2013 MERCEDES BENZ SPRINTER 2500 Air Bags Problems

TAKATA RECALL: FOR 25 YEARS WE HAVE HAD A SERIES OF MOTOR HOMES THAT WE USED FOR WEEKEND TRIPS AND LONGER VACATIONS. WE BOUGHT OUR CURRENT RV (WHICH IS OUR THIRD ONE) AS A NEW VEHICLE IN EARLY 2013. IT IS A WINNEBAGO VIEW THAT IS ON A 2013 MERCEDES SPRINTER CHASSIS (VIN: XXXX). WE ARE VERY DISSATISFIED WITH MERCEDES BENZ AND WITH OUR VEHICLE WHICH HAS A LONG-STANDING RECALL FOR THE TAKATA AIRBAGS. MERCEDES HAS ALREADY REPLACED OUR DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG, BUT AFTER MANY MONTHS WE ARE STILL ON A WAITING LIST FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. OUR DEALER, TYSINGER MERCEDES IN VIRGINIA, IS UNABLE TO TELL US WHEN OUR DEFECTIVE AIRBAG WILL BE REPLACED. THIS VEHICLE WAS INTENDED TO BE THE SOURCE OF MANY TRIPS FOR US DURING OUR RETIREMENT. AFTER WORKING FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS INCLUDING A MILITARY CAREER, WE ARE STUCK WITH A VERY EXPENSIVE VEHICLE THAT HAS A FATAL SAFETY FLAW AND WE ARE EFFECTIVELY DENIED OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO ON THE TRIPS THAT WE SO EAGERLY ANTICIPATED. WE REJECT MERCEDES' EXPLANATIONS: --THE STATE THAT THEY HAVE NOT SEEN ANY TAKATA-RELATED INJURIES IN THEIR VEHICLES, IMPLYING THAT INCIDENTS ARE ALL BUT IMPOSSIBLE FOR MERCEDES VEHICLES. BUT NHTSA HAS DETERMINED THAT TAKATA AIRBAGS ARE DEFECTIVE AND THE INFLATORS COULD EXPLODE CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH. MERCEDES LEGAL LIABILITY IS THE PRIMARY REASON THAT MERCEDES DECIDED TO REPLACE THEM. --WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IF WE WERE TO EXPERIENCE AN AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT THAT WE WOULD MOVE TO THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR REPLACEMENT, EVIDENCE THAT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. --THEY HAVE STATED THAT THEY ARE SUBJECT TO MANUFACTURE, BUT THIS PIPELINE BELONGS TO THEM. --THEY HAVE STATED THAT THEY ARE TAKING STEPS TO MINIMIZE CUSTOMER INCONVENIENCE BUT SHOW NO INTEREST IN KEEPING US INFORMED. WE WANT MERCEDES TO REPAIR THIS DANGEROUS AIRBAG OR TO COMPENSATE US FOR THE LOSS OF THIS VEHICLE. REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TAKATA RECALL - I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG PRIOR TO RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG ON MARCH 2018. I TOOK MY SPRINTER TO THE DEALERSHIP ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 FOR REPLACEMENT. AFTER RECEIVING MY SPRINTER BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP, I NOTICED THAT ONLY THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG HAD BEEN REPLACED. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT THIS, AND WAS TOLD THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND WOULD NOT BE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. CONSIDERING HOW DANGEROUS THESE AIRBAGS ARE, IT SEEMS THAT A WAIT TIME OF CURRENTLY SEVEN MONTHS AND EXPECTING A DELAY OF ANOTHER SEVERAL MONTHS IS UNACCEPTABLY LONG.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500 (M2CV144). THE CONTACT RECEIVED RECALL NOTICES FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 18V032000 (AIR BAGS) AND 16V077000 (AIR BAGS). MERCEDES-BENZ OF LONG BEACH (2300 EAST SPRING STREET, SIGNAL HILL, CA 90755, (888)-340-8366) STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE FOR 18V032000 AND PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT FOR 16V077000.

TAKATA RECALL - UNABLE TO GET DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE AIRBAG

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V032000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. MERCEDES-BENZ OF ST. GEORGE (1792 S BLACK RIDGE DR., ST. GEORGE, UT 84770, (435) 634-7500) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V032000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG, BUT NOT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND THERE WAS NO REMEDY YET FOR THE RECALL. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V032000 (AIR BAGS), BUT THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT *TR

TAKATA RECALL - IT APPEARS THAT MERCEDES, LIKE MANY, REMAINS CONVINCED THAT THEY CAN EVADE THE COST OF APPROPRIATE REPAIRS BY SIMPLY STATING THERE IS NO REMEDY YET AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, AS A CONSUMER I FIND THIS UNACCEPTABLE. THEY ARE SIDE STEPPING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND MY FAMILY IS ONE BEARING IT. THEY NEED TO FIND A SOLUTION AND IMPLEMENT IT. NOT ONLY IS THERE AN ISSUE OF SAFETY, BUT THEIR LACK OF A TIMELY SOLUTION HAS ECONOMIC IMPACTS. I WAS RECENTLY TOLD THAT I COULD NOT RECEIVE FAIR VALUE FOR A TRADE A THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP DUE TO THIS RECALL. THE DEALER INDICATED THEY COULD NOT SELL THE CAR ON THEIR LOT DUE TO THE AIRBAG ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES BENZ SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V077000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V073000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V077000 (AIR BAGS) WAS RECEIVED IN APRIL OF 2016. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND NO ESTIMATED TIME FOR RECEIVING THE PARTS COULD BE GIVEN. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.