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2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 14 owner complaints about the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-077 the manufacturer reports only 41% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 41%Owner complaints140 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage22kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 6, 2018. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 has problems

14 complaints 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
Air bags40
Electrical system20
Structure20
Engine20
Wheels10
Engine and engine cooling10
Fuel/propulsion system10
Power train10

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

4 recalls

2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 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.

66%repaired · 2019 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 17V-479 · Jul 28, 2017 · 20,665 vehicles · 13,637 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

41%repaired · 2018 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 16V-077 · Feb 10, 2016 · 136,361 vehicles · 55,549 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Seat belts

Recall 11V-210 · Mar 30, 2011 · 3,437 vehicles

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SAFETY BELTS IN THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT PERFORM AS REQUIRED SUCH THAT A SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Equipment

Recall 10V-642 · Dec 21, 2010 · 274 vehicles

Risk. THE EMERGENCY EXIT WINDOW MAY SEPARATE FROM THE BODY AND COULD FALL INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURIES TO THE PASSENGER OR DRIVER.

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 Mercedes-Benz.

Best & worst years

2011 vs. every other Sprinter 2500 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 2500 median. How we score

'07'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 safety ratings

2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 VAN RWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
  2. Rear Wheel Speed Sensor FailurePE20014 · closed Mar 30, 2021
    Led to recall 21V-042
In owners' words

What Sprinter 2500 owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TAKATA RECALL: HAVE BEEN RECEIVING RECALL NOTICES ABOUT YEARS (FIRST RECALL APRIL 2016). MADE SEVERAL APPOINTMENTS TO REPLACE, BUT THEY WERE OUT WHEN I ARRIVED. CURRENTLY I'VE HAD AN AIR BAG ON ORDER TO BE HELD IN MY NAME SINCE JUNE 2018. STILL NO SUCCESS.
Complaint 11124749 · Sep 6, 2018 · 2,000 miles
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V077000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE…
Complaint 11033033 · Oct 12, 2017
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500. WHILE DRIVING UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE SRS INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (MERCEDES-BENZ OF BROOKLYN, LOCATED AT 1800 SHORE PKWY BROOKLYN, NY 11214) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ETHER ELEMENT SENSOR NEEDED TO…
Complaint 11011310 · Jul 28, 2017 · 42,097 miles

Own a 2011 Sprinter 2500?

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