2019 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500 Complaints

THIS AFTERNOON (2020-08-09) THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM ON MY VAN FAILED. NO WARNING, NO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH. JUST A SUDDEN DESIRE TO NOT WANT TO GO ROUND A CORNER AND PLOW STRAIGHT ON JUST AS I WAS ENTERING A TWISTY MOUNTAIN CANYON WITH PRECIPITOUS DROPS (LEE HILL DR, BOULDER, CO). LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO HOLD THE CURVE (AT THE LIMIT OF MY ARM STRENGTH) AND NOT RUN OFF THE ROAD. MY WIFE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HOLD IT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. ONCE I REALIZED I LOST POWER ASSISTANCE, I WAS ABLE TO TURN AROUND AND HEAD BACK HOME. I'M NOT SURE THIS IS A BLESSING BUT I'M SO HAPPY IT FAILED RIGHT AT THE START OF THE CANYON AND NOT WHEN THERE WAS A 500FT DROP BESIDE ME. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VAN HOME, AS I WAS JUST PHYSICALLY STRONG ENOUGH TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO NAVIGATE INTERSECTIONS HOWEVER, IT WAS A CLOSE CALL TO NEEDING A TOW TRUCK. ON TWISTY ROADS THE VAN IS ESSENTIALLY UNDERIVABLE. ONCE SAFELY PARKED I NOTICED FLUID POOLING UNDER THE VAN AND IT HAS SPRAYED THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE BAY SO THIS LOOKED LIKE A HYDRAULIC HOSE OR CLAMP FAILURE.

THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH SOME SORT OF WIND SHEER WARNING SYSTEM THAT DETECTS CROSS WINDS AND SUDDENLY SLAMS ON THE BRAKES, WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT. I WAS DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT ON I-40 IN ARIZONA AT 75 MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL, AND WAS PASSING A TRUCK IN THE LEFT LANE. IT WAS A SOMEWHAT WINDY DAY, BUT I WAS DEALING WITH THE WIND AS ANY NORMAL DRIVER WOULD DO, BY STEERING INTO THE WIND A BIT, AND DEALING WITH GUSTS AS THEY AROSE. AS SOON AS THE NOSE OF MY VEHICLE PASSED THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK, MY VAN SUDDENLY BRAKED WITHOUT WARNING. I DID NOT EXPECT IT AND THE CAR BEHIND ME DID NOT EITHER. I SUDDENLY GRABBED THE WHEEL WITH BOTH HANDS, AND TRIED TO CORRECT THE STEERING, NOT KNOWING WHAT WHAT GOING ON, AND NEARLY VEERED OFF THE ROAD. THE VAN SWERVED NEXT TO THIS TRUCK, RIGHT TO LEFT IN THE LANE, AND I BATTLED TO REGAIN CONTROL WHEN THIS UNEXPECTED SUDDEN SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES RANDOMLY HAPPENED THAT I DID NOT DO. THIS SUDDEN BRAKE-SLAMMING OCCURRED AT LEAST 5 MORE TIMES IN THIS 4 HOUR TRIP. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T EXPECT AND WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AND CONVERSING WITH SOMEONE AND SUDDENLY THE BRAKES ARE SHARPLY APPLIED WHILE YOU ARE ON CRUISE CONTROL, WITHOUT ANY SORT OF WARNING. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING PROBLEM. I CALLED MERCEDES AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I ASKED THEM TO TURN THIS FEATURE OFF, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, AND MORE OR LESS IMPLIED THAT WE HAD TO "LIVE WITH IT". THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED TO ONE OF MY OTHER DRIVERS THAT ROUTINELY DRIVES THIS VEHICLE AS WELL. AND HE REACTED IN THE SAME VIOLENT WAY THAT I DID, TRYING TO OVERCOMPENSATE FOR THIS SUDDEN AND UNPLANNED BRAKING. THIS IS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE FOR SURE IF WE CANNOT GET IT TURNED OFF. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS FEATURE TO HAVE ON A VEHICLE!.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, WHEN HE HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND SAW THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAD EXPLODED ON IT'S OWN. THE CONTACT STATED HE SUSTAINED A CUT ON HIS LEFT FOOT BUT DID NOT SEEK ANY MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT CALLED AND HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALER MERCEDES-BENZ OF LOVELAND (4040 BYRD DR, LOVELAND, CO 80538, (970) 344-4206,). THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OF REPAIRED AS OF YET. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V507000 (VISIBILITY), HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,200.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT STATED HE DETECTED AN ABNORMAL ODOR INSIDE OF THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED HE SUFFERED FROM HEADACHES WHEN INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER MERCEDES BENZ OF SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE CENTER (1480 FOLSOM ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103) WHERE THEY SENT THE VEHICLE TO A BODY SHOP TO HAVE BOTH REAR DOORS ADJUSTED. THE CONTACT STATED HE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED HE SAW COOLANT LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUTOBAHN MOTORS (700 ISLAND PKWY, BELMONT, CA 94002) WHERE THEY ADJUSTED BOTH REAR DOORS AND ADJUSTED THE RADIATOR HOSE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED REGARDING THE LEAK BUT THE DOORS WERE STILL FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500.

