T21 Recall - Freightliner USA-ANYONE, ANYWHERE found a Knowledgeable dealer??

bcolins

2004 158" Vista Cruiser
I recently purchased a 2004 Freightliner Gulf Stream Vista Cruiser MB. A little bit of a drive for you from TX but the previous owner had the recall work done at Mercedes Benz of Littleton in the Denver area in May 2018.
baggio95, do you know if they had to replace the instrument cluster to correct a constantly on back light and constantly cycling EGR valve? Getting the recall done is not the issue,....fixing the problems caused by the recall is the issue.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Regarding Freightliner dealers, you might give McCoy Freightliner in Portland Oregon a call.

I do not KNOW if they're fought the 2004 battle, but at that time they were directly owned by corporate Freightliner, so were very busy bees in terms of filling Portland streets with Sprinters. We bought our 2005 from them in Dec 2005.
When we called them with a problem soon after the sale, they were willing to make an accurate guess over the phone as to what the problem was (bad IAT sensor).

Their Sprinter address/phone is:
SPRINTER & RVS
2323 NE Columbia BLVD
Portland OR 97211
(503) 735-1970

website: https://www.mccoyftlsprinter.com/

--dick
 
jmiller5,

I have the same Forest River on 2004 chassis and live in OC. I have GDE tune that bypasses my faulty SKREEM and am planning to postpone the recall as long as possible. I have not received the recall notice yet. I occasionally take my rv in to Caliber Motors in Anaheim and they handle quite a bit of Spriters as far as I know. They are a MB dealer. When I took in a few weeks ago for brake fluid change, they told me I have a T21 recall, but I declined. So far they have changed my ECU, engine wiring harness, etc and I am happy with them. Please give them a call and let me know your experience with them if you take it there. Caliber Motors (855) 281-3286. Internet says they are located in Anaheim Hills but legal city is Anaheim. 5395 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92807. Below is their Sprinter service website:

https://www.anaheimmercedes.com/Sprinter_service_anaheim_mercedes.html
 
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rsprinterbeard

New member
Hi All,

I received the same unhappy message in my renewal notice. I called my local MBZ dealer (Autobahn Motors, Belmont, CA), and they knew all about it! I have an appointment to have the ECU flashed the day after tomorrow.

-Robert
 

bcolins

2004 158" Vista Cruiser
Hi All,

I received the same unhappy message in my renewal notice. I called my local MBZ dealer (Autobahn Motors, Belmont, CA), and they knew all about it! I have an appointment to have the ECU flashed the day after tomorrow.

-Robert
Robert, if your van is a 2004 or 2005 make sure you and they are aware of the post recall problems (which is what all the T21 threads are discussing)
Brian
 

carter.home

Jim Carter
I’ve been looking at this check engine light for over two years so, armed with the updated recall notice I am going to drive over to my local Mercedes dealer and see what they say about getting the instrument control cluster replaced
 

carter.home

Jim Carter
I went to my local MB dealer in West Covina, Los Angeles county. I spoke with the service manager and the shop foreman. I showed the updated recall notice and told them I need the cluster control panel replaced. the "computer" shows the recall 2016040001 is closed, and until MB opens it again there is nothing they can do. I guess I understand, but they were polite and told me he would check weekly to see of it opens again and would contact me. I also called the MB Good Will Center (800) 367-6372, not much help but gave me this website https://www.mbvans.com/sprinter/owners-resources/recall if this recall reopens it will show here. You can input your VIN to check recalls.

autostaretx, when did you get this notice? If it is current it seems the recall would be open. IDK


2004 Freightliner Sprinter 3/2004mfg
 

bcolins

2004 158" Vista Cruiser
I went to my local MB dealer in West Covina, Los Angeles county. I spoke with the service manager and the shop foreman. I showed the updated recall notice and told them I need the cluster control panel replaced. the "computer" shows the recall 2016040001 is closed, and until MB opens it again there is nothing they can do. I guess I understand, but they were polite and told me he would check weekly to see of it opens again and would contact me. I also called the MB Good Will Center (800) 367-6372, not much help but gave me this website https://www.mbvans.com/sprinter/owners-resources/recall if this recall reopens it will show here. You can input your VIN to check recalls.

autostaretx, when did you get this notice? If it is current it seems the recall would be open. IDK


2004 Freightliner Sprinter 3/2004mfg
Jim Carter, all,

TWO THINGS

1) Can a recall campaign be cancelled?? That doesn't sound right to me.

