Does T1N repair frequency & severity increase with time & mileage?

jlmccarthy

New member
My wife posed this question in a slightly different way earlier today on the general Sprinter-talk forum.

We are considering purchasing a used 2004 Sprinter 2500 (140 wheelbase, high roof passenger van) for about $20,000. But we (particularly my wife) are concerned that this vehicle has 118,000 miles on the odometer, and only has maintenance records from the second owner, who purchased it a little over a year ago when it had about 105,000 miles on the odometer. We are taking it to get checked out by a local Dodge/Sprinter dealer who services fleets for FedEx, etc. and seem to know what they are doing. And I'm planning to give
them an extended version of Vic's good checklist of things to look for I found elsewhere on this forum
(https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5174)

But the more basic question remains....
Would we have less frequent and less severe problems if we hold out for a lower mileage sprinter
(still T1N 2500 140 high roof passenger model)? which may be hard to find! (especially one close to home)

I'm getting more comfortable with being able to find a Dodge/Sprinter dealer that can work on the van
wherever we may be.
Even though the axe is removing 25% of the Dodge dealers, my suspicion is that the percentage
of Sprinter dealers who get cut will be smaller. And even if the local Dodge service dept isn't very
savy about Sprinters, I now have an excellent local service dept here in the SF Bay Area
that they can call for help and guidance -- in addition to this forum.
Is this thinking naive?

We would particularly appreciate hearing from any of you who have experience
with T1N Sprinters with over 100,000 miles on them.

Thanks!

~John & Kathy
 

sikwan

06 Tin Can
It really depends on how well it was taken care of, ie., quality work with quality parts. Another concern would be if the Sprinter lived its life in snow country (salted roads).

Simon (Mean_In_Green) really takes care of his van and it has well over 700,000km before the new engine.
 

mean_in_green

>2,000,000m in MB vans
But the more basic question remains....
Would we have less frequent and less severe problems if we hold out for a lower mileage sprinter
Unsure whether a "yes or no" answer to the question is possible...

A lower mileage example is more attractive in one sense, but not being used as much as a higher mileage example could put another person off. A higher mileage suggests it may have been doing some motorway miles, which is a good thing.

In the absence of history it's an excellent idea to have it looked over through experienced eyes. See what the opinion is then reassess, the mileage doesn't seem at all high to me.
 

ECU

2006 T1n 118 Sprinter
I purchased a rig with 290000 miles. After looking at the carfax, I could determine the months in service.
In the end I like that it was a newer rig, 2006. It had to have done close to 500 miles a day, 7 days a week. So I know it didn't do city, stop and go driving.
Problems? The windshield was micropitted after all those miles, replaced it. I just had an injector go bad and replaced it.
Still the price was such that I feel I got a good deal.
 

BaywoodBill

pre-Yuppiedom
As with any mechanical device, the more wear there is the more things will need repair. For example, it's likely that anyone can drive a Sprinter for 40,000 miles and never need to replace the tires (although most Sprinter owners get far more than 40,000 miles on a set of tires). At some point the transmission needs service. Brakes, wheel bearings, rear ends, etc. You know what I mean. My wife's sewing machine runs like a top but parts wear and the longer she uses it, even though she keeps it lubed, it will wear out.

In that sense, the question posed is not really a valid sort of question. Now if you asked "does the increase in frequency and severity or repairs exceed the normal one would find with any other vehicle?" I would say, I don't think so. I think all the parts last longer than on other vehicles.
 
3

312 diesel (closed)

Guest
Servicing tends to go in cycles. All components have a finite life, but many of those components will easily last the life of the vehicle or more. I'd look at how the vehicle has been used. If it is in use in an urban setting doing constant stop start items like clutches and brakes will wear faster than on a vehicle doing long distances.

Servicing is also important, regular lubricant changes are almost an irrelevance to the first owner who intends to out the vehicle at 2 or 3 years old. If they're not done though it will bite in later life.

Personally I'd buy on condition, not age. It is also far cheaper to replace an engine or gearbox on a generally straight and tidy vehicle than it is to completely sort out a tatty dog.
 

david_42

Active member
Tough call. I've got 47K on my 2004. The first year there were two recalls, the second year I had a problem with the security system. Third & fourth years: nothing.

If I was looking at that van, I would want to find out if the 80,000 mile service on the transmission was done. If it was, good chance the van was taken care of. Consider: this is a one-time service. That tells me the transmission is broken-in at that point.

You'll have to change the coolant in another 42, 000 miles, unless you drive real slow and make it to 2019 before hitting 160K.
 

si.

New member
like some of the other guys have said. i bought a 03 spinter with 185k miles on,in the sun glare the windscreen was covered in tiny stone chips, the rubber on the pedles were good aprt from the right hand side of the gas pedel and the leather gater was in good nik.
I know a guy who a paid lot for a sprinter with 56k 51reg and the pedels & gaiter were worn and the screen didnt have a chip on it,all it had was a curved scratch where the previous owner could be bothere to replace the wiper blade so i dout he could be bothered tolook after much else.Needless to say he sold it 6 months later having lost lots of money and patience on it.
so if i went to look at a van the milage wouldn't be at the top of my check list
 

surlyoldbill

Well-known member
John, please share your source of local excellent service in the Bay Area, email me if you don't want to post it. I've had discouraging experiences with a dealer service department in the North Bay, and need to find an ACTUAL mechanic to diagnose and fix a problem.

That said, back on topic: a old timer mechanic that I know in Oregon determined that with proper maintenence a vehicle would last about 130k before it started to nickel and dime you, meaning it would have no breakdowns or need expensive repair/replacement up to that 130k, and after that it was a gamble. He would sell his car/truck at about 125k and get a "new" used one with less than 15k on it. Sprinter motors probably have a longer lifespan because they are diesel, but the electronic crap, uh, controls and sensors, may fail. My tires lasted to 60k, I put on new front pads and rotors at 85k. I now have almost 100k, and have just recently developed a problem that is most likely an injector going bad (no codes, but it has a hard time re-starting after reaching operating temp, 180, and then sitting for 15-30 minutes; starts right up no problem in the morning).
 

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