2015 MERCEDES BENZ SPRINTER 3500 Service Brakes Problems

WE WERE TRAVELING ON FLAT, OPEN INTERSTATE ROADWAY IN RAINY WEATHER AT NIGHT WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET WHEN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED QUICKLY. I NOTICED THE VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT DOWNSHIFTED AND FELT LIKE IT WAS ACCELERATING HARD. I LOOKED AT SPEEDOMETER AND SPEED HAD INCREASED BY MORE THAN 5 MPH OVER WHAT CRUISE WAS SET IN A MATTER OF 4 SECONDS OR SO. I THEN APPLIED PRESSURE TO BRAKE PEDAL AT WHICH POINT THE VEHICLE FELT LIKE BRAKE SYSTEM PULSED 4 TIMES, AND CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT APPEAR TO DISENGAGE. I THEN HIT BRAKES AGAIN, AND PUSHED THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVEL TOWARD DASH AND CRUISE DISENGAGED THIS TIME. DURING OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS EVENT, WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON IN DASH FOR ABS, ESP, VISIT WORKSHOP, AND OTHER WARNING LIGHTS THAT SAFETY FEATURES WERE DISABLED SUCH AS FORWARD COLLISION, BLIND SPOT INDICATORS IN MIRROR, ETC. THESE WARNING LIGHTS HAVE OCCASIONALLY WENT OFF FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME, BUT HAVE REMAINED ON FOR MOST OF TIME. SOMETIMES THEY WILL BE OFF WHEN STARTED, BUT COME ON AFTER TOUCHING BRAKE PEDAL. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON PRIOR TO THIS EVENT.

Mileage: 6,700

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 GREATLY REDUCED, IT IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY TO QUICKLY SHOVE THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO KEEP FROM HITTING ANYTHING AHEAD. WHEN THESE FAILURES OCCUR IT CAN BE AT ANY SPEED OR ON ANY SURFACE. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW AND NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000 MILES. OCCASIONALLY, PRIOR TO THE DASH LIGHTS INDICATING A WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WILL ALSO CUT ALL POWER. THIS TYPICALLY HAS HAPPENED ON HARD ACCELERATION ONTO A HIGHWAY, BEING EQUALLY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE IS JUST GOING OUT OF WARRANTY AND I HAVE TRIED TO WORK OUT A SOLUTION WITH MERCEDES WHO HAVE NOW STATED I HAVE NO CLAIM. A FINAL FACTOR IS THAT AT ABOUT 10,000 MILES THIS VEHICLE HAD A MASSIVE SHORT THAT LITERALLY MELTED THE BATTERY DOWN. I HAVE SUGGESTED TO MERCEDES THAT THAT INCIDENT, UNDER WARRANTY, MAY HAVE DONE SEROUS HARM TO THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM/COMPUTERS.

Mileage: 10,000

SEE UPLOADED DOCUMENT

Mileage: 400

I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HWY AND THE ABS AND ESP WARNING MALFUNCTION OCCURED WITH A VISIT WORKSHOP MESSAGE. THE ENGINE RPM REVED UP AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED TO 40 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE. CONSULTATION WITH A REPAIR FACILITY DETERMINED THE CAUSE TO BE THE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS ON THE REAR WHEELS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THIS SAME THING PREVIOUSLY OCCURED WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNER WITH 4000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE THE SPEED SENSORS WERE REPLACED AT FACTORY AUTH DEALER AT THAT TIME. THIS INCIDENT I AM DESCRIBING OCCURED AT 12000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I WAS 700 MILES FROM HOME AND THE NEAREST FACTORY REPAIR FACILITY'S ONLY EMERGENCY OPENING WAS 3 DAYS IN THE FUTURE. THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY THAT DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM WAS NOT ABLE TO PERFORM THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. I DROVE HOME IN LIMP MODE. 4 SPEED SENSORS WERE PURCHASED AT A MERCEDES DEALER FOR A COST OF $900.00 AND REPLACED BY MYSELF. PRIOR TO REPLACING THE SENSORS THE SECOND TIME THE ABS AND ESP WARNING OCCURED BRIEFLY AND CLEARED ON THEIR OWN. MUCH RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE OF THESE VEHICLES.

Mileage: 12,000

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, 2020, AT 39,214 ODOMETER MILES, THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN, ONLY THIS TIME IT WAS THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL SPEED SENSOR THAT FAILED WITH ALL THE SAME WARNING LIGHTS AND DISABLED EPS, ABS, ANTI-COLLISION AND CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEMS BEING SHUT DOWN. IN BOTH CASES THE FAILED SENSORS WERE REPLACED UNDER THE MERCEDES-BENZ EMISSION WARRANTY. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THESE FAILURES ARE COMMON WITH THIS MODEL VEHICLE AND I WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE FAILURES OF THESE SENSORS AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRES. I HAVE REPLACED TWO OF THEM SO FAR WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND THERE ARE STILL TWO MORE ORIGINAL SENSORS YET TO FAIL.

