2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Vehicle Speed Control (6) · Service Brakes (3) · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) (3)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (12)
Electronic Stability Control (Esc):control Module 2021-02-03 · campaign 21V042000 · 48,667 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 3500 and Freightliner Sprinter 3500 vehicles upfitted into campers or recreational vehicles. The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) unit may become disabled on these vehicles.
Risk: If ESC becomes disabled, vehicle driving stability may be impacted under certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear-wheel speed sensor with a more robust sensor, free of charge. DVUSA issued owners an interim notification on March 10, 2021. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is NC3DREZAHA.
Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections 2020-10-28 · campaign 20V663000 · 47,667 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Mercedes Benz Sprinter and Freightliner Sprinter vehicles. The hydraulic power steering return line hoses may detach at their connection points under certain operating conditions, causing hydraulic fluid to leak.
Risk: The sudden loss of power steering assist and hydraulic steering fluid leaking onto the roadway may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will check the return line connections of the power steering system, correcting it as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2020. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this campaign is NV3LETULPE.
Seats 2019-03-26 · campaign 19V238000 · 12 vehicles
Defect: Vantage Mobility International, LLC (Vantage) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Transit Van, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and 2007 Ford F-250-based shuttle vehicles equipped with Freedman GO-3S foldaway seats. When the back seat cushion is rotated from the stowed position to the upright position, the seat cushion may not remain locked into place when under load, such as in a crash or a sudden stop.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat back moves, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Vantage has notified owners, instructing them to contact Freedman for a repair kit, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact Freedman customer service at 1-800-443-4540.
Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module 2019-01-08 · campaign 19V003000 · 71,301 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the driver frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolu
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall is began March 15, 2019. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2019-01-08 · campaign 19V004000 · 88,388 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module, free of charge. The recall began March 15, 2019. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.
Equipment 2017-12-08 · campaign 17V786000 · 550 vehicles
Defect: Midwest Automotive Designs, LLC (Midwest) is recalling certain Custom Vans and Camper Van recreational vehicles built on 2014-2017 Mercedes Benz Sprinter chassis and 2016-2017 RAM Promaster chassis. These vehicles are equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' fire extinguishers that may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or excessive force may be needed to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detac
Risk: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Midwest will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fire extinguisher with a different brand, free of charge. The recall began on December 11, 2017. Owners may contact Kidde customer service for their replacement extinguisher at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information.
Fuel System, Diesel 2017-02-10 · campaign 17V092000 · 2 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured without a protective plate on the front of the gas tank and a foam ring at the filler neck. As such, these vehicles may not comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
Risk: Without the protective plate and the foam ring installed, impacts may damage the tank resulting in a fuel leak that can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began on June 6, 2017. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.
Air Bags 2017-02-10 · campaign 17V093000 · 15,338 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vans. These vehicles were manufactured without a reinforcement plate and protective bracket on the air bag control unit. As a result, the air bag control unit may not remain functional after the initial impact, possibly preventing additional air bags from deploying in response to a secondary impact.
Risk: If additional air bags do not deploy as intended, the occupants are at an increased risk of injury.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will install a reinforcement plate and protective bracket around the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2017. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.
Power Train:driveline:driveshaft 2017-02-10 · campaign 17V094000 · 2 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The affected vehicles were manufactured without a driveshaft catch strap, allowing a loose driveshaft to strike the fuel tank. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
Risk: A loose driveshaft may strike and puncture the gas tank, resulting in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will install a driveshaft catch strap, free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2017. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.
Structure:body:roof And Pillars 2016-05-24 · campaign 16V351000 · 3 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2015, to April 30, 2016, and 2015-2016 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured May 1, 2015, to April 30, 2016. The affected vehicles are configured to have super-high roofs, but may not be equipped with the required crash pads.
Risk: If the required crash pads are missing, it can increase the risk of injury to a front passenger seat occupant if they are unbelted.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will install the required crash-pads, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2016. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.
Structure:body 2016-04-29 · campaign 16V261000 · 55 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Mercedes Benz and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured April 1, 2015, to October 31, 2015. The affected vehicles may have had multiple layers of paint applied, and as a result, in a crash, the windows may separate from the vehicle when the outer layer of paint peels from the layer below.
Risk: If the windows separate from the vehicle in a crash, the occupants are at a greater risk of injury.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will remove the windows and inspect the paintwork, repainting the vehicles as necessary, free of charge. This recall began August 4, 2016. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-770-705-2070.
Equipment:other:labels 2016-02-18 · campaign 16V093000 · 2,278 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vans manufactured April 29, 2015, to December 15, 2015. The affected vehicles have a tire pressure label that incorrectly states a higher maximum load capacity than the vehicle is designed for.
Risk: The vehicle may be overloaded if loaded to the incorrect weight shown on the label, possibly resulting in axle or tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner dealers will replace the incorrect tire pressure label, free of charge. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.