2) I got my van fixed YESTERDAY at Houston Freightliner. That said, I have been talking with the service manager, Brett Bennett for several months about this,..... and based on our conversations, the info I sent him from this forum, and his conversations with his factory service rep,...they ordered a new instrument panel for me, I drove in yesterday morning (a 4.5 hour drive) and with some trials and tribulations,....they did get the new instrument panel to eventually communicate with the vehicle and all its sensors,....I did a 25 mile test drive with no check engine light. Upon returning to the dealer, when I shut off the van, the dash back light did turn off and stay off, and there was no evidence of the EGR valve humming or clicking.

Brian in San Antonio
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
autostaretx, when did you get this notice? If it is current it seems the recall would be open. IDK
As the top of the letter shows, November 2016.
The envelope did not have a postmarked date (due to style of mass mailing).

Note that the letter cites a different "contact us" phone number: 877-762-8267

--dick
 
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bcolins

2004 158" Vista Cruiser
As the top of the letter shows, November 2016.
The envelope did not have a postmarked date (due to style of mass mailing).

Note that the letter cites a different "contact us" phone number: 877-762-8267

--dick
Dick, Jim,

Looks like you guys haven't noticed that I started a new thread 3 weeks ago specifically to show the updated recall doc.

Look here:
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75381


Brian
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Dick, Jim,

Looks like you guys haven't noticed that I started a new thread 3 weeks ago specifically to show the updated recall doc.

Look here:
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75381


Brian
Just so it's here, too, the new recall letter is:
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=111084&d=1555613481

(dated May 2017)

I note that the letter says only 11,302 vehicles are involved, which is only about a third of the Sprinters sold during that period. (it could be just the 2004 count)((off to dig up old production numbers....))
From deep in the dusty archives:

NAFTA Sprinter Sales.jpg

... so it's hard to figure out where they got the "11,302" ... oh ... yeah ... it's probably FREIGHTLINER ONLY!
The bulk of that era Sprinter Sales were probably Dodge.
The monthly sales do not mean that each unit sold was that specific model year.
From the above chart, the 2004 for Freightliner only was 8493, and 2005 had 6658 FLs. (one was mine)
That's a total of 15151 in those two years ... still not reconciling well with the 11,302. :idunno:

--dick
 
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GaryJ

Here since 2006
MB of Rocklin CA (near Sacramento) did my 2006 Freightliner without a problem. Thinking it might take a while since they were doing other service they gave me a 2019 Sprinter as a loaner. Love that 7 speed box.

Gary
 

mtngant2

New member
I had an appointment with my local M-B this afternoon. But after sending him the Recall Letter and then talking to him on the phone I had to cancel.

He says that if the issue did not occur right when the repair was done (like when they did the test drive), it is not a warranty issue.

I have been dealing with this for well over a year and half.

Replaced: battery, alternator, battery (2x), EGR, Mass Air Flow Sensor, Starter (2x), plus early on they dealership charged me to trace down a small electrical loss at one of the doors.

Now I disconnect the battery overnight and do the double key turn during the day.

He gave me the number for M-B Customer Assistance (1-800-367-6372).
 

carter.home

Jim Carter
I just spent about 20 minutes on the phone with Mercedes Goodwill center and was told there’s nothing they can do and the recall will never be reopened unless enough people call and complain whatever that means. So I don’t understand how some people with these freightliners are able to get the repair done
 

220629

Well-known member
I just spent about 20 minutes on the phone with Mercedes Goodwill center and was told there’s nothing they can do and the recall will never be reopened unless enough people call and complain whatever that means. So I don’t understand how some people with these freightliners are able to get the repair done
:idunno:

Were they speaking about your particular recall that was performed and closed?

I went to my local MB dealer in West Covina, Los Angeles county. I spoke with the service manager and the shop foreman. I showed the updated recall notice and told them I need the cluster control panel replaced. the "computer" shows the recall 2016040001 is closed, and until MB opens it again there is nothing they can do. I guess I understand, but they were polite and told me he would check weekly to see of it opens again and would contact me. I also called the MB Good Will Center (800) 367-6372, not much help but gave me this website https://www.mbvans.com/sprinter/owners-resources/recall if this recall reopens it will show here. You can input your VIN to check recalls.

autostaretx, when did you get this notice? If it is current it seems the recall would be open. IDK


2004 Freightliner Sprinter 3/2004mfg
To my knowledge, the Freightliner recall is still in effect.

:2cents: vic
 

220629

Well-known member
My sprinter is badged mercedes will a dodge dealer do the work on it ?
Similar to added chrome, the badge choice is fluff. The VIN # is what will determine who will do the recall procedure for you.

From what I have gleaned...
Dodge VIN # recall procedure = Dodge aka Chrysler dealership only.

Freightliner VIN # recall procedure = Freightliner dealership, possibly MB dealership (Sprinter shops).

:2cents: vic
 

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