2019 4x4 with many issues

newkid

New member
Well, folks just pulled the trigger a weak or so ago on a 2019 170 extended 4x4 cargo. This is my first sprinter but since driving off the lot their have been several issues that seem to have been mentioned on this forum. I will list the issues I have had below. I am a bit nervous this thing is a lemon with all the issues experienced and the damn thing only has 400 miles...Today it left me stranded for a half hour. I started the vehicle and the 4x4 button/light was flashing. Tried to disengage with no luck. put it in drive and reverse and she wouldn't go anywhere. Then placed it in Park and it made some crazy grinding noises. This continued after shutting down and restarting several times and finally resolved on its own. Other issues I have had...

*Droning/vibration noise that's really loud between 70-80 MPH
*clunking sounds when the accelerator is touched generally at lower speeds.
*Transmission response/tuning seems off, especially in first gear. It seems like either you hit the gas and you get nothing and if you push a bit further the wheels spin out underneath you..no gradual acceleration at times in first gear.
*The rig does not seem to like speeds higher than 75 mph at which point wind drag feels terrible and the steering wheel starts vibrating.
overall ride quality does not seem great. Should I be nervous having so many issues in such a short period of time...Is this common do I try to trade for a 2wd?
 

VanGoSki

Well-known member
Sorry to hear you're not happy, newkid. Some of what you describe I think may be normal and just take some getting used to. Other ones don't sound right. I've got 6500 miles on my 2020 van, and I'll chime in on some thoughts.

Regarding the droning. I don't have this problem on my 144 4x4 cargo that's bare on the inside. I have the CT1 spring option. I wonder too if you're getting "oil canning" from the sides vibrating on that big monster. In that case, applying soundproofing and insulation will most likely take care of that.

Clunking when pressing or lifting the accelerator a low speeds. I get that too. I think it was worse when it was new. The van is ripped apart for conversion right now so it'll be a couple of weeks before I drive it again to test it out. .

Transmission response/tuning. Sounds like good old turbo lag to me. Just the nature of the beast.

Issues with speeds higher than 75 mph. I don't have this problem. I've gone well over 80 and she's solid as a rock.

I personally couldn't trade for a 2WD. I'd probably walk away from the platform first. Maybe take a 144 4x4 for a test ride if you can live with that. We all have different needs, so not sure if that's an option for you.
 

Eric B

Well-known member
@newkid I'll go ahead and echo what @VanGoSki said ...

_the 4x4 issue is noted throughout here in multiple threads. the one guy who got closest to pinpointing the issue with his dealer relayed to us that the techs figured out that the wiring to the transfer box was frayed/zip tied too tight/had been chafing and that is what was giving conflicting issues and make the van immobile at times. I tried to cross-reference the different 4wd issue posts together to make it easier to find.

_the droning is normal for a cargo van WITHOUT CT1 vibration damper option on rear leaf springs

_the clunking is also a thing - some owners have brought their vans in and the dealer basically reset the driveshaft flange with loctite and that cured most, the driveshaft is however hollow so will always amplify the "ka-chunk" of putting it in gear, actually it's more of a "ding" kind of sound...

_ also agree on turbo lag there. If you press the gas and then release just as turbo is spooling up, then press again harder as you're thinking "WTH..." then yeah the turbo will seem to come on all of a sudden...

_ you want your 170 EXT to go faster than 75? lol ... that's A LOT of sheetmetal hurtling down the freeway ... I've been a little over 80 in my 170 4x4 but MPGs seem to start dropping off precipitously ...

_ also agree with test driving other vans at the dealer before you give up on yours

You said it is your first sprinter
If it's also your first cargo van then yeah there may indeed be an adjustment period to your new normal
 

newkid

New member
@newkid - with that laundry list, what did the dealer say ?

Took it into the dealer yesterday...They are claiming they will work on the issues...Another issue I forgot to mention is that since it was sitting on the lot for almost a year some rodent got in the engine bay and messed up basically all of the heat shields. including the one that goes against the firewall...They will be basically pulling everything in the engine bay apart to replace them...I hope they don't have to pull the engine...Lovely for a brand new vehicle with 400 miles.

@Egb thanks for that info...First sprinter but I do own many other cargo vans and have had fleets of them for years. I also own other turbodiesel vehicles with no such lag. The dealer explained that these usually start from a dead stop in second gear and can sometimes downshift back to first gear...Seems like bad factory tuning to me. Also, I've never purchased a vehicle that required purchasing an added option (CT1) to stop the vehicle from droning at highway speeds...If they are going to try and charge me for the resolve I think that's absurd
 

Eric B

Well-known member
@newkid sucks to hear about the rodent damage - this thing is sounding worse all the time...

Regarding CT1 - as mentioned elsewhere, the Sprinter cargo is somewhat more expensive than the Ford / Dodge competition. If MBZ has any hopes of fleet sales to FedEx / Amazon / and others they are going to decontent the cargo's as much as possible to make them more attractive to corporate clients. If that means skipping some items that are standard on Passenger Sprinter vans then they will do it in a heartbeat - CT1 is standard on passenger vans.