Mileage: 39,000

VEHICLE HAS A HIGH FAILURE RATE FOR TIRE ROTATION SPEED SENSORS. THIS CONDITION IMMEDIATELY DISABLES THE ANTILOCK BRAKES, STABILITY CONTROL, TRACTION CONTROL AND CRUISE CONTROL. VEHICLE MILEAGE WAS 31000 MILES AT LOSS OF THIRD SENSOR. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AT THE TIME OF ALL FAILURES.

Mileage: 31,000

I WAS DRIVING AT 65 MILES AN HOUR ON INTERSTATE AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND THEN ACCELERATED AND CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ON AT THE TIME. I TRIED TO BRAKE BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRY TO ACCELERATE AS I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PETAL. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THIS WAS TO PHYSICALLY PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. AFTER SITTING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME MULTIPLE ALARMS WERE DISPLAYED. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AGAIN ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS IN ALARM MODE AND THE ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM HAD DISABLED ITSELF. I AM AN EXPERIENCE DRIVER. I AM AFRAID THAT ANOTHER PERSON MAY HAVE PANICKED AND THE RESULT MAY HAVE BEEN MUCH DIFFERENT. THE ATTACHED IMAGES SHOWS THE ALARMS THAT WERE PRESENT AFTER THE INCIDENT, ABS ALARM, ESP ALARM, AND ANTI TRACTION LIGHT THE PROBLEM WAS ULTIMATELY FOUND TO BE A FAULTY WHEEL SPEED SENSOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE. VERY DANGEROUS, I HAVE ALSO FOUND OTHER TESTIMONIALS ONLINE SINCE THIS INCIDENT

Mileage: 24,500

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 AS LONG AS THE VAN SEEMED TO BE DRIVING , BRAKING AND HANDLING NORMALLY WE DID NOT NEED TO BRING IT IN FOR SERVICE BUT COULD CONTINUE DRIVING. THE VAN DID SEEM TO BE RUNNING NORMALLY SO WE DROVE ON WITHOUT SPEED CONTROL. ABOUT 400 MILES LATER AS WE WERE DRIVING INTO JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK THE BRAKES STARTED TO MAKE A LOUD CLICKING NOISE WHEN THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED COMPLETELY AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NO LONGER SHIFT OUT OF 2ND GEAR MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE OVER 30 MPH. WE HAD TO HAVE THE VAN TOWED 46 MILES BACK TO PALM SPRINGS, CA AND AWAIT THE MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE DEPARTMENT THERE OPENING ON MONDAY, MARCH 23. AT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THEY DIAGNOSED THE REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS HAD FAILED WITH ONLY 48,271 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE FOLLOWING DAY THEY REPLACED THE REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS AND THE VAN WAS RUNNING NORMALLY AGAIN. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM WITH THE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS ON MERCEDES BENZ SPRINTER VANS. IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AT LEAST FROM THE YEAR 2013-2016. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT A VAN THAT MERCEDES PROMOTES FOR ITS UTILITY HAS THIS KIND OF FAILURE COMMONLY. IT IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. WE WERE DRIVING ON DRY PAVEMENT SO NOTICED NO PROBLEM WITH PERFORMANCE UNTIL THE BRAKES BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION AND THE VAN WOULD NOT SHIFT ABOVE 2ND GEAR. IF WE HAD BEEN ON WET OR SLICK ROADS THE LACK OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKES, TRACTION CONTROL AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL WOULD HAVE MADE THE VAN DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. MERCEDES BENZ NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING TO REMEDY THIS COMMON FAILURE.

Mileage: 48,271

WHILE DRIVING, THREE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ADVISING I HAD LOST MY ABS AND MY CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. THE VEHICLE SOON WENT INTO LIMP MODE. BOTH REAR WHEEL ABS SPEED SENSORS FAILED AND WERE REPLACED BY A MERCEDES SPRINTER DEALER. I SOON DISCOVERED THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 32000 MILES ON IT WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE SERVICE AGENT SAID IT WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THE SPRINTER RV VEHICLES. I FEEL MERCEDES SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM AS IT IS AN INHERENT SAFETY PROBLEM FOR THESE VEHICLES. I WAS TRAVELING 65 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY ISSUE HAD I NEEDED THE BRAKES AT THAT MOMENT.

Mileage: 32,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 3500. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, IT EXTENDED TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO RESPOND. AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED A SECOND TIME, IT RESET BACK TO THE PROPER POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,500. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Mileage: 3,500