the actual degradation of performance - and went often after a few run cycles. Mercedes dealers have confirmed and performed all services on the EGR and related issues (malfunction once caused the aircleaner element to be sucked in and that caused a MAF to be destroyed by contaminants): 1) first signs of issue before 43,000 miles (when check engine light and/or LHM happened -repaired 18sep2023, 51,871 miles, MB service code: LI14.20-N-073867); 2) 26 DEC 2023 - EGR failure diagnosed and replaced by MB dealer. Cleaning had not fixed the issue or failure was final as found by driving by technician and not by codes! 3) 09/jul/2024 - MAF replaced, EGR codes noted - but functioning, fix by MB/Canada 4) 07/24/2024 - 70,547 miles - EGR Clean by MB Missoula MT - failed upon highway same day 5) 07/25/2025 - 70,600 miles - MB Missoula MT cleared computer 6) 88,340 MB cleaned EGR - runs ok again
NHTSA complaint #11674336 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Occasionally, the idle speed of the engine will drop to 400 rpm. When this happens, the vehicle does not respond to throttle input. If it happens in a parking lot, you can shift into park and coax the rpm higher, then shift to drive and move on. When it happens in the middle of an intersection while waiting to make a left turn, the story is very different. You can end up in a very dangerous situation. This has happened to me multiple times. I have not had an accident, but I have upset other drivers when I failed to clear an intersection in a timely manner. Knowing that the car will move when you press on the accelerator is critical for safely operating a vehicle. I purchased the vehicle new in October 2024, but did not start driving it until February 2025. The first incident happened about a week after hitting the road. It has happened many times since then. It took me an embarrassingly long time (months) to realize the problem was a low idle. The symptom I observed was that the vehicle failed to respond to the accelerator. That is the symptom that people will notice and that is the symptom that should be matched. It can be scary when it happens. Now that I know that it is brought on by low idle, I can watch for it and be prepared, but it can still leave me in a bad situation.
NHTSA complaint #11673832 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a 2022 Mercedes Sprinter with the M274 engine. At approximately 139,100 miles the check engine light came on and my driver was stranded on [XXX] . I took the vehicle to Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City South for diagnosis. I was told that the #4 piston cracked and scored the engine wall. I was quoted $23,820.12 to replace the engine long block. When I asked about trading the vehicle in, they offered me $2,000 for it if I was willing to purchase another vehicle from them. I did some research and there is currently a class-action lawsuit for this exact issue. In reading the comments of various class-action lawsuit websites, this seems to be a manufacturing issue that Mercedes knows about, but is doing nothing to fix the issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11655029 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, a loud pop was heard, and noticed there was smoke coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was a Sprinter van driver. The contact pulled the vehicle over and had the passengers located in the vehicle exit the vehicle. The contact stated that the engine had caught on fire. The vehicle was extinguished by the Fire Department. A fire report was not filed, however, the cause for the failure was not yet determined. A police report was not filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.
NHTSA complaint #11629637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The engine seized at 37,500 miles. It is available for inspection. The problem was confirmed by the dealer. There has been no inspections by manufacturer or any other representative. There were no warning signs. Manufacturer offered no warranties.
NHTSA complaint #11627375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the highway. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Mercedes Benz of Billings (3045 King Ave W, Billings, MT 59102); but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #11621205 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The engine fan fell off, broke off, sheered off at the bolt that attaches it to the engine. The van is brand new this happened with less then 3000 miles on it. We realized an issued when the van gave a warning to stop immediately and turn off engine. This warning came on 3-4 times as we tried to ascend the pass. We had not place to go on this road. We pulled off several times waiting and hour to let it cool just to travel 3 miles.We just thought we may be running to hot. It was warm out, on an incline on Logans Pass in Glacier national park. Once we coasted out of the park after several hours of this situation and were able to safely get under and look we discovered the fan was dangling in the engine compartment. We contacted a dealer in Billings who told us they have seen several of these. We have read several sprinter van forums and Facebook pages where numerous people are reporting the same issue. The Missoula Mercedes Benz dealer replace the pully, the belt and the fan. The said they were going to replace the water pump, but did not. We requested the parts from them and they would not allow us to have them. We requested pictures of the parts and they still have not been supplied to us. We have a few pictures of the damaged bolt. The service tech was initially just going to rethread the bolt. This a know problem by Mercedes Benz, Winnebago and they are taking no measures to correct it. Repaired it putting the same parts back on. What is to ensure this will not happen again. We were in a remote area of Northern Montana with limited service. We were essentially stranded there for three days.
NHTSA complaint #11608046 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle loses power and is unable to move. Pressing the accelerator to the floor, the engine develops no power. This happens randomly at higher altitudes. We have had several instances of power loss while merging into traffic. Total loss of power left us sitting in busy intersections. This is a common issue with these vehicles with no known fix available. Mercedes should be repairing thus problem before someone is seriously injured.
NHTSA complaint #11606647 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have had to have the EGR valve cleaned out 4 times in 18000 miles. The dealer states it carbonized and causes bucking and hard shifting. This is a great hardship as to lost time of vehicle in service. Smithtown Mercedes has told me it is a known issue with no current resolution other than cleaning the EGR every 3 months.
NHTSA complaint #11604674 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
It’s feels like hard shifting losing power on a highway Check engine light on I bought the van brand new. I have this issue since 4000 mile on the dashboard. I brought it in over six times for repairs. Nothing has been resolved.
NHTSA complaint #11597600 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was facing west in the left turning lane to turn south into my community. The vehicle lost power when I was cutting across oncoming, east bound traffic. The vehicle lost power two more time after that once I was in my community. No warning light or any other indicators. The vehicle just went limp. I almost didn't make it clear of oncoming traffic.
NHTSA complaint #11588231 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.