Used 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van Consumer Reviews
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Sprinter's are nice to look at but.....
MartyK, 07/18/2016
updated 08/02/2021
2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 144 WB Cargo 3dr Van (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
40 of 41 people found this review helpful
I purchased a new 2011 sprinter 2500 cargo in March of 2012 as a leftover. It started out with poor shifting from the auto trans, soft mushy breaks, serious hesitation when trying to accelerate, especially at low speeds. That was just at the beginning. Right off the lot there wasn't even a working horn. In the first year the radio went out and the dealer wouldn't let me upgrade the radio to the better factory one. They told me I had to replace it with the one I had or just keep the non-working one and live without a radio. At first I got great fuel mileage, I started out for the first 38,000 miles getting an average of 23+ mpg that has now at 50,400 miles dropped to 16-17, even though I was told that it would get better around 35,000 miles when the engine was broken in. Well at 38,000 I lost 2 mpg. Then by 41,000 I had lost an additional 2 mpg. Currently it's down another 3 mpg. The stock answer I've received from Sprinter dealer techs in 3 states, CA, PA, AZ, is that I was getting better mileage than anyone else and now it's just down to what everyone else is getting and that I should be happy I did so well for the time I did. I've driven my sprinter back and forth from southern CA to southeast PA 5 times so as you can surmise most of my 50,400 miles had been cross country driving. In just this past year, since being stranded for 3 days in AZ in June 2015 for a transmission problem, my truck has been in the shop in 3 different states, been looked at by 5 different dealerships in those 3 states and it's been in 2 private shops in 2 different states. Mostly for engine light issues as well as all of the originally stated problems along with the loss of mpg. I was assigned a factory Case Rep from the Mercedes headquarters in NJ but that hasn't helped in the least. On my most recent drive from PA to CA, just a couple of weeks ago, July 2016, my newest issue came up. I now have added Cruise control issues to the list of problems. Intermittently not holding speed, shutting off for no reason while cruising, and not shutting off several times after applying the breaks. In this past year it's been in one shop or another 8 times for the engine light coming on, several times for the ABS light, once for the Traction light (whatever that is). It's currently at the local dealer's shop, and has been for 7 days as of today, for ABS light, engine light, cruise control issues, mpg issues, and breaking issues. SO... they're nice to look at but PLEASE take my advice and don't buy one!!! Well since writing the above review my van was in the shop several more times for the engine light coming on and for 2 dash warnings: Seatbelt sys. Visit Workshop, and SRS Restraint System Visit Workshop. The dealer agreed with me that both warnings are a safety issue but that they're not covered by the warranty. I also got a recall notice about the airbags but the dealer said until they figure out what to do just hope I don't have an accident. Aren't they nice. All I can say is, and I'll be as kind as I can be in saying that if you buy a sprinter you're an idiot. I'm just trying to get through the warranty and then I'm trading it in on a new Ford or Ram with the same body style. Jan 2018 update: On my yearly cross country drive in 2017 I was stranded in NM in June 2017 for a couple of days. The dealer discovered that my problem was with the DEF system, which by the way had been completely replaced one year earlier in 2016, so they replaced the whole system again. Anyway, it's now Jan 2018 and now I have need for a glow-plug and the dealer tells me to replace all 6 would cost just under $1,000.00 as long as they don't run into a problem. If even one doesn't come out easily it could end up costing an additional $3,000.00 just to replace the plugs because they would have to take the engine head off. I just need to get this piece of junk back to PA in the spring so I can trade it off for a real vehicle. I already have a deal worked out with a Ford dealership in PA to take this rolling piece of xxxx off my hands. Fuel mileage is still bad compared to what I was getting for the first 38,000 miles. It's still down from (23.5 mpg) to (16-17). PLEASE DON'T BUY ONE OF THESE HUNKS OF JUNK !!!!!! Update as of Jan 26, 2019 Still drives like crap. Needed a glow plug and was told by the dealer that it would cost anywhere from $350 on the low side to $3500-$4000 on the high side. WTF! I found an aftermarket garage who changed it for $230. $230 to change a damn spark plug (ONE PLUG $230). I can't wait to get back to the east coast where I have a Ford dealer prepared to take this garbage pile off my hands and is giving me a new Transit for a fleet price for dumping my Sprinter. Please, Please, Please, don't buy one of these junk heaps! I'm now back on the east coast. The engine light is still on, 10 years now, but the brakes finally work because the front shocks are shot after only 83,000 miles. I'm working with Enterprise Car Sales to get a Transit.
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ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEMS
James, 10/05/2017
2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 170 WB Cargo 3dr Ext Van w/HR (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
20 of 20 people found this review helpful
I bought a sprinter RV 2011 MB chassis with 14500 miles on it . And on the drive away from buying it the engine light came on got towed and MB replaced EGR valve out of dealer @14608 miles drove 823 miles to next dealer they replaced nox out @15345 miles drove 3454 miles to next dealer they did IQT out @ 18799 miles,..Now I sit at another dealer with about 20689 miles waiting for a engine light problem to be fixed so I got 1890 miles on the last fix ..This is from March 17th 2017 to Oct 5th 2017 I am at my 4th Dealer visit in 6 months and drove only 6189 miles Totally MB needs to fix this issue
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complete electrical power loss
fredtboy, 05/16/2011
2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 170 WB Cargo 3dr Van w/HR (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
17 of 136 people found this review helpful
After buying this vehicle new off the dealer lot. after only 6 days on the road I experianced a complete power loss to the vechicle. was 200 mi from home. roadside assistance took 4hrs to approve me for 100% $$ towing back to my dealeer in Reading PA. They had the vehicle all day and still could not find the source of the problem..If they can not find the source of the problem do they expect me to take back the vehicle and wonder when and where it will happen again!..I think not. Will update as soon as I find out ..