SPRINTER Complaints

2003 SPRINTER 3500 SHC, UNIT 1 AND UNIT 2 WERE WESTBOUND ON THE TURNPIKE WHEN A SET OF DUAL TIRES CAME OFF UNIT 1 AND STRUCK UNIT 2. BOTH UNITS SUBSEQUENTLY PULL OVER ON THE NORTH SHOULDER. *BF THE LEFT REAR DUALS SHEERED OFF THE HUB. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0062-89)*JB UPDATED 03/29/11 *BF

2006 DODGE SPRINTER2500 PASSENGER VAN. SINCE FIRST MONTHS OF PURCHASE, ACTIVATING THE REAR A/C WHILE IN HOT WEATHER CAUSES THE ENGINE TO DIE WITHOUT NOTICE. THE 5 TIME RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHILE UNDER WARRANTY RESULTED IN SENSOR CHANGES TO NO AVAIL AS THEY CLAIMED THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE OR BRING UP A CODE. ENGINE FAILURE IS CHRONIC, USUALLY OCCURRING DURING REDUCED SPEED SUCH AS COMING OFF A HIGHWAY OFF RAMP AND WILL RESTART ONLY IN PARK. THIS IS A REPORTED PROBLEM BY NUMEROUS PASSENGER SPRINTER OWNERS. AT 35,000 MILES, THE FRONT A/C REDUCES AIR FLOW AFTER APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES WHEN THE AIR CIRCULATION BUTTON IS FORCED OFF ON IT'S OWN. LIMP HOME MODE BEGAN AS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AT 40,000 MILES. DIESEL FUEL AND FILTER CHANGES HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE ISSUE. AT 45,000 MILES, RATTLING BEGAN IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AT INITIAL DRIVE MODE ONLY. AT 50,000 MILES, EXTREME POWER LOSS REVEALED A SPLIT IN THE INTERCOOLER HOSE, A FLAW IN NUMEROUS FORUMS IN SPRINTER DESIGN INCLUDING THE NEWER MODELS. DODGE CONTINUES TO DENY THE COMMON REAR A/C ENGINE FAILURE PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FLEETWOOD QUEST RV BUILT ON A 2008 DODGE SPRINTER CHASSIS WITH DUAL REAR WHEELS. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH KUMHO ROAD VENTURE TIRES, SIZE 15/85R/16. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE, REAR INNER DRIVER SIDE AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRES SIDEWALL EXHIBITED TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED ALONG WITH THREE OTHER DEFECTIVE TIRES EQUIPPED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT REGARDING THE OTHER TIRES ON AUGUST 12, 2010. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES AIR PRESSURE HAD BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHICH PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000. THE DOT NUMBER WAS H20FYD4A1607. UPDATED 11/12/10 *CN UPDATED 11/26/10*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FLEETWOOD QUEST RV BUILT ON A 2008 DODGE SPRINTER CHASSIS WITH REAR DUAL WHEELS. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH KUMHO ROAD VENTURE TIRES, TIRE SIZE 15/85R/16. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE REAR OUTER PASSENGER TIRE EXPLODED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WITH THE EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO FACILITY WHERE THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE REAR OUTER DRIVER SIDE AND FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRES SIDEWALL EXHIBITED TREAD SEPARATION WHICH WAS REPLACED WITH NEW TIRES AT THE SAME TIME AS THE OTHER DEFECTIVE TIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THE TIRES AIR PRESSURE HAD BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHICH PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000. THE DOT NUMBER WAS H20FYD4A. THE CONTACT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF FILING ANOTHER COMPLAINT ON THE OTHER THREE TIRES WHICH HAD A DIFFERENT DOT NUMBER. UPDATED 11/12/10 *CN UPDATED 11/26/10

DEFECTIVE TIRES. 2 TIRES STATIC BLOWOUT, THIRD TIRE BUBBLE FORMED ON SIDEWALL, ALL WITHIN 2000 MILES. THESE WERE ON THE ORIGINAL VEHICLE AT TIME OF PURCHASING NEW. REPLACED WITH 7 NEW TIRES. HAVE PICTURES AND 5 OF THE DEFECTIVE TIRES. *TR

