Used 2018 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Consumer Reviews
Used Sprinter for sale
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Sprinter, so we've included reviews for other years of the Sprinter since its last redesign.
High price to pay for annoyance
Gary Lorenzen, 12/08/2015
updated 06/20/2017
2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 170 WB Cargo 3dr Ext Van w/High Roof (2.1L 4cyl Turbodiesel 7A)
56 of 61 people found this review helpful
I got this to replace the 3500 express van. I needed a reliable flexible unit. What a joke. You can't take the rear seat out unless you visit the dealer; if you take out the middle seats it requires two people and one of them had better be quite healthy. And watch the floor if the seat hits it or gets dragged across it the vinyl gets peeled up or cut (no carpeting). A padded door armrest would have bee nice, but most vans don't have these now a days. All the interior panels rattle when chilly outside and reach a horrendous crescendo when cold. The brakes squeal so bad people cover their ears and wince when you use them lightly. Dealers recommendation step on the brakes harder. The transmission has a mind of its own; 25 mph in a small town it won't shift until you speed to get the revs over 3000 then up shifts 3 times and then down shifts and up shifts until it gets to where it should have been in the first place (I was told this was normal...right). DEF issues are normal for this unit - 3 tries and 20 days in the shop before I could travel any distance (200 miles). Speaking of DEF problems the start countdown can not be trusted. The DEF warning goes from 13 to 5 or where ever it wants to stop. Dealers recommendation/warning "don't shut off the van". Starting issues at times (usually inconvenient). It won't start unless you keep cycling the key back and forth (hot-cold- first start- multiple starts, just whenever). No plug in for cold weather, the Sprinter needs to be parked in a garage. Bonus: keep the Sprinter in its' own house when cold and snowy and the windows will work (for a while). The top speed is limited to 78 mph, our speed limit is 80 mph. Mercedes answer "who needs to go faster than 78". I paid thousands more for less reliability and only 3 more miles to the gallon. On a plus side the seats, heated mirrors, and cruise control (when not windy) are great. If it gets a it too windy the cruise control shuts off. Basically count on this van costing you about $2.25 per mile just to pay for the thing. Got rid of it with only 9500 miles on the odometer, lost 20k in cash and damaged reputation of not being able to make it when needed. Reputation was salvaged a bit later (thanks Penske). Corporate really doesn't care and one rep kind of chuckled at my dilemma. No wonder FedEx is starting to use Transits; which is what I finally did, and am totally happy with it.
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LLM, Our Sprinter
Moji, 10/01/2016
updated 04/16/2025
2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 144 WB Crew 3dr Van (2.1L 4cyl Turbodiesel 7A)
50 of 55 people found this review helpful
We were comparing the Sprinter with the Transit Van. Both vehicles offer much for the money. We read that if you stay below 65 mph, your mpg would be fine. We purchased our Sprinter from Nelli, she is great, at MB Laguna Niguel. We checked highway mpg at 60 mph from Laguna Niguel to Oceanside, CA and averaged 29.8 mpg...gotta love that. The Transit diesel on an 18 mile loop averaged 23 mpg. The Transit passenger van includes rear hvac and can be ordered for around $900.00 for other style vans. The Sprinter rear hvac is $3600.00. We purchased a crew van and will put a Dometic 15,000 btu Brisk II heat pump on the roof and carry a portable generator for when we may need it. Also installing two MaxxAir vents to help circulate air while driving. Front air conditioning in Sprinter is more than adequate for first two rows of people. When we finish we will have a very nice mobile office/travel van. Regarding sleeping in the van or camping out, my wife has told me she is happy to continue camping out at the Hilton. The Sprinter will make our travels much more comfortable and allow us to take our dog with us. Will be able to sleep in Sprinter if in pinch. Update 4.3.17. We installed a 4.0 Onan gasoline generator and fuel tank underneath behind the driver. The installation was done by Richard's Performance Muffler (RPM) in Oceanside. It is the cleanest installation of a generator I have ever seen. WOW!!! More expensive than the portable concept, but much, much more functional. Our Sprinter continues to maintain excellent fuel mileage. We went to Las Vegas for a trial run. We were trying to beat traffic going over and averaged 21.6 mpg. However, returning we took our time and even with the hills, etc, we averaged 26.4 mpg. To end the bumps and sways, we followed the advice of many on Sprinter Forum and installed Koni struts and shocks. Further, we upgraded to 1.25" Hellwig anti-sway bar. Again installation was by RPM. The bumps and swaying is gone. Mike Lewis at North County Mobile Electronics in Oceanside acted as our general contractor while putting this van together. He oversaw and installed much of the inside of the van. Outstanding job! The LLM is everything and more than we hoped it would be. Excellent mobile office, superior travel van. Update on 4.3.18...Our Sprinter now has @28,000 miles. We have used it for trips and as a mobile office. We are very pleased with our Sprinter. Updated on 4.4.20...Our Sprinter now has @65,000 miles. Besides being a mobile office, we have road tripped to the East Coast a couple more times. Our Australian Shepherd and our two Balinese cats travel well in the van. We are comfortable. The van continues to achieve outstanding fuel mileage. If purchasing a new Sprinter not certain I would consider a gas engine. The diesel costs more, but it will outlast the gas engine. Hope you enjoy yours as much as we enjoy ours. 4.6.22 Update. 