2005 Dodge Sprinter 3500 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (2) · Fuel System, Diesel (1) · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System (1)
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 (3)
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
Equipment:other:owners/Service/Other Manual 2020-05-21 · T21 Rev3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
emissions recall t21 reprogram engine control unit
What owners report
2020-08-21 · Electrical System · 265,000 mi · 🔥 fire“the car was in slow driving condition in hot weather driving.. the heater fan motor and/or heater fan wiring at the motor overheated and burned all plastic surrounding the plastic connector and wiring near it. the fire then spread to surrounding plastic heater blower fan housing and extinguished when heater hose burned and burst/sprayed sending a…”
2016-05-20 · Power Train · 37,722 mi“our turbo resonator failed four times. every time this happened we were driving on the highway at 60 mph and then suddenly no power and our vehicle went into limp mode and our maximum speed was 30 to 35 mph. very, very dangerous situation. when this happened to us the 4th time i researched this on line and it looks like late 2004, 2005, 2006 and …”
2009-06-14 · Power Train · 15,186 mi“june 14, 2009 nhtsa: for the 4th time our winnebago dodge sprinter/rv has lost power due to parts failure [turbo resonators, sensors, and/or turbocharger]. needless to say these failures took place while many miles from home and away from anyone who could help. when certain parts fail, the sprinter is designed to enter a "limp home" mode at a…”
2009-05-18 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine · 4,300 mi“vehicle lost power while climbing a hill on a 2 lane highway. max vehicle speed dropped to 25mph on 55mph road - nearly rear-ended by vehicle behind. had to drive over 150 miles home at slow speeds to get to dealership for repair. dealership replaced turbo resonator. *tr…”
2009-05-18 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System · 7,800 mi“driving on us hwy 2 up stevens pass, washington at 50 mph when engine power began cycling, black smoke came out of exhaust, rapidly lost power and max speed dropped to 30mph with accelerator to floor. quickly began blocking traffic and had to pull over to let vehicles by. turned around and headed back home. took van to dealership and they had to…”
2008-06-01 · Fuel System, Diesel · 27,400 mi“failed turbo resonator going to yosemite in itaska mh with dodge 5 cyl diesel engine. this is second turbo resonator to fail and is extremely dangerous condition on 2 lane rds with few turnouts and steep banks. dodge should recall resonators and replace with available aftermarket item. numerous failures in rv's. *tr…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.