2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (5) · Electrical System (5) · Power Train (4)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (18)
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel 2024-12-13 · campaign 24V930000 · 697 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles. The instrument cluster illumination may not be adjustable and appear too bright in certain lighting conditions. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
Risk: A display that is too bright can make it difficult for the driver to see critical safety information, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 31, 2025. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3BELKOM.
Structure:critical Fasteners 2023-12-21 · campaign 23V875000 · 3,739 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Freightliner Sprinter vehicles. The longitudinal frame members may be missing reinforcement fasteners, reducing vehicle stability and decreasing the structural integrity of the third-row seats.
Risk: Reduced stability increases the risk of a crash. Additionally, the third-row seat mountings can fail, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the frame members as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 4, 2024. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3ROHRAH.
Structure:critical Fasteners 2023-12-21 · campaign 23V876000 · 387 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and 2019-2021 Freightliner Sprinter vehicles. The partition wall may be missing bolts, allowing the wall to detach during a crash.
Risk: A detached partition wall can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and secure the partition wall as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 16, 2024. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3TREWAN.
Structure:body 2023-12-01 · campaign 23V806000 · 131 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and 2021 Freightliner Sprinter vehicles. The topcoat paint formula may cause the windows and interior lashing rails to be insufficiently bonded to the vehicle.
Risk: An insufficiently bonded window can detach during a crash, and objects secured to an insufficiently bonded interior lashing rail can detach, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the paint adhesion and repair it as necessary, free of charge. Depending on the extent of any damage, DVUSA may offer to repurchase the vehicle. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 5, 2024. Owner notification letters were mailed November 4, 2024. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3LACKHA.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2023-06-26 · campaign 23V444000 · 20,500 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2021 Freightliner Sprinter and 2021-2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Metris vehicles. The fuel pump may shutdown, which can result in a loss of drive power.
Risk: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 1, 2023. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is 4790205.
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel 2023-03-24 · campaign 23V204000 · 6,857 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and 2019-2021 Freightliner Sprinter vehicles. The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started.
Risk: A blank instrument panel will not show critical information, such as vehicle speed, fuel gauge, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the instrument cluster software on the affected vehicles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 5, 2023. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3KOMBAUS.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:internal:park Pawl 2022-10-21 · campaign 22V796000 · 124,305 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Freightliner Sprinter vehicles equipped with a manual parking brake and 7-speed automatic transmission. The guide bushing on the parking pawl may fatigue, which can cause the parking pawl not to engage and result in vehicle rollaway.
Risk: Vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the software of the electronic stability, transmission control, direct select module, and electronic ignition switch control units, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2023. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's numbers for this recall are 22V2790611, 22V2790612, and 22V2790613.
Electrical System:wiring 2022-07-11 · campaign 22V491000 · 2 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 vehicles. The generator wiring harness may be incorrectly connected to the electric power steering, which can result in an electrical surge.
Risk: An electrical surge can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and correct the wiring harness connection, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 10, 2022. Owners may contact DVUSA at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3LE54ELE.
Communication: Auto Crash Notification 2022-05-20 · campaign 22V360000 · 19,937 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Freightliner Sprinter, Mercedes-Benz Metris, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles. An error in the communication module's SIM card software can cause a mobile network connection failure, disabling the emergency call (eCall) system.
Risk: A disabled eCall system would prevent a vehicle occupant from contacting the emergency services call center in an emergency, potentially delaying emergency responders and increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: The communication module software will be updated through an Over-the-Air (OTA) update, or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 13, 2022. Owners may contact DVUSA at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS2SIMKOM/VS3SIMKOM.
Back Over Prevention:display Function 2022-04-27 · campaign 22V281000 · 12,086 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Freightliner Sprinter and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles. The rearview camera may not display the rearview image due to a software error. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: An inoperable rearview camera display reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 20, 2022. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3KOMRUE.
Suspension:front:springs:torsion Bar 2022-03-08 · campaign 22V131000 · 2,153 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC. (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles. The shim on the torsion bar was installed incorrectly during assembly.
Risk: An incorrectly assembled torsion bar may fail at the connection between the torsion bar and linkage, resulting in a loss of vehicle stability, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will correct the position of the shim and replace the torsion bar linkages, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 16, 2022. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3VADREH.
Equipment:other:labels 2022-02-09 · campaign 22V073000 · 2,564 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles. The gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) may be improperly stated on the tire and loading label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 120, "Wheels and Rims-Other Than Passenger Cars."
Risk: The operator may overload the vehicle, resulting in excessive tire wear and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace, as necessary, the tire and loading information label. Additionally, tires will be inspected for excessive wear and replaced as necessary. All repairs will be conducted free of charge. Interim owner notifications were mailed to owners on March 4, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 21, 2022. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3RE58HIN.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings 2021-12-01 · campaign 21V933000 · 98 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Freightliner Sprinter vehicles. The front axle fender liner and brake hose may be too close, allowing the fender liner to contact and damage the brake hose.
Risk: A damaged brake hose may leak brake fluid, extending the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the condition and clearance of the brake hose, modify the fender liner trim, and replace the brake hose as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 4, 2022. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3BAURAVE.
Structure 2021-12-01 · campaign 21V934000 · 30 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles. The spring-loaded rear step bolt fasteners were not properly tightened.
Risk: Loose bolt fasteners may allow the rear step to separate from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will tighten the bolt fasteners and replace the console and attaching hardware, free of charge. Owners notification letters were mailed February 11, 2022. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3HECKTRI.
