Used 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Consumer Reviews
Used Sprinter for sale
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2016 Sprinter, so we've included reviews for other years of the Sprinter since its last redesign.
Sprinter 4x4 Good van but expensive maintenance
Eric Hibma, 01/17/2016
updated 05/01/2023
2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 144 WB Passenger 3dr Van (2.1L 4cyl Turbodiesel 7A)
30 of 38 people found this review helpful
This is actually a 6 cyl turbo diesel We sold our 2012 Mercedes Sprinter, which we loved, for a 2015 Sprinter 4x4. We needed the 4x4 as we live on a hill that gets icy and snowy in the winter. With 2wd there is so much torque coming from the turbodiesel that even with Blizzak snow tires we had trouble getting out. With the 4x4 this is a true go-anywhere vehicle! By the way, this is a 6 cylinder model, but Edmunds would give that option for writing the review. The 4x4 (which is actually an AWD system that can be engaged or disengaged) is only available with the 6 cyl engine. We have 8 children, so our family vehicle options are very limited. We drove Chevy express vans and they were horrible! This is the best van available for this size family. It is definitely far from perfect, but still the best available. Update 4/2016: We just completed another trip from Michigan to Alabama and had to leave with a freak April snow storm. We had 3 hours of pure ice highways to contend with and had to leave the 4x4/AWD system engaged on the highway all the way south to Indianapolis. It worked great even when having to pass in the ice and snow and held the van stable even though our snow tires are put away for the season. 4/2017 update. 34,000 miles in and the van has been great. Had a failure of the auxiliary heaters that was thankfully repaired under warranty, otherwise would have cost a couple thousand dollars. We still love it! We just went to IKEA and could haul everything without having to take out any seats. Pros: -strong, efficient motor -4x4!! -each seat has a head rest -rubber flooring that is easy to clean -comfortable impact-absorbing front seats. -the HID headlights are wonderful for night visibility -heats up quickly in the winter with the auxiliary heater. With the roof height it is ideal for getting the kids' coats off and buckled in their car seats -the crosswind assist is definitely a nice feature that has made driving this on the highway much nicer compared to our 2012 model. -decent towing capacity -good backup camera -great side mirrors with blind spot mirrors. -pass-through cabin so that a parent can get back and forth to help the kids on trips. -finally a USB connection so I can plug in my iphone -excellent gas mileage for such a large vehicle -excellent storage capacity inside the van. Carry-on luggage items fit under the seats! -You can slide large items all the way through the van under the seats (I did have to build a divider to keep our groceries from sliding all the way to the front of the van, but I love that I can fit lumber along the floor of the van even with all the kids loaded up) Cons: -the 4x4 system is quite an antiquated system. When engaged it is awesome, but very hard to get engaged unless the van is on level ground. You need to be going less than 5mph while moving before it can engage (no on-the-fly engaging really). Once engaged this is awesome and we even took this off roading to one of our favorite hikes. It made it through some incredible ruts and washouts that I was not expecting. -the brakes squeal (our 2012 model had the same issue). It is intermittent and not terrible, but still annoying. -only one intermittent setting for the wipers which is just dumb. -there are some rattles as we go down our dirt road. It sounds like a cargo van at times on our dirt road, but still much better than the Chevy did. -radio and sound quality are so-so. Better than the 2012 model. -a very sensitive traction control system. Trying to go through deep snow the van's computer wants to apply the brakes to avoid even the slightest wiggle from the rear end. I want to keep up my speed and maintain forward progress and have to fight the van to go in deep snow sometimes. Now with 4x4 this is much better, and not really an issue any more unless I leave the van in 2wd. Even when turning off traction control if there is rear slippage it will automatically re-engage. This is horribly annoying. -no automatic headlights -I still cannot remove the last row of seating, which is the one you would want to remove the most. The first 2 rows of passenger seating is easily removable with 2 people. The seats are heavy, but they come out through the large slider door well. -we have had intermittent issues of the slider door mechanism freezing in severe cold here in Michigan. It is easy to correct, but it seems like that could be improved. -dealerships are often far away unless you live in a city. The nearest dealerships to us are 1-2.5 hrs away. Update 4/2018: we had failure of the second auxiliary heater and won’t be replacing that as it is no longer under warranty. We have had 2 check engine codes that were due to faulty sensors and repaired under warranty in the past 4 months. We still love this van. I wish they had a 15 passenger version of a sprinter 4x4! 10/2020 Great van given all options. Weakness is still reliability. 87k miles 04/2023. 113k miles. Beware, this thing is extremely expensive to maintain. Parts are extremely costly. Just had to do the wheel bearing knuckles on the front end and parts were $1050 each and to be ordered from Mercedes. Had to replace a hub for the wheels since they use the horrible European mounting for tires. A lug snapped in the hub and a new hub is $1300, just for the part! The van is great when functioning properly, but plan on a huge price tag to maintain.
