2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Wheels (5) · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) (5) · Vehicle Speed Control (4)
🧭 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 (9)
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.
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.
Structure:body 2018-05-03 · campaign 18V288000 · 153 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2017 Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles may be missing spot welds on the front side wall, connecting the door portal to the hinge reinforcements in the A-pillar area, possibly affecting vehicle strength in a crash.
Risk: If the missing welds affect body strength, there may be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and add any missing spot welds, free of charge. The recall began on July 2, 2018. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.
Equipment:other:labels 2018-02-15 · campaign 18V113000 · 17 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and Sprinter 3500 vehicles, equipped with folding seats (sales code S20). The unloaded vehicle weight (UVW) label on these incomplete vehicles may be incorrect.
Risk: The incorrect UVW label can result in final stage manufacturers exceeding the maximum vehicle weight once the vehicle is completed. A vehicle that exceeds its maximum weight has an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the UVW label and inspect the vehicle to make sure that it is not overloaded, free of charge. The recall began on April 3, 2018. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.
Lane Departure: Assist 2017-12-14 · campaign 17V804000 · 2,177 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 and Freightliner Sprinter 3500 vehicles equipped with the Crosswind Assist function. In the event of strong crosswind, automatic brake interventions by the vehicle dynamics control system (ADAPTIVE ESP) might not be activated.
Risk: If Crosswind Assist system does not activate the automatic braking system as expected in the event of a strong crosswind, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the ESP control unit with corrected software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in January 2018. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-854-888-3214.
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.
Tires:temporary/Emergency Spare Tire 2017-11-21 · campaign 17V742000 · 773 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2017 Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vans. The spare tire holder under the vehicle may not be properly secured.
Risk: If the spare tire holder is not properly secured, the spare tire may separate from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: DVUSA will notify owners and dealers will lift the spare tire holder completely and tighten the securing screws as necessary, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact DVUSA custom service at 1-854-888-3214.
Service bulletins (100)
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
Engine 2026-08-12 · Exhaust System · Warranty Program/Extension
mercedes-benz ag (“mbag”), the manufacturer of freightliner sprinter vehicles, has determined that on certain my17-18 freightliner sprinter vehicles, the diesel particulate filter may crack due to an insufficient weld. mbag also determined that specific environmental influences in the form of corros
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 100 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-08-20 · Wheels:rim · 15,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 mercedes-benz sprinter 3500. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side tire became deflated. the vehicle was driven to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the front driver's side rim was cracked. the contact was informed that the front driver's side rim needed to be re…”
2026-06-15 · Electrical System“the vehicle has swivel seats. when the driver’s seat swivel, it’s severed the wires, the control the srs system.…”
2024-12-23 · Fuel System, Diesel · 325,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 mercedes-benz m3ca76 sprinter 3500. the contact stated while driving at approximately 65 mph, the diesel purifier, diesel exhaust fluid, def system, warning illuminated. the contact stated that the failure of the def system had occurred before the recent failure. the contact stated that the first failure had occurred several…”
2024-12-19 · Fuel System, Diesel · 44,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 mercedes- benz sprinter 350. the contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds the warning message "def is low" had suddenly displayed and the vehicle went into "limp mode" causing the speed to suddenly reduce to 5 mph. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the def tank was faulty and ne…”
2023-08-25 · Structure · 49,500 mi“the contact owns a 2017 mercedes-benz sprinter 3500. the contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph, he had to brake abruptly, due to an animal crossing the roadway. then he heard a loud sound coming from underneath the vehicle, when he took his foot off the brake. . the contact pulled over to the side of the road and saw the water tank had …”
2023-08-21 · Vehicle Speed Control“the esp and abs warning lights went on suddenly after what sounded like a thud. the car had not run over anything. there was some initial brief chattering of the break pedal, and that subsided. the car was not near a suitable and available repair shop at the time. it was driven to complete a trip. there were several instances of break pedal ch…”
2023-07-03 · Unknown Or Other“the front left wheel cover shifted and nearly sheared off the tire valve stem. had this happened while we were on the road, the tire would have had a very fast deflate/explosion. this would have put the 24ft. rv into an uncontrollable nose-dive and possible crash situation. the nearly-sheared valve stem was discovered by technicians while we wer…”
2023-06-28 · Vehicle Speed Control“i'm getting wheel sensor errors and the vehicle goes into limp mode and disables the cruise control, even after replacing the sensors. very frustrated with this dangerous situation!…”
2023-05-23 · Tires · 26,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 mercedes-benz sprinter 3500. the contact stated that on two separate occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle started shaking and the contact heard a loud sound coming from the vehicle. the contact veered off the roadway and noticed that the hub cap had detached from the wheel. the contact stated that he wa…”
2021-08-24 · Steering“the contact owns a 2017 mercedes-benz sprinter 3500. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v663000 (steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. the dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.