NEW PURCHASE 02-29-2020; THE MERCEDES SPRINTER 2500 THAT WAS UPFITTED BY AIRSTREAM INTO THE AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE NINETEEN. I DROVE ABOUT 60 MILES AND WHEN BACKING FROM A PARKING SPOT I FELT A SUDDEN GRAB/JOLT FROM THE RIGHT FRONT UNDERCARRIAGE AS IF BACKED OVER A DOG/CHILD. THANKFULLY NOTHING. THREE MORE TIMES THIS OCCURRED OVER TWO DAYS BUT W/O FINDING A CAUSE I CHOSE TO DRIVE 800 MILES TO SEATTLE FROM CALIFORNIA VIA I-5. ABOUT 40 MILES ENROUTE I WAS GOING 70 MPH ON A STRAIGHT, SLIGHT DOWNGRADE STRETCH WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY GRABBED TO THE RIGHT WITH A SHORT/ABRUPT JERK ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS WAS THE SAME AS THE BACKWARD BUT NOW FORWARD AND FRIGHTENING. FORTUNATELY I HAD BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL WITH A FIRM GRIP DUE TO THE UNFAMILIAR DARK ROADWAY AND DOWNGRADE STRETCH. THIS OCCURRED FIVE OTHER TIMES OVER THE NEXT 70-100 MILES AT A REDUCED SPEED OF 40-50 WITH A FIRM GRIP ON THE WHEEL AND EXPECTING IT SO I STAYED IN THE FAR LEFT LANE TO AVOID GOING OFF THE ROADWAY ON THE RIGHT. THE FOLLOWING DAY I RESUMED THE DRIVE AT ABOUT 40-50 MPH AND FELT THE SAME GRAB INTERMITTENTLY. I CALLED MERCEDES ROADSIDE ASSIST THROUGH THE VEHICLES ELECTRONIC CONNECTIONS ON THE NAV/MEDIA SCREEN AND THEY PROMPTED ME THROUGH DEACTIVATING THE BRAKE ASSIST. I DEACTIVATED ALL THE OTHER SENSOR DEVICES LIKE LANE ASSIST, PARKTRONICS ETC THAT I COULD FIND TO BE AS SURE AS POSSIBLE IT WAS NOT GOING TO OCCUR AGAIN WHILE DRIVING. THESE ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS REACTIVATE EACH TIME YOU TURN THE IGNITION OFF SO I HAD TO REMEMBER TO DO THAT PRIOR TO DRIVING EACH TIME I STOPPED. I DROVE THE 800 MILES HOME W/O THE SENSORS ACTIVE AND THE PROBLEM DID NOT RECUR. AIRSTREAM'S UPFIT MAKES IT LESS STABLE AND THE WEIGHT NOW ABOUT 10,000-13-000 POUNDS VERY DANGEROUS. IF CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED MUCH MORE OF A PROBLEM OR WINDING ROADS. I'M A RETIRED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND IT SCARED ME; NEEDS INVESTIGATED SOON.

IT IS BRAND NEW VEHICLE AND WHILE DRIVING A STRANGE SOUND IS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE, I WENT BACK TO DEALER AND I WAS TOLD IT IS AN MANUFACTURING DEFECT ON DRIVER SHAFT AND BEARINGS. NO PARTS AVAILABLE SO FAR AND THEY REFUSE TO GIVE ANOTHER NEW VEHICLE, THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE LOAN VEHICLE EITHER. I AM STUCK AND CAN DO NOTHING INSTEAD MAKING MONTHLY PAYMENTS FOR NO VEHICLE!