Sprinter Issues

[Inspector]

I know every make of vehicle seems to have their unique set of problem areas. What areas of the Sprinter, if any, seem to need extra vigilance or maintenance? Does the V6 have any areas of concern?

[Inspector]

Well it's good to know there aren't any problem areas :thinking:

[hkpierce]

I think the response is USE THE SEARCH FEATURE IN THE BLUE BAR. This is not a new issue - and is in fact the reason the forum exists. Happy reading!

Now, on the other hand, you are asking the question relative to the product whose forum you posted, there are indeed few comments on Roadtrek.

[Inspector]

Thank you for your reply. I was basically interested in the M-B chassis/drivetrain issues because things may need extra vigilance in some areas. Or a particular lubricant/filter is superior to prevent premature failure etc. I'll try the search as suggested.

[bl_smith25]

Look under the NCV3 category as that would pertain to your model year.
Keep in mind though that issues present in the newer NCV3 years may be solved by now as the NCV3 came out in 2007.

[Inspector]

Thanks for the heads up on where to look, I appreciate it!


Later note, the referenced area is mind boggling but a real wealth of information and tips! Thanks!

[Lenfagan]

The only issue I had with my 2011 Sprinter was that the engine starter failed. Fortunatly it was in my driveway just before a trip. It had to be towed to the dealer to be replaced. Apparantly this is not a unique problem according to the Freightliner sevice manager.

It took 3 days since it was not in stock.

[Inspector]

Thanks for the starter heads up. Our closest Sprinter dealer/service is appprox. 60 miles away, so a three day wait after getting it there to diagnose/repair wouldn't be fun. So the starter didn't give any impending demise symptoms? That's scary!

[Lenfagan]

No notice on starter failure. One day worked fine next day just a click. I thought the battery was dead but after checking that I called the dealer.

Mercedes has had problems with the starters.
Hopefully yours will be fine.

[Inspector]

Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good. I doubt Mercedes has made a change between 2011 and 2012 year models, probably some bean counter figures it's cheaper to repair the ones that fail, rather than issue a recall. The downside is the waiting for parts or a breakdown somewhere remote.

[Inspector]

An after thought, has there been a reason cited for these failures, i.e. brushes, windings etc. as an example? Thanks!

[Type2Teach]

Here's the catch-22: It's covered under warranty, but takes a few days of you being out of a van to fix. BUT, you could just carry around a spare starter that you buy with your own dime and have virtually no down time. :hmmm:
Will the stealership give you a loaner while you wait for the starter to come in?
My 2002 is *just* out of warranty. :lol:

[icarus]

The problem with forums like this, that while they serve a great function in educating users about their vehicles, it can also present the image that these (or any other item) are prone to specific failures. One anecdotal story about a starter failure does not a trend make!

With few exceptions, specifically Turbo resonator failures in T1NS, EGR issues across most vehicle classes, I think the evidence is that Sprinters are no more (or less) prone to random failure than any other product. In the real world, I think the track record is quite good. Show me another vehicle forum where people are complaining about random failures,,they all have them. What you don't see is the huge number of people who have gone through thousands of miles with no unusual failure. The sheer number of high mileage member posts here speaks to the general reliability of these vans.

I will concede that the dealer network and service availability of Sprinters is the weak link, especially if you either have a bad dealer, or live a long distance from one.

Icarus

PS. I wrote for year on a VW Westfalia forum, and the number of known, common failures of VW Westies are legion, and yet thousands of them are wracking up millions of happy owner miles,, in spite of the known issues. I personally sold mine (sadly) because I routinely "commute" several times a year across the continent. Breaking down in N. Dakota, with no one within a thousand miles that could work on the Westy became an issue, for a vehicle 25 years old. The Sprinter now does that duty, and I have never had an issue.