WE PURCHASED A 2006 DODGE SPRINTER 3500 AS A 2006 WINNEBAGO VIEW CLASS C MOTORHOME WITH 5010 MILES ON NOVEMBER 2006. WE WERE TRAVELING APRIL 2007 WHILE CROSSING THE JACKSONVILLE BRIDGE ON A1A, FL.. THE MOTORHOME WOULD NOT ADVANCED. IT LOST THE POWER. WE MADE IT TO THE TOP OF THE BRIDGE AT 20MPH. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW WE MADE IT. WE HAD TO INTERRUPT THE TRIP AND GO TO A DODGE DEALER AND THEY FOUND THE RESONATOR WAS THE PROBLEM A FEW DAYS AGO JAN. 2010 ON THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS SCENIC HWY 348, BLAIRSVILLE, GA; WHEN WE GOT TO THE HIGHEST PEAK THE MOTORHOME WOULD NOT GO AT ALL. WE HAD TO BACK UP SLOWLY AT LEAST HALF A MILE TO FIND A SPOT OR SHOULDER TO TURN AROUND AND GO DOWNHILL. CAN YOU IMAGINE DRIVING BACKWARDS ON A NARROW TWO LANE ROAD ON A STEEP MOUNTAIN WITHOUT ANY KIND OF PROTECTION. THIS VEHICLE IS A HAZARD TO US AND OTHER MOTORISTS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION . A RECALL IS NEEDED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR

SUBJECT: TURBO RESONATOR FAILURE I TOOK DELIVERY OF A DODGE SPRINTER MODEL 3500 CHASSIS WHEN I PURCHASED A WINNEBAGO VIEW IN MARCH OF 2007. CURRENT MILEAGE: 15,422 I HAVE MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OWNER'S MANUAL. ON 8/17/09, I HAD THE RESONATOR, PART NUMBER 14070001, AND THE ASSOCIATED AIR HOSE, PART NUMBER 14089002, REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE REPAIR WAS DONE BY FARRISH DODGE IN FAIRFAX, VA. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS IN 2007, THE REPAIR WAS DONE BY DOMINION DODGE IN ROANOKE, VA. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS IN 2008, THE REPAIR WAS DONE BY FREIGHTLINER OF HAGERSTOWN IN HAGERSTOWN, MD. IN EACH CASE, I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SLOWED AND BEGAN TO HAVE NO POWER. I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THE FAILURE OF THE RESONATOR IS DETECTED, THE ENGINE IS PUT INTO THE 'SAFE' MODE AT WHICH TIME THE VEHICLE CAN ONLY BE DRIVEN AT LOW SPEED FOR A SHORT DISTANCE. WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT FARRISH DODGE, HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NO SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY DODGE. HE DID SAY THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON AND WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE IS AWARE THAT THERE IS AN AFTERMARKET ALL METAL RESONATOR AVAILABLE BUT COULD NOT BE SURE WHETHER THE INSTALLATION OF THIS WOULD VOID THE WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN DODGE INTENDS TO OFFER A SOLUTION TO THIS RECURRING PROBLEM. MY WARRANTY WILL CONTINUE TO COVER THIS REPAIR FOR TWO MORE YEARS, BUT AT THIS POINT, I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THAT THE PROBLEM WILL NOT CONTINUE TO RE-OCCUR FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY CONCERN IS THAT THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AT WHICH TIME THE VEHICLE ESSENTIALLY COMES TO A NEAR STOP WITHOUT WARNING. IN ONE CASE I WAS ALMOST HIT IN THE REAR END BY A LARGE TRUCK. I HAVE APPROACHED DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH NO USEFUL HELP. *TR

MY 2006 SPRINTER MOTOR HOME (CAB BY GULFSTREAM) SUFFERED A RESONATOR FAILURE ON JUNE 26TH ON INTERSTATE 81N NEAR BRISTOL TN. IT HAS 18,500 MILES ON IT. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE RIGHT LANE AND, IN "LIMP HOME" MODE FOUND A SPRINTER REPAIR GARAGE AND A NEW RESONATOR WAS INSTALLED. I INTEND TO REPLACE THIS PLASTIC RESONATOR WITH AN ALUMINUM PART. THANKS. *TR

TURBO RESONATOR FAILURE ON AN INCLINE ON FREEWAY WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VECHICLE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE RESONATOR. *TR

TURBO RESONATOR CRACKED AND PUT SPRINTER INTO LIMP MODE. 30 MPH. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF CASES ON THE INTERNET WITH THIS ITEM AND I HAD PURCHASED AN ALUMINUM ALTERNATIVE RESONATOR IN CASE IT HAPPENED TO ME. WHEN IT DID FAIL I WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE RESONATOR IN 30 MINUTES. THE LIMP MODE IS VERY SCARY ON A FREEWAY WHEN IT FAILS. YOU CANNOT ACCELERATE PAST 30 MPH. I AM SURE THIS IS SO NOT TO HURT THE TURBO, BUT IN ANY CASE THE PART IS A WELL KNOW DEFECTIVE PART. *TR