2004 Dodge Sprinter 2500 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (2) · Electrical System (2) · Tires:valve (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Dodge Sprinter 2500 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel 2016-11-17 · campaign 16V833000 · 17,501 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Dodge and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vans manufactured June 30, 2003, to August 31, 2006. The instrument cluster on the affected vehicles fails to illuminate the BRAKE warning lamp in the instrument cluster during the vehicle start up bulb-function check. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems."
Risk: Without the BRAKE lamp illuminating during the vehicle start up bulb-function check, the driver has no confirmation that the lamp is working and therefore may not know whether or not the lamp will illuminate if the brake fluid level is low. If the operator is unaware that the vehicle has low brake fluid, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and DVUSA and Dodge dealers will correct the instrument cluster software, as necessary, free of charge. An interim notification was sent to owners on January 6, 2017. A second notice will be mailed to owners once the remedy becomes available. The recall began on July 27, 2017. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-770-705-2070.
Service bulletins (2)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control 2021-06-03 · T21 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
emissions recall t21 reprogram engine control unit
Engine And Engine Cooling 2021-03-12 · T21 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
emissions recall t21 reprogram engine control unit
What owners report
2023-08-11 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:gas Recirculation Valve (Egr Valve) · 257,600 mi“the contact owns a 2004 dodge sprinter 2500. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway with the ignition key turned to the off position however, the vehicle remained on, causing the battery to be drained. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with egr valve failure. the vehicle was towed to the de…”
2022-08-05 · Electrical System · 131,000 mi“the contact owns a 2004 dodge sprinter 2500. the contact stated the backlight of the instrument panel had remained illuminated after the vehicle was turned off, and remained constantly illuminated. the failure had been ongoing for the past three years. the contact stated that the failure drained the battery; requiring the battery to be replaced. th…”
2020-03-07 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 124,000 mi“the t21 recall has completely ruined my perfectly maintained and stable work vehicle. initially after having the recall done it left my battery dead as it left components running...it has been in and out of the shop for 5 months since the recall they keep throwing fixes at it which never seem to work! they have replaced the instrument cluster, egr,…”
2019-10-02 · Engine · 390,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge sprinter 2500. when attempting to start the vehicle, the auxiliary fan turned on, but the vehicle would not start. the contact mentioned that the vehicle was repaired per manufacturer recall number: t21 for the engine. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did…”
2019-08-13 · Power Train · 114,600 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge sprinter 2500. the contact received an unknown manufacturer recall notice regarding the malfunction indicator lamp. the contact took the vehicle to walnut creek chrysler jeep dodge ram (2404 n main st, walnut creek, ca 94596, (888) 377-2513) to be serviced per the recall. after the recall repair was performed, the …”
2019-05-03 · Tires:valve“mercedes benz sprinter. consumer writes in regards to tire valve stems safety recall. *ld the consumer stated the manufacturer refused to honor the recall. *js…”
2018-07-14 · Unknown Or Other · 124,000 mi“i did the t21 recall update to the pcm and have had check engine light on, then it died and had it towed to the greatest sprinter mechanics in my area. this was after the dealership cleared codes the first time my check engine light came on. towing from insurance made me pay the difference in mileage from the dealership. had t21 recall finished …”
2018-05-15 · Electronic Stability Control (Esc)“received t-21 recall notice for 2004 sprinter 2500. took to dealership we were sent to by dodge (fiat). dealership did the required software upgrade to the ecu - result was that the entire electrical system is trashed. they replaced 2 modules and that did not fix the problem. pcm is not shutting down the modules and relays and all circuits stay ope…”
2018-04-05 · Electrical System · 60,000 mi“the dodge dealer did the t21 emission recall on 12/08/2017. eversince this recall service my vehicle has been rendered in-operable with two problems. (1) the battery dies overnight. i have already replaced to new battery with same problem. (2) the egr valve makes buzzing noise with the car off. i have replaced the egr valve with new one with …”
2014-07-09 · Tires · 47,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge sprinter 2500 equipped with b.f. goodrich tires, tire line: lt23585r16, tire size: lt225/7.5r16, and dot number: beiljd112011. the contact stated that the rear passenger side tire tread was separating. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, who confirmed the failure and advised the contact to replace the tire immediate…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.