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Money pit from hell
Brian Vogt, 03/12/2017
2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 144 WB Passenger 3dr Van (2.1L 4cyl Turbodiesel 7A)
23 of 29 people found this review helpful
I own a highend transportation business and have a large variety of vehicles from Escalades to big Diesel buses and keep my vehicles inside and go over and beyond with maintenance. I don't have enough time to tell you all the problems with my Sprinter you would be reading for two days. this week I spent 2,800 on exhaust filters and sensors drove it 22 miles took it back and spent 750 for another sensor drove it another 30 miles engine light came on again and still at shop.Do not buy one of there vans I don't care how good a deal you think it is. And remember iam just telling you the problems for one week. If you need something the size of a Sprinter go by a Ford Transit much better vehicle. Oh and on the Sprinter Mercedes says they have the best resale value my ass go try and sell one been trying to sell mine and can't even get to a car lot before the engine light comes on.
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2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter for sale near you
Showing 3 of 87 listings
- 2500 170 WB Passenger Diesel Passenger Van w/High RoofMSRP: $47,50091 mi away
- 2500 170 WB Passenger Diesel Passenger Van w/High RoofMSRP: $39,991122 mi away
- Base DieselMSRP: $31,995174 mi away
See all 87 listings
m/b now own's my pile of junk Florida Lemon law
william LEE mitton, 02/28/2017
2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 144 WB Cargo 3dr Van (2.1L 4cyl Turbodiesel 7A)
13 of 16 people found this review helpful
vehicle will not operate in any city ,urban , metro environment . DPF will not re-gen and re-gen failier's dumps diesel into crankcase to mix w/ motor oil. My sprinter 2015 after 18000 miles never needed a drop of replacement oil (burn-off) in fact my engine had 17 gallons of fuel mixed with oil , before m/b bought it back 11/17/2016 lemon law case # 2016-0378/stp florida court . Every 600 miles or so high oil level lite and buzzers come on and you have to drain fuel/oil mix 2 or 3 quarts and then go another 600 or so . 47 day's of loaner cars then said it was my city driving was the problem . State of fla. asked m/b lawers how could they sell a vehicle to anyone that doesn't live in Montana , cause that's the only place this could possibly work ! this whole DPF system is junk
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Too darn complex
lo ko, 03/13/2017
2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 144 WB Crew 3dr Van (2.1L 4cyl Turbodiesel 7A)
12 of 16 people found this review helpful
The owner's manual says to read it BEFORE driving your new van(the sales folks won't tell you that) .It'd take you a couple days to do that.This is one complex machine & the poorly written manual only makes it worse.Had I read it 1st I wouldn't have bought this van. I get 24.4 mpg ,have only 800 miles on it so far and have driven it only in snowy,mountainous country.It is so complex I don't like to drive it.Am a retired(for 20 years) fireman with a lot of diesel fire truck experience but this MB diesel is a different animal. I did put nokian snow tires on it & they work well.Mine is a 2 wheel drive.I have a 2000 GMC all wheel drive van that I will never,ever get rid of,it's reliable & SIMPLE.
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170k trouble free milles on my 2015 4cyl
Ed, 10/08/2017
2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 144 WB Cargo 3dr Van (2.1L 4cyl Turbodiesel 7A)
8 of 11 people found this review helpful
170k trouble free milles on my 2015 4cyl
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