Mercedes Benz Sprinter reliability and quality

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

. . . My personal experience, a statistical population of one, is No for GM and Yes for Mercedes, my 1987 Chevy Suburban was by far the worse vehicle in my lifetime and the Sprinter up to now is flawless. The 87 Suburban Chevy 5.7l engine was an absolute disaster - had 2 sets of heads, 1 short block, GM direct involvement on the litany of issues; all within 40K miles since new.

All the engines in the 80s were bad.

That's when EPA was pushing for better emission control but the car manufacturers were not ready. Remember all the muscle cars with anemic engines?

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by BBQ

All the engines in the 80s were bad.

That's when EPA was pushing for better emission control but the car manufacturers were not ready. Remember all the muscle cars with anemic engines?

My Chevy had problems with multiple head sets and head gaskets and cylinder block. Just overall fit and finish and reliability weren’t good. Unfortunately, it gave me a lasting bad taste for GM. I had many brands but this Suburban was by far the worse vehicle I ever had.

[Britmobile]

So......the consistent narrative seems to be that Sprinter based RVs are pretty well built, with more chassis features than most, it the DEF system, mysterious bogus warnings, and slow dealer service seem to be the main issue.

My local car mechanic, an RV owner, says he prefers Ford over GM chassis and will buy a diesel next time. He said he would buy a Sprinter over the Ford.

For me, right now, I like a couple of the Roadtrek models and my wife and I will go to a dealer and check them out, but......

Like the Ford Ecobost chassis but haven’t seen a floor plan that suits, and we’d prefer an EcoTrek type of package like the Aktiv and new L models of Travato but so far nobody is doing this on a Ford. Someone said the Transit won’t accommodate an underhood generator.

Appreciate the responses very much, thanks!

[floydj@me.com]

Well, pcpowernet, if I had the challenges you've had, I am certain I'd be saying the same thing as you are. I hope things have settled down and you can enjoy the plans you've had.

[floydj@me.com]

Great feedback.

[Dan680fl]

Britmobile, I own a 2017 (Winnebago ERA 70a) Sprinter 3500 with the V6 for personal use. I have over 22,000 miles on it with no issues and I’ve averaged 20.6 mpg since new. Oil changes and general services are straight forward with one exception, servicing the dual tires. Although the service intervals are at 20k, I service it myself at 10k intervals.
Since I have had such good experience with it, I just ordered two 2018s 2500s and two 2019s 3500s for my business. The 2019s are the single wide models.
To date, I have no regrets.

[Britmobile]

Originally Posted by Dan680fl

Britmobile, I own a 2017 (Winnebago ERA 70a) Sprinter 3500 with the V6 for personal use. I have over 22,000 miles on it with no issues and I’ve averaged 20.6 mpg since new. Oil changes and general services are straight forward with one exception, servicing the dual tires. Although the service intervals are at 20k, I service it myself at 10k intervals.
Since I have had such good experience with it, I just ordered two 2018s 2500s and two 2019s 3500s for my business. The 2019s are the single wide models.
To date, I have no regrets.

Do you do anything to prevent the DEF issues that others are reporting with a lot of frustration?
We’d like to keep the RT Agile on our short list but for now it’s off due to the emissions DEF issues.

[<<B-Guy>>]

Originally Posted by Dan680fl

Britmobile, I own a 2017 (Winnebago ERA 70a) Sprinter 3500 with the V6 for personal use. I have over 22,000 miles on it with no issues and I’ve averaged 20.6 mpg since new. Oil changes and general services are straight forward with one exception, servicing the dual tires. Although the service intervals are at 20k, I service it myself at 10k intervals.
Since I have had such good experience with it, I just ordered two 2018s 2500s and two 2019s 3500s for my business. The 2019s are the single wide models.
To date, I have no regrets.

I have my first B van on order - 170" WB Merc with duals. Good to hear of your experience, I have been getting worried at times reading this thread!

But can you please elaborate on issues servicing the dual rears? I'm not clear on the issues - do you mean relating to tire rotation?

Trying to learn what I can in advance of receiving the van!

Thx ........... Brian. (Burlington Ont.)

[Dan680fl]

I keep the DEF topped off, don’t idle much and generally drive the open highways, Also, I avoid the “bio-blends” that are above 5%...google for best service stations with <5% blends.

[Dan680fl]

Brian, the issues servicing the duals is because with the Winnebago custom outer rims and the rubber valve stems, it’s a little tricky to check/fill the tires. I have it on my list to switch to metal stems and possibly add “Crossfires” or “Cat-eyes” with TPMS sensors.

[<<B-Guy>>]

Originally Posted by Dan680fl

Brian, the issues servicing the duals is because with the Winnebago custom outer rims and the rubber valve stems, it’s a little tricky to check/fill the tires. I have it on my list to switch to metal stems and possibly add “Crossfires” or “Cat-eyes” with TPMS sensors.

Thanks Dan,

Never yet had a vehicle with duals, but once I get the Sprinter (It will have outer Alcoa wheels but I suspect inner duals are steel) I would like to have metal valves stems installed and use a TPMS system I already own that uses the screw on sensors with replaceable batteries. I used the TPMS with our Airstream trailer that I traded when ordering a Pleasure-Way B.

