Information:
Any time that a member responds to a poll it brings the thread back to life. That is how a post with an ancient date can pop up in the first page.
********
My opinions haven't changed much since 2012. Well, for T1N's. More modern NAS aka NAFTA diesels with their more complex emissions systems are a different animal.
I added a couple updates.
Any time that a member responds to a poll it brings the thread back to life. That is how a post with an ancient date can pop up in the first page.
********
My opinions haven't changed much since 2012. Well, for T1N's. More modern NAS aka NAFTA diesels with their more complex emissions systems are a different animal.
I added a couple updates.
vicFirst let me say that although we are pretty tame and very civilized as vehicle forums go, we can still be a tough crowd. Adding to that, those who are against tend to be more willing to share their displeasure than those who are happy. You should visit the forums of any vans you're considering and look for similar threads. You may find that 50/50 is pretty typical.This thread seems about 50/50 for or against. In my mind that isn't a great ratio for a prospective buyer..
The lack of plentiful dealerships/repair facilities can be a definite negative. I think that basically the Sprinter is as reliable as other brands and maybe even more reliable in some ways. There have been many over 400,000 mile Sprinters reporting here and other forums. Another negative which probably relates to the lack of repair facilities is that I think often what could be a readily repaired problem gets magnified because they go around the horn to resolve it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's easy. I figure many things out, but without Doktor A and other true professionals on this forum keeping me on track I'd be lost at times too, many times.
For 4 years now I have been passing a 158 T1N which is often in a private driveway. I noticed that the back doors had that terrible looking rust drip. The body was looking worse than mine. I was actually tempted to stop and offer to give the doors a 10 minute Magic Eraser and Orange Hand Cleaner restore process, but decided that might seem a bit creepy. I no longer need to worry about that because that T1N is gone. What is there now is a shiny new looking 170 NCV3. That's a pretty good testament to Sprinters.
20190421 Update.
There is now a nice shiny black Ford Transit parked in that driveway. I can say that I'm still driving by to see it while in my 2004 with 328,000+ miles on the clock.
Anyway, I really like my 2004. It has been very reliable given the miles it has already and continues to clock. If anything happens to this one I'll look for another. I am not known for giving rave reviews because I wouldn't want to lead anyone astray. Everyone needs to make their own decisions. vic
Added:
I did find a replacement. A 2006 2500 HC Freightliner passenger model. I'm happy with that one too. Unfortunately being a hoarder I kept the 2004. Few people really need 2 ea. Sprinter vans. Having both a cargo and passenger model is handy though.
Last edited: