Used 2006 Dodge Sprinter Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2006 Sprinter, so we've included reviews for other years of the Sprinter since its last redesign.
2006 Dodge Sprinter Cargo 1st row 2 place seat
Vincent Mordt Rolfe, 01/28/2017
updated 02/05/2018
2006 Dodge Sprinter 118 WB 3dr Van (2.7L 5cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
39 of 39 people found this review helpful
Bought this Cargo 118"WB from a Sprinter dealer with 9,000 miles and needing a fuel filter change. It had the original expensive tires 15" and wandered a bit in side winds. Tires lasted 105K. Alignment required due to rt front tire wear at Sprinter dealer--setting only toe in. Van continued to wear same tire and second dealer in Chicago, "nothing we can do about that". Put on new set of tires at 106K G-26's. At that time found a camber aluminum wedge to correct rt front camber problem. 1 degree. Installed and too much correction. Hand filed wedges mathmatically to 1/2 degree and reinstalled and reset toe. Now van drove steady in high winds, made sweeping turns with no constant steering correcting and tires quit wearing. Sometimes I drive to east or west coat-5K miles in 5 days: driving is now relaxed. Replaced original ball joints with Moog US designed ball joints with grease zerks and also MB tierods at 50K. Stiff steering and rapid wear went away. Reset toe in with homemade toe jig. One alignment garage refused to try to align van at 50K due to ball joints wear and tie rods loose. Now at 131K steering still tight and using Molylithium grease for ball joints. Four speed heater fan failed at 110K-replaced for $25 using my screw driver. Winter of 2015 Chicago and motor hard to start and not hitting on all cylinders when cold. Checked internet with symptoms and glow plugs-5 Beru-MB brand were questionable. Found electrical resistance on 3 of 5 plugs to be incorrect. Bought deep metric socket at HomeDepot for $4. and removed 3 glow plugs with new Bosch NAPA plugs for $22 each. Not all 5 needed replacing according to testing resistance readings. Van starts at 22 below zero F with no problems using Peak anti gel 1 oz/5 gallons. I replace fuel filters and oil change with Shell T-6 5W40 every 10K. Best mileage on highway before the camber wedge was 34mpg. loaded coming back from St. Louis. After correcting the camber, going to Twin Cities MN, mpg was 36-37 driving at 63-65mph, small load with very little wind. This van does not use oil and I let it warm up to the first temperature gage mark before driving away. I will drive around the block and let it warm up even more if I immediately do highway driving. A neighbor with the longer WB 2500 '06 drove it like a Ford V-8 and blew up the turbo and then the cylinder head gasket, rear axle seal, and a host of other extended warranty items. Heavy foot driver. My van driving in the Smokey Mts and Blue Ridge Mts. with the turbo and that car like handling: I was passing other cars going up and down the long runs and curves. Reminded me of my early 180D's. I change the rear end fluids every 50K and repack the front wheel bearings every 40-50K depending on the noise I hear--set them loose and use Molylith grease. Oil the doors once a month. I installed a 2 place rear seat from a 2004 Sprinter and now can take the kids with me. Or maybe a mother-in-law. Replaced rear doors step plate for $70. This van will probably outlast me. Letting the motor warm up is the secret: don't tell anyone Sheeeee Oh, I do woodworking and extend the bulk head back 2" for increased leg room and seat tilt" helps on short or long drive and wife likes the more seat tilt. Replaced MAF due to uneven performance and MPG went up along with adding a rear Kamm style airfoil that is effective from 45mph on up. The airfoil makes head winds more sensitive due to reduced drag at the rear. Added new rear shocks due to total collapse of the original shocks. The shocks and airfoil make highway driving much more stable especially in lane changes and curves. No oil consumption at this time. Update at 150K. I had been out of comish for 5 months due to a bad case of Shingles. Still suffering but datz life. The air foil attached to rear-Kamm style gets me into the upper 30's mpg and takes over at 45 mph. Made of wood with membrane press. Replaced front rotors with Premium NAPA but they not good metal. replaced rear rotors due to build up of crap on sides due to road slush, I guess. Went with $10 more for MB quality and van stops on a quarter. All is well with this van and expect to go another 300K miles if no body shops are involved.? Got a memo from MBenz asking me to have the computer recalibrated due to that year not notifying owner of EGR failure and other MAF failure with not trouble codes. This sounds like a MB-VW spoof and I will not let those boys touch the van to change it. And, now I hear that MB will not be importing Diesel cars any more.? Something sounds off in that request. Will change the rear diff fluid in the Spring '18 and replace front wheel bearings at that time due to some sounds like the announcers make before that prize fights, "rumble rumble". I may start looking for another '06 Sprinter and keep it in the back 40. Rust on the later models of V-6 Sprinters in Chicago is a problem on the side-low. All for now in Feb of '18.
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Best Cargo Van Available - Buy it
Oiseauzepher, 12/18/2004
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 140 WB 3dr Ext Van (2.7L 5cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
16 of 16 people found this review helpful
I move art and the vehicle is smallest choice possible. I must say I am amazed at all the possitive comments I get about the style. Kind of a European spy thing. It handles well (it is a van). Plenty of pickup and speed, 80mph no prob. I live in Colorado, so I've given the vehicle a work out on hills and cold - damn cold weather. If you're going to use the van in very cold, get the aux heater package. Great idea. You can set the aux heater to preheat the engine and cab for anytime. It runs on the fuel so don't use in a garage. Great fuel economy (25+) on the hwy. Cup holder too low. Washer fluid freezes in exterior line below 25. Steering wheel should adjust. Great Van - Buy it.
Blue Double Short
JC MI, 04/25/2006
2006 Dodge Sprinter 118 WB 3dr Van (2.7L 5cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
14 of 14 people found this review helpful
Looked at Mini-vans, SUVs, and Full-sizers. Minivan was ruled out as it could not pull the boat, SUV was hard on gas, and Ford/GM full size was not too good on gas either and drove like slugs and did not handle as nice. The Sprinter drives much smaller than it is, is easy to park, great visibility, handles well, and hauls 8 very comfortably. I tinited the windows and did the M-B grille and badge conversion and it looks great! It is fun to drive and everyone is always checking it out. Draws a small crowd at the truck stop fueling up. Love those high-speed diesel pumps!
Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter passenger van
BP, 08/03/2006
2006 Dodge Sprinter 118 WB 3dr Van (2.7L 5cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
22 of 23 people found this review helpful
Somewhat spartan in ergonomics, the Sprinter is fairly comfortable in a basic way. It does not compare to American made vans (in the same price range) in technology and creature comforts. More advanced features are not even available. It seems the Euro style is stark functionality over luxury. Functionality is key. I appreciate the economy, handling, and spaciousness greatly. This is where this van beats domestics hands down. I consider the Sprinter passenger van to be a "happy medium" between a bare bones cargo van and a decked out domestic family van. I can't comment on the reliability due to it's newness, but the diesel model has been around for years and the turbo gives it a boost.
Sprinter: Utility to Leasure plus Economy
Champ, 11/25/2006
2006 Dodge Sprinter 140 WB 3dr Ext Van (2.7L 5cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
The Sprinter with its IMAX view windshield, up high seating position, great brakes, peppy acceleration, and flat out the most interior space available. You can't beat this vehicle for a general work van or travel companion. Get this! This big van averages 22 MPG around town with hwy mix. I tow a 3500 pound boat and still got 19.8 on a trip up to the N.GA mountains. What a van. If there is a drawback it is that the steering collumn does not telescope or tilt. This is an ergonomic issue that you quickly adapt to. The motor noise is slightly more than my old Chevrolet gas van but still quieter than most diesels. Very quiet outside. Van is goverened to 80MPH.
Bought new- Owned 12+ years so far. (Now 15.5 year
Bobby C., 11/22/2017
updated 11/30/2020
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 High Roof 158 WB 3dr Ext Van (2.7L 5cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
36 of 39 people found this review helpful
I ordered my 2005 in July 04 158" tall cargo van brand new for recreational use: long distance enroute camping, towing small travel trailer, utility use for cargo and building materials and took delivery in Feb 05 when it arrived at the dealership.. After owning it 12 1/2 years I can't imagine getting rid of it ever. Great MPG at 25-27, even when loaded with 1500 pounds in the back. Tows 3500 pounds with ease. Performance is adequate if you don't activate the turbo, but open it up (I've only done it a few times) and it's downright QUICK. I baby the vehicle big-time, and it's never let me down mechanically. When loaded or towing I use a complete electronic gauge package ("Edge") and I VERY carefully monitor and regulate the EGT, manifold pressure, and fuel rail pressures using speed control, gear selection, and throttle position. I did have a 150a alternator regulator fail at 60k miles, but other than that no problems unless you count the auxiliary diesel fuel powered hydronic block heater that quit after only 6 uses or so. The transmission works fine, but makes noises like driving over a highway rumble strip at times. Was like this when I picked up the van w/ 12mi on the odometer, and it still does it. Mercedes says "they all do it" and that it's not a defect. Also fuel lines vibrate at certain throttle settings and RPM, but again, it hasn't gotten worse. The original tires have legal tread at over 60,000mi. The brakes made the vehicle shake like it was falling apart when hot towing long downhills (only light application), but when empty, no vibration. I installed new drilled, slotted rotors and super heavy duty pads thinking it was hot brakes, but there was no change. Again, "they all do it," though no one knows why. The rotors are NOT warped, and at 50,000mi the fronts still had zero run-out, no wear ridge, and the pads were only 30% worn. The ride is not great empty or full compared to my former E-350 Econoline diesel van, but it's acceptable. The heater and A/C are useless in hot or cold climates unless you