2019 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500 Complaints

SPRINTER VAN CAUGHT FIRE BURNING UP THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. VAN WAS SERVICED A WEEK PRIOR TO FIRE FOR AN ISSUE WITH THE A/C BY MERCEDES BENZ OF JACKSONVILLE. VAN WAS DRIVEN DAILY AFTER SERVICE APPOINTMENT AND BEGAN TO SMOKE. ONCE IT WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT (CHURCH/SCHOOL LOT) IT BURST INTO FLAMES. DRIVER AND TWO CHILDREN WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE JUST BEFORE IT BURST INTO FLAMES. HAD THE VEHICLE BEEN DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY AT THE TIME OR WASN'T BEING PARKED, THE VAN COULD HAVE BURNED OR KILLED THE DRIVER AND CHILDREN INSIDE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V055000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT TURNED ON THE VEHICLE AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WARNING ILLUMINATED AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED TO OPERATE AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE GEARS HOWEVER, THE GAUGES FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 43,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. ## VIN PASSED ## MERCEDES-BENZ 2019 ##

THE VEHICLE HAS SOME EMERGENCY STEERING CONTROL THAT IS AUTOMATICALLY BUILT IN. IF YOU GO OUTSIDE OF THE LANES, IT NOT ONLY STEERS YOU BACK TO WITHIN THE LANES, BUT ALSO SLAMS ON THE BRAKES. IT IS AUTOMATICALLY ON. IT CAN BE SHIFTED OFF EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU START THE VEHICLE, BUT IT IS A DEFAULT SETTING. THIS HAS PROVEN TO BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN APPROXIMATELY 5 SITUATIONS WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND I JUST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FOUR MONTHS AGO. TO ILLUSTRATE IT: WE WERE DRIVING THROUGH A CONSTRUCTION ZONE. AT TIMES IN CONSTRUCTION/WORK ZONES, THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC FORCES YOU OUTSIDE OF THE LINES FOR SAFETY PURPOSES. HOWEVER, THE VAN TRIED TO FORCE US BACK "INTO THE LINES" MULTIPLE TIMES, IN CONSTRUCTION, AT NIGHT, WITH MANY OTHER VEHICLES. IT ACTUALLY FORCED OUR VEHICLE BACK ACROSS THE LINE AND INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC IN MULTIPLE SCENARIOS. THIS IS A CASE OF AN AUTOMATIC "SAFETY" SETTING GONE WRONG. IT IS HIGHLY, HIGHLY DANGEROUS TO HAVE IT AUTOMATICALLY DO THIS, WHETHER IT'S DUE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, SAME DIRECTION TRAFFIC, CONSTRUCTION OBSTACLES OR EVEN SWERVING TO AVOID DEBRIS OR ANIMALS. THIS LANE ASSIST MUST BE DISABLED TO ALLOW FOR SAFE OPERATION OF THIS VEHICLE.*DT *TR

