2021 MERCEDES BENZ SPRINTER 2500 Forward Collision Avoidance Problems

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.

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.

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.

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.

since I am chemically sensitive and they had sprayed so much cleaner in this vehicle that when my husband got it home he took vinegar and cleaned it out many times and then he took it to someone to have them do the floor over so the plastic smell wouldn't stink so bad for me. It had to be there for a couple weeks or this I'm sure would have showed up much sooner. At one time our vehicle would not accelerate enough to pass or pull out safely from a stop sign but that seems to have gotten fixed but it continues to have the cruise control go off at the same time warning lights come on that says no brake assist no Lane keeping assist no distance. We have had it in the shop four times one time they had us replace the battery which really didn't need replaced and the things came back up again. It's a very frustrating vehicle and this happened within 30 days of us buying it. They gave us a limited 90 day warranty which they've been working on sporadically for months and keeping it for weeks at a time. We have spent a lot of time and money on this vehicle and it needs to be reported and something done about it as it's really really bad. It is an ongoing situation. Every time we take it in they either erase the warnings or somehow don't get it to act the same but it always happens with us within 200 miles of driving it. It's a constant thing on and off.

since I am chemically sensitive and they had sprayed so much cleaner in this vehicle that when my husband got it home he took vinegar and cleaned it out many times and then he took it to someone to have them do the floor over so the plastic smell wouldn't stink so bad for me. It had to be there for a couple weeks or this I'm sure would have showed up much sooner. At one time our vehicle would not accelerate enough to pass or pull out safely from a stop sign but that seems to have gotten fixed but it continues to have the cruise control go off at the same time warning lights come on that says no brake assist no Lane keeping assist no distance. We have had it in the shop four times one time they had us replace the battery which really didn't need replaced and the things came back up again. It's a very frustrating vehicle and this happened within 30 days of us buying it. They gave us a limited 90 day warranty which they've been working on sporadically for months and keeping it for weeks at a time. We have spent a lot of time and money on this vehicle and it needs to be reported and something done about it as it's really really bad. It is an ongoing situation. Every time we take it in they either erase the warnings or somehow don't get it to act the same but it always happens with us within 200 miles of driving it. It's a constant thing on and off.

Adaptive brake assist slammed on the brakes without warning at 20-30mph while crossing railroad tracks bringing the van to a complete stop and putting it into park with the parking brake engaged while on the tracks. No object or vehicle was in the path of the van or anywhere nearby. Cargo slid forward in the van and some things being transported were damaged. This is at least the 4th time this vehicle has done this without a reason to, but this time was the only while at speed and moving forward. They have usually occurred because of a shadow on the ground or change of road surface while backing up. Warning beeps also happen when passing under overpasses on the highway and it appears to momentarily consider braking because of the shadow. At 70mph. Taking to the dealer to try and assess, but this appears to be a known problem according to online Sprinter forums and related to software. Incredibly dangerous.

Our Sprinter 2500 is equipped with Mercedes Benz autonomous cruise (Distronic Cruise). It fails repeatedly for unknown reason, and when it does it also disabled related safety features (collision warning, emergency braking) as well as standard cruise control. The manual suggests checking for bugs, snow, or other obstructions on sensors, but they’ve been clear. Forums note that their vans also cut out, theorizing that it happens because there aren’t any vehicles in front of the van for prolonged periods of time and the software thinks there is an error. They also note that Mercedes had not been helpful. The fact 1) it happens for unknown reasons, and 2) it disables essential safety systems is concerning and unacceptable.

Our Sprinter 2500 is equipped with Mercedes Benz autonomous cruise (Distronic Cruise). It fails repeatedly for unknown reason, and when it does it also disabled related safety features (collision warning, emergency braking) as well as standard cruise control. The manual suggests checking for bugs, snow, or other obstructions on sensors, but they’ve been clear. Forums note that their vans also cut out, theorizing that it happens because there aren’t any vehicles in front of the van for prolonged periods of time and the software thinks there is an error. They also note that Mercedes had not been helpful. The fact 1) it happens for unknown reasons, and 2) it disables essential safety systems is concerning and unacceptable.

Our Sprinter 2500 is equipped with Mercedes Benz autonomous cruise (Distronic Cruise). It fails repeatedly for unknown reason, and when it does it also disabled related safety features (collision warning, emergency braking) as well as standard cruise control. The manual suggests checking for bugs, snow, or other obstructions on sensors, but they’ve been clear. Forums note that their vans also cut out, theorizing that it happens because there aren’t any vehicles in front of the van for prolonged periods of time and the software thinks there is an error. They also note that Mercedes had not been helpful. The fact 1) it happens for unknown reasons, and 2) it disables essential safety systems is concerning and unacceptable.

