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2005 Freightliner Sprinter 3500Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 2005 Freightliner Sprinter 3500, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-833 the manufacturer reports only 17% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 17%Owner complaints10 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage7kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 17, 2016. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2005 Freightliner Sprinter 3500 has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2005 Freightliner Sprinter 3500 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

17%repaired · 2018 Q4

Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel

Recall 16V-833 · Nov 17, 2016 · 17,501 vehicles · 2,902 repaired

Risk. Without the BRAKE lamp illuminating during the vehicle start up bulb-function check, the driver has no confirmation that the lamp is working and therefore may…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Freightliner.

Best & worst years

2005 vs. every other Sprinter 3500 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sprinter 3500 median. How we score

'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What Sprinter 3500 owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING ON A CLEAR DAY VEHICLE SLOWED TO LIMP HOME MODE. DISCOVERED SEAL ON TURBO RESONATOR BLEW AND WAS DEFECTIVE. MECHANIC REPORTED NUMEROUS OTHERS. CHECKED ON INTERNET AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS OF SAME PROBLEM. DISAPPOINTED THAT FEW SHOWED UP ON NHTSA.DOT.GOV. *AK
Complaint 10196383 · Jul 15, 2007 · 6,512 miles

Own a 2005 Sprinter 3500?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.