I work (well technically am still on furlough) for another automotive manufacturer and have experience at over half the brands in the USA and it's the same at all of them. If they can squeeze more of a profit out of each unit sold, then you bet they will.

Most Sprinter Cargos sold go to businesses / corporate accounts where the guys at the top of the food chain could care less if the vans drone at speeds and how that might affect their drivers.

While most of us on the forum who bought a Cargo or a Crew are transforming them in to Adventure Vans, we represent a tiny proportion of the total Cargos sold nation or world wide...

If you're not going to be able to special order a van from the factory, and get one off of a dealer lot, then this is something you are going to have to contend with. I tried for over four months last year to place an order and kept getting d#&ked around by the local dealer, I gave up after the 4th VIN that was supposedly "mine" (his words) suddenly was going to another of his previous clients, and started searching locally available vans that were close... more months passed by, eventually I settled on a 170 4x4 that was missing some of my must haves (including CT1) and I began the long (and more expensive) process of adding in the items I had to have, though the parts counters.

Every once in a while I'll glance at the vans for sale in the Special section, like the ones that @TXWJ gets regularly and wonder if I had waited a bit longer, would I have gotten something that was more perfect, right from the factory... I wanted ZH4 badly, and he just listed a 170 4x4 with it in the right color ... oh well, hindsight 20-20 and all that ... I'm just about done with the interior on mine and am happy enough...

Good luck with whatever you decide to do...
 

RVBarry

2023 AWD 170 DIY CamperVan
Another issue I forgot to mention is that since it was sitting on the lot for almost a year some rodent got in the engine bay and messed up basically all of the heat shields
Hi, the wiring will need to be inspected as well.
 

RVBarry

2023 AWD 170 DIY CamperVan
I tried for over four months last year to place an order and kept getting d#&ked around by the local dealer, I gave up after the 4th VIN that was supposedly "mine" (his words) suddenly was going to another of his previous clients
Hi,
The only hope of reducing this type of behavior is naming names.
Here at https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?forums/81/
Google maps reviews
Yelp
...

I know I wouldn't do business with a dealer like that if forewarned.

Also wondering if there's anything that can be done contractually to add assurances.
 

Eric B

Well-known member
Hi @RVBarry I already did - I posted about it last Fall when I gave up on Richard at MBZ of Thousand Oaks CA. It's in here somewhere ... probably is one of my first posts on the forum .... Anyways, multiple times he handed me a build sheet with a VIN which I approved, and multiple times when I called back a week or two later to confirm the van was in the system/slated for production I would get "who are you again" or "which van?" or "oh sorry, I sold that van to one of my recurring customers, how about this one instead?" ... all while refusing to take any kind of deposit on any of them to confirm that I was serious and any one of those four were MINE ... He also flat out refused to order a van with ZH4, since it is mutually exclusive with Distronic and he could make more of a profit on a van with Distronic rather than a van with ZH4 ... MBZ of Arcadia CA + MBZ @TXWJ just to name a few have had no problem selling ZH4 equipped vans ... anyways F that guy ... It's in the past now


Found the post, here it is :

 

newkid

New member
So Just got the van back and the update is as follows:

They swapped out the rear leaf springs to the ones that have CT1--90% Of the droning noise is now gone
They did the Loctite fix for the clunking noise...Solved for now but I hope this lasts.
They updated the programming on the 4x4 system which they claim will solve the system from engaging itself etc...Time will tell if this works.
They also swapped out all the heatshields that were damaged...All free of charge obviously. While I wanted them to do a buy-back... They kindly informed me they have to attempt to resolve all the issues and when I asked what my trade-in value would be after a week and 400 miles of ownership they kindly informed me I'd lose 25k off MSRP...I kindly declined. Let's see what happens.
 

Eric B

Well-known member
$25k of depreciation in 400 miles ?!?!? Holy sh$@
Pretty impressed you got the new leaf springs free of charge along with everything else ...
 
Last edited:

newkid

New member
$25k of depreciation in 400 miles ?!?!? Holy sh$@
Pretty impressed you got the new leaf springs free of charge along with everything else ... impressive

Well, I complained a lot and told them there was no way in hell I was going to pay extra for an "option" that makes the vehicle function as it should...I don't get how they charged or how any other customer actually paid for this. The droning sounded like a plane was taking off in the back of the van. Ridiculous that they even let these things leave the factory with these issues
 

surferJ

Active member
Well, I complained a lot and told them there was no way in hell I was going to pay extra for an "option" that makes the vehicle function as it should...I don't get how they charged or how any other customer actually paid for this. The droning sounded like a plane was taking off in the back of the van. Ridiculous that they even let these things leave the factory with these issues
I have had some crap with my new baby as well. Luckily for me the love is well outweighing the hate.
But I think it is this. Many businesses make the trade off between perfect engineering and fabrication vs a certain level of warranty support.
MB is one of many.
 

Top Bottom