2023 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 3500 problems

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

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 complaint #11747880 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

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 complaint #11747880 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

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 complaint #11747881 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

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 complaint #11733355 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

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 complaint #11674564 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 complaint #11674564 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

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 complaint #11633414 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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 complaint #11633414 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

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 complaint #11622535 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:FUEL FILTER

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 complaint #11622535 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

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 complaint #11611821 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

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 complaint #11611821 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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 complaint #11611821 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

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 complaint #11611828 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

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 complaint #11611828 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

30 amp fuse melted at the solar control panel.

NHTSA complaint #11608281 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

30 amp ZAMP solar fuse melted and almost caused a fire 🔥

NHTSA complaint #11607963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

I was driving my van and out of nowhere it locked up and power steering malfunctioned. I was in NY at the time. Tried to get MB to help explain what was happening. Said they would send a Tech out. Found out they were going to send a tow truck and that was it. I had several pups on board and had to get them safe. So I figured out how to drive it with no power steering all the way back to Houston. While driving we got into some rain. Which for whatever reason the rain kicked the power steering on for just 5 or less seconds. This kept happening on and off while in wet road conditions. I was freaked out as the change made the steering go from impossible to beyond sensitive. We could have so easily flipped had I not been paying attention and driving at a slow speed. This also made all the safety features not accessible. No blind spot, cruise control, lane change or any of the important functions this van is equipped with. I would like to note that MB had to replace the engine due to a defect. Took 4 plus months. I have had issues ever since. Engine light came on all 4 of my trips. I know one that was the reason is VOX sensor. Fixed it and then happened next trip. Plus other sensors replaced. This van has been horrible! Bought it and was told they run up to 500k and these new engines they expect to see a million miles. I can’t even get it to 100k I called MB USA and started a complaint. They acted concerned and would contact me within 48 hours. Never to hear back from anyone. This was the same response when the engine malfunctioned. I was going to be given a loaner van and never heard or could connect with anyone.

NHTSA complaint #11584991 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

I was driving my van and out of nowhere it locked up and power steering malfunctioned. I was in NY at the time. Tried to get MB to help explain what was happening. Said they would send a Tech out. Found out they were going to send a tow truck and that was it. I had several pups on board and had to get them safe. So I figured out how to drive it with no power steering all the way back to Houston. While driving we got into some rain. Which for whatever reason the rain kicked the power steering on for just 5 or less seconds. This kept happening on and off while in wet road conditions. I was freaked out as the change made the steering go from impossible to beyond sensitive. We could have so easily flipped had I not been paying attention and driving at a slow speed. This also made all the safety features not accessible. No blind spot, cruise control, lane change or any of the important functions this van is equipped with. I would like to note that MB had to replace the engine due to a defect. Took 4 plus months. I have had issues ever since. Engine light came on all 4 of my trips. I know one that was the reason is VOX sensor. Fixed it and then happened next trip. Plus other sensors replaced. This van has been horrible! Bought it and was told they run up to 500k and these new engines they expect to see a million miles. I can’t even get it to 100k I called MB USA and started a complaint. They acted concerned and would contact me within 48 hours. Never to hear back from anyone. This was the same response when the engine malfunctioned. I was going to be given a loaner van and never heard or could connect with anyone.

NHTSA complaint #11584991 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

I was driving my van and out of nowhere it locked up and power steering malfunctioned. I was in NY at the time. Tried to get MB to help explain what was happening. Said they would send a Tech out. Found out they were going to send a tow truck and that was it. I had several pups on board and had to get them safe. So I figured out how to drive it with no power steering all the way back to Houston. While driving we got into some rain. Which for whatever reason the rain kicked the power steering on for just 5 or less seconds. This kept happening on and off while in wet road conditions. I was freaked out as the change made the steering go from impossible to beyond sensitive. We could have so easily flipped had I not been paying attention and driving at a slow speed. This also made all the safety features not accessible. No blind spot, cruise control, lane change or any of the important functions this van is equipped with. I would like to note that MB had to replace the engine due to a defect. Took 4 plus months. I have had issues ever since. Engine light came on all 4 of my trips. I know one that was the reason is VOX sensor. Fixed it and then happened next trip. Plus other sensors replaced. This van has been horrible! Bought it and was told they run up to 500k and these new engines they expect to see a million miles. I can’t even get it to 100k I called MB USA and started a complaint. They acted concerned and would contact me within 48 hours. Never to hear back from anyone. This was the same response when the engine malfunctioned. I was going to be given a loaner van and never heard or could connect with anyone.

NHTSA complaint #11584991 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Speed limit displayed on screen incorrectly displays 55 mph even when the speed limit is 65 or 70.

NHTSA complaint #11571733 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Vehicle hood opened on its own while driving. We have video of the incident from front dash camera. Vehicle hood was not operated prior to 300 miles when employee start the day with pre-trip information. There were few people also verified that the hood was closed properly. While driving from Ontario, CA to Las Vegas , NV and driver returning from Las Vegas the vehicle midway to Ontario California, the hood suddenly opened and smashed the windshield, driver was successfully able to pull over as he was driving in right lane blindly.

NHTSA complaint #11557883 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Emergency brake assist, distance sensing and adaptive cruise control randomly and intermittently deactivate while driving. In a recent 8-hour highway trip this deactivation occurred 7 times, sometimes correcting itself with no driver intervention, and other times remaining disabled for hours and hundreds of driving miles. Durning motor off and restarting occasionally reset the issue, but many times it did not. When these systems disable, the van’s speed rapidly decreases and may cause other vehicles to hit the rear of the van, or cause van drivers to panic and/or lose control of the vehicle. Random and unpredictable electronic failures such as this are a definite hazard and need to be addressed by the manufacturer.

NHTSA complaint #11554151 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

Emergency brake assist, distance sensing and adaptive cruise control randomly and intermittently deactivate while driving. In a recent 8-hour highway trip this deactivation occurred 7 times, sometimes correcting itself with no driver intervention, and other times remaining disabled for hours and hundreds of driving miles. Durning motor off and restarting occasionally reset the issue, but many times it did not. When these systems disable, the van’s speed rapidly decreases and may cause other vehicles to hit the rear of the van, or cause van drivers to panic and/or lose control of the vehicle. Random and unpredictable electronic failures such as this are a definite hazard and need to be addressed by the manufacturer.

NHTSA complaint #11554151 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Emergency brake assist, distance sensing and adaptive cruise control randomly and intermittently deactivate while driving. In a recent 8-hour highway trip this deactivation occurred 7 times, sometimes correcting itself with no driver intervention, and other times remaining disabled for hours and hundreds of driving miles. Durning motor off and restarting occasionally reset the issue, but many times it did not. When these systems disable, the van’s speed rapidly decreases and may cause other vehicles to hit the rear of the van, or cause van drivers to panic and/or lose control of the vehicle. Random and unpredictable electronic failures such as this are a definite hazard and need to be addressed by the manufacturer.

NHTSA complaint #11554151 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.