85,xxx miles. Been thru Merceds version of dieselgate. Our overall mpg has been affected we lost as much as perhaps 10%. We can still achieve 21mpg on road-trips. We are considering some upgrades to the inside to make it more functional for our current uses. We wanttobe able to carry two e-bikes inside. We are considering flarespace to provide the room for our vehicle. We are also considering adding power to sliding door. We continue to enjoy our Sprinter. 4.10.24. We continue to enjoy our Sprinter for all the room we have while traveling much more comfortably. Our van has served us well acting as a personal moving van for our children as they attended college and moved to their place(s) of employment. This has continued to be a good choice for us. 10.14.24 Our Sprinter continues to serve us well. We are seriously thinking about transitioning to Lithium battery system, probably EcoFlow. We have had some trouble with the Onan Generator with an inverter/charger system. We traveled cross-country again this summer to help our family with some moves, etc. The Sprinter did all we asked of it. If I were starting over, I would not go the generator, inverter route. I would use an EcoFlow system with a method to keep it charged. Happy Trails, Ron
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2018 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter for sale near you
Showing 3 of 31 listings
- 2500 144" WB Passenger Diesel Passenger Van w/High RoofMSRP: $48,950265 mi away
- 2500 170" WB Passenger Diesel Passenger Van w/High RoofMSRP: $25,999266 mi away
- 2500 144" WB Passenger Diesel Passenger Van w/High RoofMSRP: $33,000302 mi away
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$$$$$ pit
Paul Ayoub, 03/28/2018
2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 170 WB Passenger 3dr Van w/High Roof (2.1L 4cyl Turbodiesel 7A)
20 of 22 people found this review helpful
The emissions system will cost tens of thousands of dollars potentially. After 90,000 the fist multi thousand dollar repair of the DEF tank/ pump occurred. At 190,000 the repairs landslides with DEF, multiple codes and poor mileage. My chevy Van was a relic yet ran and ran to 500,000. This think is bankrupting me. Repairs this year are one $5500 for the emission system. It runs at night and I cant sleep wondering when the next call will come with another breakdown and a $2000 price tag.
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Piece of garbage on wheels... Or worse$$$$$$
John Paul Daley II, 09/18/2015
updated 03/29/2018
2015 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 170 WB Cargo 3dr Ext Van w/High Roof (2.1L 4cyl Turbodiesel 7A)
82 of 96 people found this review helpful
When I bought my 2015 4x4 Sprinter, I thought it was going to be amazing. By the third day I realized I had made a mistake. The van had a very bad noise coming from the back. It got worse, then the roof leaked. I had to drive it 4 hours to the nearest dealer to get it fixed and I had not even gotten it home yet. I fought with them over a rental as it was less than a week old. Took 14 days to fix while I was stranded and unable to work. the fix's didn't work and I entered into a months long battle to get repairs done. Ultimately the Van spent most of the first 90 days in the shop with no loaner. It is legally a lemon and MB USA agreed to buy it back but that was months ago and they have said nothing since. The people who work at Corporate have no integrity to their word and they refuse to put anything in writing. I paid 55K for a van I have not been able to use. When I did use it, for it's intended purpose cross country trips I was able to get just shy of 20K on the van before the power steering went out on a mountain Switchback. That put it back in the shop for more than a month and they have no explanation for how the hose came loose, and after more than 10K in parts and expenses working on the vibration/noise from the suspension, they come to the conclusion it is "natural harmonics" of the van. Again, not fixed, and still vibrating and no explanation for how a clamped and secure hose came off. The dealers have drank the kool aid and will lie and back up the Manufacturer on the record. Off the record they say the guys in Germany are a bunch of jerks who won't listen and treat the mechanics Like idiots who can't get it. After being out the van so long and having such horrendous support from both the dealers and the manufacturer, I would not recommend the van. when the first few months of ownership are so bad, you would think they would want it off the road and out of your hands so as to not prove just how bad it really is. Instead, they sent me a letter saying they are going to buy it back and then did nothing. Lawyers have told me they will drag this out as long as they can to save money since their attorneys are staff and they outsource the buyback process to a third party who is commissioned by giving you the lowest price they think they can. In other words they are paid to screw you, Literally. Google