Electrical System:wiring 2021-10-06 · campaign 21V779000 · 38 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles. A cable duct may drop out of place due to unlatched engagement hooks inside the battery case. This may cause the starter-generator wiring harness to chafe against the transmission carrier, which could result in an electrical short-circuit.
Risk: An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the engagement hooks on the affected cable duct with expanding rivets, free of charge. The recall began on November 2, 2021. Owners may contact DVUSA's customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3KABKAN.
Seat Belts:rear/Other:retractor 2021-07-07 · campaign 21V513000 · 1,514 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Metris, and Freightliner Sprinter vehicles equipped with Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) seat belt assemblies. The seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 21, 2021. Owners may contact DVUSA's customer service at 1-877-762-8267.
Air Bags:passenger Side Frontal:cushion 2021-06-02 · campaign 21V410000 · 4,078 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling 2019-2021 Mercedes Benz Sprinter and Freightliner Sprinter vehicles equipped with swivel seats. The wiring harnesses for the front seats may have been routed incorrectly and could become jammed and damaged in the swivel seat frames.
Risk: Damage to the wiring harness can prevent the side air bag within the seat to deploy inadvertently or not deploy as designed, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will attach the mounting clip to the correct position, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 11, 2021. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3DREHSEL.
Electrical System:software 2021-06-02 · campaign 21V411000 · 33,437 vehicles
Defect: Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Freightliner Sprinter vehicles. The MBUX multimedia system software may cause the display to remain black, or reboot after startup. This could result in the rearview camera image not displaying properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A backup camera that displays a blank image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: The multimedia system software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. DVUSA issued owners an interim notification on July 23, 2021. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3UXPOBOX.
Service bulletins (127)
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.
Service Brakes 2026-09-29 · LI54_71_N_080985_1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
brakes may lock up when reversing at slow speeds complaint when reversing slowly, the vehicle erroneously triggers an emergency braking event, causing the brakes to lock up. engine may not start following a key cycle. cause the vehicle triggers a maneuvering or emergency braking event while reversin
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-26 · LI47_00-N-069565_6_en · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
fuel level unchanged after refueling complaint the customer reports that the fuel gauge shows inaccurate readings or remains unchanged after refueling. cause the fuel level display may be incorrect due to one or both of the following conditions: 1. the fuel supply control unit (fscu) may not recogni
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
Power Train 2026-07-17 · LI33_30-N-080795 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
model 907 with all-wheel drive (a4m) – all-wheel drive inoperative complaint the customer may report one or more of the following: • all-wheel drive is unavailable or inoperative. • rear wheel slip during acceleration on low-traction surfaces. • noise from the front axle area while driving. • messag
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 127 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-06-17 · Visibility/Wiper“2020 mercedes-benz sprinter. when the right turn signal is activated and the steering wheel is turned right, the windshield wipers activate unexpectedly. diagnostic codes b230015 and b230615 are stored, indicating windshield wiper switch and wipe/wash malfunction. concern appears related to the steering column multifunction switch/module. this affe…”
2026-04-06 · Structure:body“i am a amazon driver and my dsp makes us drive with very bad safety hazards on the vehicle the step up platform on the vehicle is broken brakes are terrible and the airbag sensors and tire pressure sensors are not working and very bad. …”
2026-04-01 · Steering · 💥 crash“got in a serious accident due to the crosswind assist malfunctioning totalled car and got tickets for bad driving when it wasnt my fault the car took control and i couldn't halo what happended - they arrested me thinking i was drunk (dont drink) it was a nighmare help!!!! i have court 4/29 - this is very time senansative!…”
2026-01-06 · Unknown Or Other“following jayco and entegra instructions, i delivered my coach to blue compass rv. it has now been more than six months out of service. jayco pre-authorization has denied the required battery replacement and referred me to the battery manufacturer, even though entegra bulletins and recall procedures identify and correct the conditions that caused t…”
2025-10-18 · Structure:body“sprinter hood came unlatched and flew up smashing the windshield. luckily we were able to pull over safely.…”
2025-10-15 · Unknown Or Other“while driving in the freeway, the crosswind assist feature over-engaged and skewed the vehicle dangerously while also drastically slowing the vehicle and causing a hazardous near collision with the following vehicle. the system is way too aggressive and cannot be turned off or desensitized. …”
2025-10-06 · Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection“i had the same issues as identified in a current recall entitled: model 907 sprinter. model year 2019-2022 update instrument cluster software. in my case the instrument cluster remained non-functional upon vehicle start-up exactly like the recall with an added problem of the ignition push button would not shut off the vehicle. i was left with a…”
2025-08-26 · Service Brakes“critical safety concern: vehicle shifts into neutral during normal start sequence, could roll over passengers. component of concern: electronic "wiper" stalk shifter is easily shifted into neutral during normal start sequence. problem encountered several times in our 2021 mercedes sprinter- the stalk shifter is located directly in front of the "st…”
2025-07-05 · Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection“brakes deployed and distance warning illuminated for a very brief instant at highway speed (70 mph) just when a vehicle traveling faster starts to overtake. very scary! luck to not have been hit on the right rear corner. …”
2025-06-06 · Service Brakes“the abs front wheel sensor became inoperable after 27k. this disables several onboard systems that assist in vehicle control, including blind spot detection, and collision warning systems. looking at the sensor - it completely separated at the connector by the wheel hub. the surrounding area showed no signs of unusual trauma or deterioration. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.