2016 MERCEDES BENZ SPRINTER 3500 Electronic Stability Control (esc) Problems

The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the ABS warning light and the electronic stability control warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that the motorhome was making abnormal clunking sounds. The contact was able to continue to drive at less than 30 MPH. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that one of the wheels must have failed to patch the ground. The manufacturer advised the contact to turn the vehicle on and off three times using the ignition key for the warning lights to disappear. The contact stated that he did so and the warning lights and warning messages disappeared; however, they reappeared the next day. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH and towing his Volkswagen vehicle, the transmission disengaged and the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound. Then the transmission reengaged and disengaged causing the vehicle to lurch forward. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle the failure reoccurred. The RV was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the rear axle speed sensors, knock sensors needed to be replaced, and the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V042000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) was completed. The contact also stated that the dealer cross-fired the speed sensors which caused the computer to not allow the vehicle to drive more than 35 MPH. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle leaned on his right side and crashed into a street sign. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, The warning lights reappeared and the vehicle leaned and hit the curb. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and offered the contract to trade the vehicle. The vehicl

Mileage: 2,000

The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V042000 (Electronic Stability Control) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that while driving over a railroad track at a slow speed, the vehicle independently accelerated with the ABS, check engine, and traction control warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to safely stop the vehicle and shut-off the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer. Due to the parts for the repair not being available, the dealer decided to place a new, yet defective, speed sensor on the vehicle as a temporary repair and the contact drove the vehicle back home. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact had called three separate dealers and it was confirmed that the part would not be available until the fourth quarter of 2021. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 23,580. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

Mileage: 23,580

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 3500. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V042000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. MERCEDES-BENZ OF WILSONVILLE (25035 SW PARKWAY AVE, WILSONVILLE, OR 97070, 503-454-5000) WAS CONTACTED AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

DRIVING ALONG IN CRUISE CONTROL AROUND 65 MPH ALL OF A SUDDEN CRUISE CONTROL STOPS WORKING AND VEHICLE BUCKS QUITE A BIT,VERY STARTLING.THEN I NOTICE ON DASHBOARD THE SO CALLED THREE STOOGES LIGHTS APPEAR.THIS WAS MY FIRST ENCOUNTER AROUND 18,000 MI.AUGUST 2020.PROBLEM FIXED IN CT UNDER WARRANTY. TWO MONTHS LATER DRIVING THROUGH VIRGINIA,SAME STOOGE LIGHTS APPEAR IN THE MOUNTAINS SHIFTING ERRATICALLY.CALLED M B TECH, VERY HELPFUL,DIRECTED ME TO MERCEDES BENZ OF FREDERICKSBURG VA 77 MILES AWAY.INCONVENIENCED BUT GRATEFUL WORK WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY.I BELIEVE THIS IS A HAZARD ON THE ROADS AND SHOULD BE A RECALL.

Mileage: 18,000

WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILURE CAUSED VEHICLE TO DISABLE CRUISE CONTROL, ABS BRAKE SYSTEM AND PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN LIMP MODE. CANNOT ACCELERATE MORE THAN 25 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. WAS TRAVELLING AT 62 MPH WHEN EVENT OCCURED. FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE!

Mileage: 25,000

WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILED AT 10000 MILES (REFER TO PREVIOUS COMPLAINT), AGAIN FAILS AT 20000 MILES CAUSING ERRATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTING AND PROPULSION WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT.

Mileage: 20,000

DRIVING ALONG ON CRUISE CONTROL. CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATES, ANTI-LOCK, TRACTION CONTROL AND ANTI-SKID LIGHTS COME ON. I STOP THE VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION WANDERS BETWEEN GEARS JERKING. I GO TO MB DEALERSHIP THEY REPLACE R REAR SPEED SENSOR MILEAGE:9659MILES. AT 12,060 MILES THE SAME THING HAPPENS. I DRIVEA FIVE HOUR ROUND TRIP TO MB DEALER, THEY REPLACE THE L REAR SPEED SENSOR. AT 17,000 MILES (NOW OFF WARRANTY) ALL THE LAMPS ARE ON AGAIN, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE AND I FACE A 133 MILE TOW TO KNOXVILLE, TN MERCEDES DEALERSHIP.

Mileage: 9,659

THIS MB SPRINTER 3500 3.0 DIESEL IS THE CHASSIS FOR A 2018 THOR CHATEAU 24FS RV. 2018-07-06 - 8485 MILES: LEFT REAR SPEED SENSOR REPLACED. 2018-09-14 - 9488 MILES: RIGHT REAR SPEED SENSOR REPLACED. 2020-05-22 - 14127 MILES: LEFT REAR SPEED SENSOR REPLACED. IN ALL CASES THE TRACTION, SKID, AND ABS LIGHTS COME ON ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE TRANSMISSION CAN SHIFT MANY TIMES PER SEC WHEN TURNING A SHARP CORNER (AND CAUSE THE RV TO "BUCK"). ALSO THE TRANSMISSION CAN DROP OUT OF DRIVE MULTIPLE TIMES AND REV THE ENGINE RPMS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ALSO CAUSING THE RV TO "BUCK". A STARTLED DRIVER MIGHT TRY TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND LOCK THE STEERING WHEEL. MB SERVICE AGENT ON 5-22-2020 TOLD ME THAT THEY SEE THIS WITH RV'S "ALL THE TIME, BUT NEVER SEEM TO SEE IT WHEN THE SPRINTER IS JUST A VAN. UNCLEAR WHY THIS IS HAPPENING". THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT!!! IT ALMOST DID FOR ME DRIVING 55 MPH ON I-515 IN GA NEAR WOODSTOCK AND OTHER TIMES. ALSO CAUSED ME TO HAVE THE RV TOWED TO THE MB DEALER IN ATLANTA FROM TYBEE ISLAND GA AT AN EXPENSE OF $600. AT MINIMUM, MB SHOULD UPDATE THEIR ESP COMPUTER TO SANITY CHECK THE DATE BEING GIVEN BY THE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS. IF THEY DON'T MAKE SENSE, THEN DISABLE ABS, TRACTION AND SKID, BUT DON'T START SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION MULTIPLE TIMES PER SECOND, OR TAKE IT OUT OF GEAR AND REV THE ENGINE. *DT*JB*DT *DL