Service bulletins (135)
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.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-19 · LI82_85_N_080972_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
unavailability of mb apps complaint a popup is seen on the hu with the message "data connection temporarily not available". cause mb apps is officially sundowned for all vehicles with ntg5 head unit variant. remedy no support available for ntg5 head unit variants for mb app related topics.
Power Train 2026-08-26 · LI28_00-N-079097_1_en · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint while driving through muddy / sandy/ off road terrain "4matic currently unavailable" message on the dash cause this vehicle is not equipped with a fixed force distribution awd, rather force is only applied to the front axle according to esp calculations. as per gf28.00‑d‑ 9900a: "vehicles
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-01 · LI54_30-N-080701 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
assyst plus service reminder appears earlier than expected due to vehicle operating conditions complaint the assyst plus service reminder appears earlier than expected. the customer or dealer may report that the vehicle did not reach the starting maintenance interval shown in vehicle documentation
Power Train 2026-06-15 · LI14.20-N-073867 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint complaint a: the engine is jolting/bucking between 1700 and 1900 rpm. complaint b: one or more mechanical related fault codes for egr valve stored in cdi control unit, with possible check engine light. review list of mechanical fault codes in table below. note: if one or more electrical r
Fuel/Propulsion System 2026-06-03 · LI49.10-N-080528 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
om642 dpf filter cracked or broken complaint vehicle will not start or exhibits noisy exhaust. check engine lamp (cel) is on. multiple control unit communication and system faults may be present, including but not limited to: 134800, 134900, 11b300, 11ec00, 15e100, 155700, 162500. additional event
Engine 2026-04-18 · LI4910-N-060969 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint rattling noise from underneath the vehicle. cause one or more of the following conditions may be present: 1. the exhaust bracket from the dpf to the transmission is cracked or broken. • see pic. 1 for an example of a broken bracket. 2. transmission bell housing cracked or broken at the exh
Showing the 6 most recent of 135 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2021-01-13 · Vehicle Speed Control · 6,000 mi“both rear wheel sensors went out within 2 months of each other. one 6,000 miles, the other 8,000 miles. both highway driving no rough road…”
2020-11-24 · Vehicle Speed Control · 22,800 mi“i was driving on the freeway with my cruise control set at 65. the vehicle abruptly started accelerating. fortunately i had left myself a good distance from the semi in front of me or i would have rammed into the back of it. this was quite unnerving and after braking i received the following error codes: abs, esp, traction control and cruise contro…”
2020-11-17 · Service Brakes · 10,000 mi“this vehicle has had 4 separate wheel sped sensor failures. when each incident occurred, the vehicle will accelerate on its own and at the same time the abs will not allow full braking pressure while underway. you will hear the abs sound like it's sliding on a slippery surface in any condition. as the vehicle accelerates and braking pressure is g…”
2020-10-14 · Vehicle Speed Control · 39,000 mi“in october of 2018 at 28,860 odometer miles, the passenger rear wheel speed sensor failed while driving from atlanta, ga to west palm beach, fl. causing the eps, abs, anti_collision and cruise control system to stop functioning with warning messages displayed on the dash. i experienced erratic speeds while manually driving home. on october 3, 202…”
2020-10-11 · Vehicle Speed Control · 47,500 mi“this is a winnebago view 24g on sprinter 3500 chassis. while highway driving, sudden abs and esp warning light with message to go to workshop. cruise control stops working. loss of power and shifting ability is intermittent. was able to drive (without cruise control and with warning lights on) for 100+ miles to shop. when loss of power occured…”
2020-08-13 · Suspension · 31,842 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2016 thor siesta installed on a 2015 mercedes benz sprinter 3500 chassis. the contact stated that upon approaching a stop, the contact heard a loud abnormal grating noise. upon inspection, the contact noticed that the receiver hitch that was attached to a bar had fractured from the chassis. the tow bar was still attached to …”
2020-07-31 · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · 27,907 mi“while going uphill at about 50 mph on a highway the vehicle did a hard downshift and three engine lights came on,esp,abs&asr . i stopped and check tires and air pressure all ok. at times the engine would buck, then speed up. turned off engine then started it again. i was able to drive about 50 miles to mercedes dealer who diagnosed as the rear axe…”
2020-05-24 · Wheels · 25,450 mi“i'm experiencing wheel speed sensor malfunction and failure at interstate highway speed. it's happened approx 10 times. once when encountering a dip in the road. once in heavy cross winds. and lastly when passing an 18 wheeler. upon malfunction, my camper looses power due to cruise control dropping out. this put me in unsafe condition passing 18 wh…”
2020-04-06 · Vehicle Speed Control · 48,271 mi“while driving our 2015 mercedes sprinter 3500 on i-5 south from oakland, ca to joshua tree national park on thursday, march 19 suddenly our speed control quit functioning and the abs, esp and traction control lights on our instrument panel lighted up. we immediately called a mercedes benz service department in bakersfield, ca and were told that a…”
2020-02-21 · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · 23,000 mi“this is the second time the rpm speed sensors have needed to be replaced on my 2016, 3500 mercedes sprinter…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.