THIS SAFETY INCIDENT REPORT APPLIES TO ALL 2019+ SPRINTER 1500/2500/3500 WITH THE 4X4 DRIVETRAIN (HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM), IT DOES NOT APPLY TO 2WD MODELS WITH ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING RACKS. THE UPPER POWER STEERING HOSE THAT CONNECTS THE PS RESERVOIR TO THE PS COOLING ELEMENT LOCATED AHEAD OF THE RADIATOR IN THE FRONT GRILLE IS SECURED BY A WORM DRIVE CLAMP AT THE RESERVOIR SIDE AND A SPRING CLAMP AT THE COOLING ELEMENT SIDE. THE LOWER PS HOSE THAT CONNECTS THE COOLING ELEMENT TO THE HARDLINE WHICH BOLTS IN TO THE HYDRAULIC STEERING RACK ON THE DRIVER SIDE IS SECURED WITH A SPRING CLAMP ON THE COOLING ELEMENT SIDE AND A SWAGED CONNECTION ON THE HARDLINE SIDE. THIS SAFETY INCIDENT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS LOWER PS HOSE CONNECTION. THE HOSE IS TOO SHORT FROM THE FACTORY, AND IS TAUT BETWEEN THE COOLING ELEMENT SPRING CLAMP AND HARDLINE SWAGED CONNECTION. OVER TIME, WITH NORMAL DRIVING VEHICLE VIBRATIONS & ENGINE BAY HEAT CYCLING, THE LOWER PS HOSE WILL BACK OFF THE COOLING ELEMENT UNTIL IT FALLS OFF AND PS FLUID IS DUMPED IN THE ENGINE BAY. THIS MAKES THIS HEAVY FULL SIZE VAN INSTANTLY EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. HOSE BLEW OFF ON MY VAN AT 9500MILES ON THE ODOMETER, AS I WAS EXITING A FREEWAY ONTO A CURVING OFFRAMP. HAD I NOT BEEN AWARE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE I MIGHT NOT HAVE CAUGHT IT IN TIME... AT SPEED, ON A WINDING ROAD, WITH A CLIFF / DROP OFF NEARBY THIS COULD HAVE CATASTROPHIC RESULTS IF THE DRIVER IS NOT ABLE TO OVERCOME THE SUDDENLY VERY HEAVY STEERING EFFORT. THE SOLUTION IS A SIMPLE ONE. THE LOWER PS HOSE JUST NEEDS TO BE 1-2" LONGER SO THAT IT IS NOT TAUT BETWEEN THE TWO CONNECTIONS. TO DATE MERCEDES DEALERSHIPS HAVE ONLY REMEDIED TO THE PROBLEM BY ADDING A WORM DRIVE CLAMP IN PLACE OF THE SPRING CLAMP. THIS IS A POOR TEMPORARY FIX AND DOES NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE THAT THE HOSE IS SIMPLY TOO SHORT AS MANUFACTURED.

POWER STEERING HOSE IS COMING LOOSE. IT IS ABOUT HALFWAY OFF. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THE POWER STEERING HOSE COMING OFF COMPLETELY ON FACEBOOK GROUP FOR SPRINTER CAMPER VANS.THAT WAS THE ONLY REASON I SAW IT. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO FIX WITH A STRONGER CLAMP BEFORE IT CAME OFF. WHEN THE HOSE DOES COME LOOSE IT RESULTS IN COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING. THIS IS A 8,000LB VAN. WOULD BE A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT IF IT HAPPENED AT THE WRONG TIME. LINK FOR REFERENCE: HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/WINNEBAGO4X4/PERMALINK/1587076018139245

AS IS NOW COMMONLY BEING REPORTED WITH THESE VEHICLES, THE LOWER POWER STEERING HOSE CLAMP IS INADEQUATE AND THE HOSE IS SLIPPING OFF THE PUMP. THIS WOULD LEAD TO A TOTAL LOSE OF POWER STEERING. THIS WAS PURCHASED NEW AND NOW HAS 5000 MILES ON IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE HOSE CONNECTING THE RESERVOIR HAD DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER CAROUSEL MOTORS (809 IA-1, IOWA CITY, IA 52244, (319) 354-2550) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND THE SAME CLAMP WAS REATTACHED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.*DT*JB

POWER STEERING HOSE IS COMING OFF. LOWER HOSE ONLY. CHECKED THIS AS IT IS A COMMON COMPLAINT FILED BY OTHER WINNEABAGO REVEL OWNERS. OTHERS HAVE HAD THEIRS COME OFF COMPLETELY AND LOST THEIR POWER STEERING. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THIS DID NOT HAPPEN TO ME ON THE MOUNTAIN ROADS I TRAVEL. HOSE IS TOO SHORT!

I BOUGHT MY WINNEBAGO REVEL 4 WEEKS AGO, 200 MILES WERE ON IT FROM THE DEALER, LAMESA RV IN PHOENIX, AZ. AFTER PUTTING 2,000 MILES ON IT, I WAS NOTIFIED BY MEMBERS OF A REVEL GROUP TO CHECK THE POWER STEERING HOSES, AS THE FACTORY CLAMPS DO NOT HOLD THE BOTTOM HOSE ON. WENT OUT, CHECKED THE HOSES AND THE BOTTOM HOSE HAD ALREADY STARTED BACKING OFF. THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH WINNEBAGO REVELS, AS I HAVE KNOWN OTHERS TO SUFFER FROM THE HOSE COMING OFF WHILE DRIVING.

LOWER POWER STEERING HOSE DETACHING FROM COOLER POTENTIALLY CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING. I HAVE 23 MILES ON THE VAN. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE ACROSS SPRINTER FORUMS.