You might want to reconsider your purchase of a Sprinter. Here has been my experience in the past 11 months of ownership......
May 16, 2005
2004 Sprinter 2500 SHC
158” Wheelbase
GVW 8550 lbs
102” High Roof Version/Inside Height 73”
Total Max Payload 3728 lbs
Mercedes 600 2.7 liter turbocharged 5-cyl diesel engine
154 HP @ 3800 rpm
243 lb-ft torque @1,600 – 2,400 rpm
CDI Fuel Injection
Mercedes-Benz 5-speed automatic transmission w/overdrive
Power assisted rack and pinon steering
4-wheel hydraulic discs brakes with ABS, traction control, auto load sensing
Ordered Mar 2004 Union Dodge, Garden Grove
Delivered Jun 2004 John Peterson
Outfitted Jun – Sep 2004 J & M Fabrication/Stanton
In Service – Sep 2004 Drain-Rite Plumbing
Good Points
•Great visibility out of front window
•Very roomy – room to standup in the back
•Great gas mileage – 18 city/21 hwy (actual)
•Turning radius – made a tighter turn than a small pickup truck
•Union Dodge of Garden Grove Service department has done a good job in most instances of taking care of downtimes in a speedy manner, thanks to Lynette.
Bad Points
•Brakes growl due to semi-metalic pads
•Poor road tracking during high winds
•Car manual poorly written
•Customer service via their 800 helpline is a poor excuse for customer service.
•I’ve been asked to take 2 different market surveys on how I like the Sprinter for a pretty good sum of money. If Daimler/Chrysler would just sink that money into satisfying existing customers and let them tell their story, I think they would get more for their money.
•No Sprinter parts are stocked locally by dealer, which means that almost every part must be shipped in.
•No tilt steering wheel – the Germans feel it’s better to tilt the drivers seat. There are certain locations the seat goes that make the drivers side mirror unusable.
•At least 11 times within one year that this van had to be taken out of service for repairs that should not have been necessary.
•Max speed is 80 mph indicated/75 mph actual.
•Feel that Daimler/Chrysler corporate isn’t handling the support of the Sprinter the way they should. Is it a Freightliner, a Mercedes, or a Dodge?
History (Mileage listed first)
•0050 – EGR valve failure – vehicle would limp around at no more than 40 mph. Daimler/Chrysler knew of the problem, but would not replace it until the unit failed. Glad I wasn’t on a road trip!!
•0174 – Replace broken front grill & license plate holder. Dirt debris noticed in both rear sealed tail lights – no fix available at this time.
•1964 – Brakes growling – unable to duplicate for technician. Buzzing in cab – buzzing was EGR valve which had been recalled – replace 2nd EGR valve.
•0220 – Drivers side mirror won’t tilt back far enough to see behind van – no fix is available. Check engine light came on – found an unplugged sensor.
•2714 – Brakes growling – unable to duplicate noise for technician. Transmission leak – Replaced 3 “O” rings on trans drain plug.
•3927 – Right rear door top right hinge broken making access to the back of the van impossible – Replace. Brakes growling and noticed by mechanic. Ordered rotors, pads & sensors for front brakes.
•4421 – Replace front brakes – growling eliminated. Speedometer error. Noticed that GPS and road side radar indicating slower speed than my speedometer – technician determined it was within 6% margin of error allowed by federal government and no change was necessary. I believe the actual error is between 5-6%. No adjustment is available.
•6496 – Red oil warning light on instrument panel illuminated – discovered in the manual that diesel oil usage is normal at a rate of .5% fuel consumption. Add diesel oil. Brakes growling again – per Starline this is normal for semi-metallic brake pads. Valve stem recall – replace valve stem in all tires.
•7118 – A/C hose rupture. Low pressure s.o.p. a/c hose found to be rubbing on radiator supports causing hose to rupture. Replaced left/right rear tail light housing assemblies collecting debris.
•8426 – Right rear door top right hinge broken – 2nd time – making access to the back of the van impossible – replace.
•9008 – Battery dies. Found to be putting out 60 Cold Cranking Amps –new battery is rated at 875 Cold Cranking Amps. Replace white top battery.
I hate Daimler/Chrysler/Mercedes/Dodge attitude when they respond to some of my complaints by saying, "That's just the way it is, there is no fix, it is operating as designed!" The Germans, who apparently sit at the other end of "Starline", the dealers answerline when questions come up, don't seem to understand our desire to have brakes that don't squeal and mirrors that will accomodate seeing behind the vehicle. Apparently Europeans just accept the manufacturers answer and live with.
The dealer has been super in trying to keep the thing running. But, this vehicle has only been avalable in California for 18 months, and dealers don't know much about them and are still learning.