highest award lemon lawsuit in history Mercedes or impartial services group. When you sum this up, it's poorly manufactured and they can't fix the problem. Even worse is europeans from sprinter chat rooms are contacting me saying they have the same problems and want to know if I found a solution. They don't love the "natural Harmonics" answer. Worse is the popularity of the ford is killing resale value so I can't even sell it for a fair price and it is a few months old. Best offer is 15K less than I paid for it. 4 months old and a 15K discount.. Pretty Sad. Update: 15k spent and 4x4 still not fixed. Mercedes sent me a buyout offer of 4K to go away knowing the new transfer case that should have been put in before the warranty expires was 6K. The power steering hose is a serious and common problem. There is no known cause. Furthermore many are reporting that biodiesel rots the fuel system and costs 6K+ in repairs. My first instance of biodiesel in Illinois caused sensor failure in the fuel system. That was another three days for repairs and I had to wait a week to get into a dealer since they were so backed up. The catalytic converters gum up and go bad and that is another 6k repair. Lots of people pissed about this. The antenna has been fixed 4 times. It is a bad design and a pain in the but to deal with. The only tech who seemed to know his stuff in the whole country is a Brit who worked on them in the uk. He is in Colorado and even he could not fix my van completely. He fixed two things and something else went wrong. The dealer support nationwide is a joke. Very few trained technicians and lots of people learning on your dime. Parts take weeks to months to get in and down time is unacceptable. I was recently in an accident and while I appreciate walking away from a sub 40 mile an hour collision, the van will be totaled because of the way it was constructed and the cost and lead time on parts. After such a terrible ownership experience, it is a fitting end. Do not buy this Van. Especially considering the the 2018 will be a fully new model with a different engine and no carry over. Meaning they are not investing in improving this model and its parts. I can go on and on about how bad this is in reality. You can google it. The best article yet came from an expeditor company whose CEO bashed the van after years of unacceptable problems failed to get resolved. Google "the fatal flaw of Mercedes Benz sprinters" linked in. I had read many negative reviews about the sprinter before I bought it. The size and 4x4 capabilities made me overlook it. It bankrupted my transportation business in 90 days. I
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Mercedes-Benz’ s / Freightliner’s Best Value
97420, 04/23/2018
updated 10/26/2020
2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 144" WB Cargo 3dr Van (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
The Sprinter is a Mercedes Commercial duty vehicle. This is a no nonsense rig, with awesome versatility and fairly cheap operating costs. I purchased our 2015 V6 Turbo Diesel (used) with only 25 miles on the odometer. We bought ours so we can fit all of our family and our son’s wheelchair, with an Under Vehicle Lift (UVL) we had installed. We also transport heavy shipping boxes, as a side business. With 6’2-6’4 interior ceiling height we can & have carried lots of stuff. Even 2 tons of payload is carried easily in our 2500 Sprinter and it can out carry the Transit (5 cylinder) Diesel while still rated to pull 5000 pounds, which is also more than the Transit T350 Diesel (now discontinued). We drove just short of 30,000 miles the first year, with average city and hwy mileage around 20 mpg. On a recent 3000 mile trip to Banff, Canada we averaged an easy and unbeatable 25 mpg, loaded with extra fuel, food, luggage and family. We’ve had absolutely no problems with this rig, having the oil changed every 20,000 and with awesome Mercedes dealership customer service and brand new Mercedes loaner cars given during the time our oil is changed and service done. Treat your rig right and it will pay off in the long run. The driving position is far better than the Transit and I know I’ll get more miles out of this Sprinter and enjoy looking at it far longer than the Ford. (I know people with the same van that have 600,000 & 800,000 miles on their original Sprinter diesel engines and turbos.) This rig handles unbelievably stable in corners and it is actually enjoyable. The fuel mileage is generally around 20mph on the highway, give or take. Strong headwinds will take the biggest toll on fuel economy. My experience w/ City mpg is around 15, the same as my old Subaru Outback 4 cylinder. Update: I am approaching 66,000 miles and have had only 1 part (thus far) that has needed replaced- (under warranty) somewhere in the front climate control. I have replaced the tires & other regular maintenance items. Annoyingly, the navigation unit module (located In the glove compartment) occasionally resets itself, perhaps from rough road or things in the glove box? The trucky suspension, when empty, reminds the driver that this is built for commercial use. When it is loaded, everything is much quieter and smoother. The slider door can rattle on rough roads, may need adjusting. The front seats remain very supportive, I hope to upgrade the rear seats in the future to foldable bed, bench seats, via the aftermarket. At this point, If my Sprinter was totaled, I would buy another.
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