install a barrier behind the front seats, even with a super-insulated cabin (I installed 1" rigid foam on ever sq inch of the cargo compartment walls and ceiling, AND installed paneling on the walls, and also MB super-insulated passenger van ceilings on the roof for extra insulation, and curtains on ALL back windows, and still the HVAC is a bad joke w/o the divider curtain I made from clear shower curtain material that snaps tightly in around the whole fuselage right behind the front seats. The van will swallow ANYTHING you want to put in it (13ft behind the front seats, and you can carry 16ft lumber down-the-center if you want), I've kept my van garaged or in a car port, but those kept outside tend to rust on the top because of poor paintwork. I bought mine in arctic white to prolong the paint life (dark colors self-destruct in direct sunlight), and it still looks almost new. If you owned and drove air cooled VW Microbuses for many years like I did, this van will feel like the "old days" despite the van is a water cooled diesel up front. It sounds, feels, and handles about the same, though a bit better in cross-winds. It's MUCH faster, and gives better MPG, of course. Strangely, the engine has no oil pressure gauge or light, but only an oil low-quantity light, so theoretically an oil pressure problem could destroy the $12,000 engine without the slightest warning, which I find odd, but I spoke with FedEx fleet operators, and none said they ever had an engine failure, so maybe it's a moot point. FedEx gets about 140,000 out of the 5 spd auto transmissions, but they are not babied. I am hoping babying mine will better that figure. UPDATE 11/20 Since the last review, my original tires still had about 1/2 tread left (projecting life 120,000+ miles), but they were showing age cracks, and I was scheduled to make a few 3000mi round trips, so elected to purchase new tires. I LOVED the OEM Michelin LTX but I didn't want to spend that much money, so bought a set of Westlake SL309 Traction Radial Tire - 225/75R16 115Q from Amazon at $74 each. So far the ride and handle great and are quiet. I was tired of the harsh ride the front of the vehicle always gave, and though the front struts still felt like day one, I splurged on a set of Bilsteins and they ride a LOT less harshly even though the removed OEM struts were not at all showing signs of decline. Really nothing else to report-the van is still the most versatile vehicle I own. ONE thing- the OEM paint on panel edges, and around exterior roof spot welds was showing pinpoints of rust because the edges were sharp enough the paint was applied thin on them (the paint likely pulled back from those sharp edges), so after a thorough cleaning, I retouched each spot with some matching enamel to prevent future rust. Still the paint is perfect elsewhere and after a wash and polish the vehicle still looks new (except for a few repaired stone dings in the windshield).
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Mixed emotions
GC, 07/04/2010
2006 Dodge Sprinter High Roof 158 WB 3dr Ext Van (2.7L 5cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
I love my Sprinter, I don't like chancing front brake pads every 28,000 miles. I don't like that I'm on my 3rd $116 transmission pan gasket, I don't like that I just replaced mt A/C compressor, filter dryer and expansion valve at 48,000 miles. I HATE that my roof leaks at the seams and most of the spot welds on the roof are rusting from the inside out! I have put multiple coats of Menzerna FMJ per year expecting it to help seal what I knew was crappy paint when I bought it. This weekend I lost several thousand dollars worth of inventory in my well kept van from a leaky roof. I'm livid! I hate that my hood rusted from the inside under my 3M invisible bra. A cassette deck? Come on! It's 2006!
Good worker
Mr. Rodney Long, 08/29/2010
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 High Roof 158 WB 3dr Ext Van (2.7L 5cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
I often overload my van- 3,700 to 4,300 is not uncommon- and I still drive 3 mph over the speed limit. It has never dropped below 5 mph of the set cruise on any hill. I abuse it by letting it idle for 10 to 38 hours at a time in all kinds of weather. With all this I have only had to replace a cam sensor. I use this van to move expedited freight and drive as much as 1,700 miles in one sitting. I get 25.5 mpg with a 4200 lbs load in the back on the east coast from MI to GA. The only complaint I have is the steering while will not tilt and the heater doesn't work well when it very cold out, unless you cover some of the radiator air intake. I couldn't imagine doing my job with out it. I am spoiled
2006 Sprinter-work vehicle
DBK, 11/24/2009
2006 Dodge Sprinter 140 WB 3dr Ext Van (2.7L 5cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
31 of 36 people found this review helpful
Purchased 2006 Sprinter for Electrical construction business. Dealership explained all the advantages of the vehicle- low maintenance, good mileage,long engine life. Maintenance and reliablitiy are a nightmare. Paint rusted in first year. Brake rotors have very limited life and are expensive to replace. Very few mechanics can work on the vehicle. Vehicle has been towed for blown turbo- resonator, burnt out starter relay wire, and frozen fuel(even with additives). If you have business this is the wrong vehicle for you. Manufacture does not back up many defects.
Great
Mike, 12/08/2006
2006 Dodge Sprinter 118 WB 3dr Van (2.7L 5cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
This van is comfortable, roomy , and gets great mileage, It is fun to drive for myself and family, and good to carry my tools to do work .
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