Mileage: 14,000

ON FEBRUARY 14, 2019, WE WERE DRIVING OUR 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 3500 RV IN HEAVY TRAFFIC DURING A RAINSTORM IN SPRING HILL, FLORIDA. MULTIPLE DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON INDICATING THE VEHICLE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHIFTING VERY ERRATICALLY WHILE WE WERE IN TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR WHICH PLACED US IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS WE TRIED TO GET OUT OF THE TRAFFIC STREAM AND FIND A SAFE PLACE TO PARK THE VEHICLE. WE HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES TO THE NEAREST MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER SERVICE CENTER IN WESLEY CHAPEL, FLORIDA. THEY ULTIMATELY DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE VEHICLE?S REAR SPEED SENSORS HAD FAILED AND THEY REPLACED IT. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE UNDER MERCEDES-BENZ WARRANTY. SPEED SENSOR FAILURE ON THE MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 3500 HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED BY OTHERS UNDER NHTSA ID NUMBERS 11196530,11138785,11124129, 11093070. *TR

Mileage: 34,500

ON JULY 7, 2019, WE WERE DRIVING OUR 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 3500 RV IN HEAVY TRAFFIC DURING A RAINSTORM IN BRANSON, MISSOURI. MULTIPLE DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON INDICATING THE VEHICLE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM HAD FAILED. THIS WAS THE SAME FAILURE WE HAD EXPERIENCED WITH THIS VEHICLE IN FEBRUARY, 2019. THE BRANSON AREA IS EXTREMELY HILLY BEING PART OF THE OZARK ?MOUNTAINS?. WE WERE OBVIOUSLY VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANT DANGERS OF TRYING TO DRIVE IN THIS AREA WITHOUT A WORKING BRAKING SYSTEM. WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE OUR SPRINTER TO OUR RV PARK AND PARK IT. WE SPENT ALL DAY ON MONDAY, JULY 8, GETTING THE UNIT TOWED 90 MILES TO BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS, THE NEAREST MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER SERVICE CENTER. WE SPENT ALL THE NEXT DAY AT THE SERVICE CENTER GETTING THE UNIT REPAIRED. AGAIN, ONE OF THE REAR SPEED SENSORS WAS FOUND TO BE THE PROBLEM AND IT WAS REPLACED. OUR REPAIR WAS DELAYED AT THE SERVICE CENTER WHILE THE MERCEDES-BENZ SERVICE CENTER WAS WAITING FOR APPROVAL ON REPAIRING THIS SPEED SENSOR. THE SERVICE MANAGER INDICATED THAT MERCEDES-BENZ HAD ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN RELATED TO SPEED SENSOR FAILURES ON MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTERS WITHIN THE LAST MONTH AND THEY HAD TO GET APPROVAL MERCEDES-BENZ IN GERMANY BEFORE MAKING REPAIRS. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE BY MERCEDES-BENZ AS AN EXTENSION OF OUR WARRANTY. THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE REPORTS OF SPEED SENSOR FAILURES ON MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTERS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND NUMEROUS OTHER SPRINTER/SPRINTER RV WEBSITES. SPEED SENSOR FAILURE ON THE MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 3500 HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHERS UNDER NHTSA ID NUMBERS 11196530,11138785,11124129, 11093070, 11232230. *TR

Mileage: 36,875

REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILURE. CAN CAUSE VEHICLE TO SURGE UNCOMMANDED. VEHICLE ENTERS LIMITED OR LIMP MODE. SOME FEATURES / FUNCTIONS ARE DISABLED. WHILE STATIONARY VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE (SURGE) IN SPITE OF DRIVER BRAKE APPLICATION. VEHICLE HAS HAD THIS FAILURE TWO TIMES ONCE FOR EACH REAR WHEEL SENSOR FAILURE.

Mileage: 8,500

AT 12000 MILES, BOTH REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS FAILED CAUSING MULTIPLE INDICATOR PANEL ALARMS, SPONGY BRAKING AND DRIVETRAIN/TRANSMISSION TO STICK IN A GEAR, IE. WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS (STUCK IN FIRST GEAR ON INTERSTATE AT ONE POINT). *DT THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED. BOTH THE REAR RPM SENSORS WERE REPLACED. *JS

Mileage: 11,500