What breaks most · 2007 to 2025 model years
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 problems by year
Owners have filed 392 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 across model years 2007 to 2025. Three years stand out: 2020 for electrical system complaints, 2019 for steering complaints and 2021 for forward collision system complaints. The quietest years are 2007, 2009 and 2012.
- Years to check closely: 2020, 2019, 2021
- Fewest complaints: 2007, 2009, 2012
- Complaints on file
- 3922007 to 2025, all trims
- Worst year
- 202080 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 1511 fires · 7 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 22kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 164Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Air bags (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 14 | 0 | 6 | Air bags (4) | |
| 14 | 0 | 4 | Air bags (4) | |
| 6 | 0 | 2 | Speed control and throttle (3) | |
| 13 | 0 | 3 | Air bags (9) | |
| 16 | 0 | 5 | Air bags (7) | |
| 9 | 0 | 11 | Speed control and throttle (2) | |
| 28 | 0 | 15 | Air bags (9) | |
| 13 | 0 | 7 | Steering (4) | |
| 14 | 0 | 9 | Speed control and throttle (4) | |
| 67 | 8 | 42 | Steering (15) | |
| 80 | 3 | 22 | Electrical system (20) | |
| 45 | 2 | 18 | Forward collision system (9) | |
| 40 | 2 | 7 | Electrical system (9) | |
| 17 | 0 | 7 | Engine (5) | |
| 12 | 0 | 4 | Unknown or other (3) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Equipment and infotainment (1) |
What fails on the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 25% |
20 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 23% |
18 | 2 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 19% |
15 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 |
| Forward collision systemRadar and camera sensors | 18% |
14 | 0 | Shop forward collision system parts for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 13% |
10 | 2 | Shop brakes parts for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 |
| Unknown or other | 11% |
9 | 0 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 10% |
8 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 |
| Lane departure systemCamera sensors | 9% |
7 | 0 | Shop lane departure system parts for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
None responsive throttle, driving on highway and engine loses power and loses all throttle response causing rapid slowing to traffic behind the vehicle. No warning lamps and CEL’s. Problem occurs at random times with no CEL or warning.
-
As is now commonly being reported with these vehicles, the lower power steering hose clamp is inadequate and the hose is slipping off the pump. This would lead to a total lose of power steering. This was purchased new and now has 5000 miles on it.
-
Brakes deployed and distance warning illuminated for a very brief instant at highway speed (70 mph) just when a vehicle traveling faster starts to overtake. Very scary! Luck to not have been hit on the right rear corner.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2020, 2019, 2021 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The 2020 alone has 80 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 problem?
On the 2020 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 20 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 complaints that include mileage is about 22,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.