Our van will have no spare so I sure want to use the TPMS!

What are Crossfires / Cat-eyes? something I should now about ?!

Brian.

[Ron J. Moore]

Oops...250K. Dummy Ron can't type.

[Dan680fl]

The “cat-eyes” and “crossfire’s” link the duals to each other at the air valves. I have “cat-eyes” on my 40’. They allow you to check pressure tollorance at a glance as well as installing a TPMS sensor. Another nice feature is it balances the pressures between the two tires. The sun side tire can get hotter therefore higher pressure than the inner tire...and opposite on the other side or at night. “Cat-eyes” keep them balanced. If one tire gets low in pressure, the unit closes the link so both don’t get flat.
Google Cat-Eyes tire pressure system.

[<<B-Guy>>]

Originally Posted by Dan680fl

The “cat-eyes” and “crossfire’s” link the duals to each other at the air valves. I have “cat-eyes” on my 40’. They allow you to check pressure tollorance at a glance as well as installing a TPMS sensor. Another nice feature is it balances the pressures between the two tires. The sun side tire can get hotter therefore higher pressure than the inner tire...and opposite on the other side or at night. “Cat-eyes” keep them balanced. If one tire gets low in pressure, the unit closes the link so both don’t get flat.
Google Cat-Eyes tire pressure system.

Interesting! .......... Thanks!

Brian.

[BBQ]

.

The Sprinter problem was not limited to the DEF.
Around 2015 (?) MB got a batch of bad NOx sensors from Bosch. They had a tendency to fail in 18 months. MB replaced them under warranty at no cost. But many owners were stranded with limp-mode while they were on their vacation. Also, it was a hassle for Roadtrek (prob others too), because in order to replace the nox sensor, the mechanic must un-do some of the RV pipes and support brackets. In the beginning, RT and MB were fighting who should pay for the extra work. They have since made an agreement; I think MB has agreed to pay.

[dhectorg]

The emissions systems in these modern diesels are complex and costly, but preventive maintenance can absolutely reduce the likelihood of a failure. I haven't owned a Sprinter (I'm currently planning a Sprinter build), but I have owned 2 other newer diesel vehicles. I drove 91k trouble free miles in the latest one before selling it for top dollar, still running perfectly.

I strongly believe that 'heightened' maintenance is key to preserving these advanced emissions systems. I did 8k mile oil changes with the very best oil/filter (the manual called for 10k), changed engine air filter every 30k miles, cleaned mass air flow sensor every 30k, and used a high quality fuel additive (OptiLube XPD) with every fill up (3oz/10gal) from day one. Using a fuel additive is often discouraged by manufacturers, but diesel fuel in the USA is not the best, so a good additive can help it burn more efficiently and keep the high pressure fuel delivery system in excellent condition. I actually saw better than average mileage too. Sure, it is somewhat costly doing such frequent oil changes and the additive isn't cheap either, but it's certainly preferable to replacing pricey emissions parts.

I know some will be skeptical, but I'm speaking from experience here. Keeping the inside of your diesel engine squeaky clean and running smoothly WILL prolong the life of emissions parts. Personally, I will never own any diesel vehicle without carrying out this simple maint schedule.

[Belzar]

If you go to any vehicle discussion site you will get lots of talk about problems. That is the nature of the internet. It is in no way an objective measure of quality or experiences. You will also get a lot of old data such as recalls or reported issues on previous model years (people still reference issues on vehicles from the 80's, built before many of us were even born). This is a good discussion of features and uniqueness of the Sprinter but discount comments that reference absolutes ("never", "always" "best" "worst") or project their unique experience as being generalized.

[skier1950]

We own a 2015 RT SS Agile on a 2014 Sprinter chassis. Bought it with 3000 miles on it. We now have 47500 miles. We've never had a single problem with the van in the 3.5 yrs of ownership. It drives like a dream and is soooo much fun to camp in. That being said, I should note that 99% of the miles driven are highway miles at 65-80 mph, with very little stop and go city driving. I am a stickler for maintenance and upkeep. We have had a couple of small problems with the RV portion but they were taken care of at the dealer without too much of a PITA. We love our Sprinter based RT.

[Britmobile]

Originally Posted by skier1950

We own a 2015 RT SS Agile on a 2014 Sprinter chassis. Bought it with 3000 miles on it. We now have 47500 miles. We've never had a single problem with the van in the 3.5 yrs of ownership. It drives like a dream and is soooo much fun to camp in. That being said, I should note that 99% of the miles driven are highway miles at 65-80 mph, with very little stop and go city driving. I am a stickler for maintenance and upkeep. We have had a couple of small problems with the RV portion but they were taken care of at the dealer without too much of a PITA. We love our Sprinter based RT.

Thanks for that very positive reply!

Does your Agile have such options as blind spot warning, parking sensors, lane assist and TPM# etc?

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Britmobile

Does your Agile have such options as blind spot warning, parking sensors, lane assist and TPM# etc?

Mine does. Never been a hint of a problem with any of them. As I have said repeatedly, if you take emissions, DEF, and related sensors out of the equation, I believe that the Sprinter is a very reliable platform. It is just that they are NOT out of the equation when you are on the road, and they are a disaster.