When driving in a low-density area, on roads with little to no traffic, the vehicle assumes that the radar has failed if it does not see a vehicle in front of it for a long enough time. Since this is a larger van, I tend to drive 65mph on higher speed roads such as an interstate. Many cars understandably pass me as the speed limit is usually much higher. Even though they pass me the van does not register that car on the radar in regard to its failure state. When the radar "detects" that it's failed (which it has not) it disables the adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, and in general any speed control. This is a very drastic measure for a device that has not actually failed. Again, all cruise/ speed control functionality is disabled, and the vehicle must be driven with the peddle while the radar is in a "failure" state. To restore functionality, I have to tailgate another car, if there is one around, for 5 to 10 miles. Once the radar is happy with seeing enough return signals it will re-engage the adaptive cruise control and emergency braking. If there are no other vehicles around for the next hour the process repeats. Attached are photos that should also be geo-marked, along with a screenshot showing the progression of the photos on a map.

When driving in a low-density area, on roads with little to no traffic, the vehicle assumes that the radar has failed if it does not see a vehicle in front of it for a long enough time. Since this is a larger van, I tend to drive 65mph on higher speed roads such as an interstate. Many cars understandably pass me as the speed limit is usually much higher. Even though they pass me the van does not register that car on the radar in regard to its failure state. When the radar "detects" that it's failed (which it has not) it disables the adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, and in general any speed control. This is a very drastic measure for a device that has not actually failed. Again, all cruise/ speed control functionality is disabled, and the vehicle must be driven with the peddle while the radar is in a "failure" state. To restore functionality, I have to tailgate another car, if there is one around, for 5 to 10 miles. Once the radar is happy with seeing enough return signals it will re-engage the adaptive cruise control and emergency braking. If there are no other vehicles around for the next hour the process repeats. Attached are photos that should also be geo-marked, along with a screenshot showing the progression of the photos on a map.

Entire brake system (distance warning, active brake assist) malfunctions frequently without conditions that warrant. Brakes and steering impeded and distracts and startles driver. Problem confirmed by dealer without remedy. Dealer states no malfunction in system. Taken vehicle to dealer on four separate occasions. Dealer recalibrated and reset and called tech support at manufacturer and manufacturer said that is the way it is supposed to operate. The problems persist on every trip we take. Warning indicators began within 50 miles of my picking up the vehicle brand new from the dealer. System disables then resets itself at random times during driving. Dealership states they have no codes indicating fault in system.

Entire brake system (distance warning, active brake assist) malfunctions frequently without conditions that warrant. Brakes and steering impeded and distracts and startles driver. Problem confirmed by dealer without remedy. Dealer states no malfunction in system. Taken vehicle to dealer on four separate occasions. Dealer recalibrated and reset and called tech support at manufacturer and manufacturer said that is the way it is supposed to operate. The problems persist on every trip we take. Warning indicators began within 50 miles of my picking up the vehicle brand new from the dealer. System disables then resets itself at random times during driving. Dealership states they have no codes indicating fault in system.

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would inadvertently abruptly stop every 20 minutes. The contact stated that the Forward Collision-Avoidance Automatic: Dynamic Brake Support/Brake Assist warning light would illuminate prior to the failure. The contact disabled the brake assist; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic determined that the aftermarket tires had caused the sensors to become defective. The contact was also informed that the failure was a common issue. The contact was concerned because he was stranded out of town with a defective vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and agreed to provide a loaner vehicle; however, the contact was concerned that the vehicle would be at the dealer being repaired for longer than the loaner vehicle would cover. The approximate failure mileage was 3,200.

Mileage: 3,200

My 2021 Mercedes Benz Sprinter van came equipped with Lane Keeping Assistance and Automatic Braking features that are on by default every time the engine is started. There is no way for an owner or a Mercedes Benz technician to have the safety feature set to remain off until the driver chooses to engage the features. I believe this is a safety hazard, as we experienced 2 incidents on a recent trip. 1. Lane Keeping Assistance took over the vehicle without warning from a slight wind gust, and almost caused us to get in an accident. We were traveling at 60+ mph on an interstate highway, and without warning, the van started to move from side to side and was difficult to gain control of the van. The MB Lane Departure Assistance was automatically braking different wheels of the van at different times to force the van to stay in the lane, but we never went out of the lane in the first place. If there was a car next to us, our 2021 MB van would have caused a severe accident. 2. Automatic Emergency Braking was engaged when the system thought a shadow from a light pole was an object in the road. We were traveling at 20 mph in a town center on a sunny morning, and the braking happened for no reason. We then saw the shadows. We would like Mercedes Benz to allow owners to turn off safety features, and have them remain off by default.