2013 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 recalls & complaints

1. Airbags

What's wrong, in plain English: The airbag system — the part that is supposed to protect you in a crash. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

What could happen: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

The fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module, free of charge. Daimler issued an interim notification to owners on March 13, 2018. The recall began December 28, 2018. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 SPRINTER 2500.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 18V032000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-877-762-8267.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

2. Electrical system

What's wrong, in plain English: Wiring, modules, batteries. Short circuits can cause stalls or fires. During vehicle servicing, the affected vehicles received software updates that may conflict with some of the vehicle's computers.

What could happen: The improper software may cause problems with the electronic stability control system, the air bag control unit or the engine management software. These problems can result in an increased risk of a crash or an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

The fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner dealers will update the affected control units on the vehicles, free of charge. An interim notice was sent to owners on July 12, 2017. The recall began on September 1, 2017. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 SPRINTER 2500.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 17V272000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-877-762-8267.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

3. Airbags

What's wrong, in plain English: The airbag system — the part that is supposed to protect you in a crash. Daimler Vans USA, LLC (Daimler Vans) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Dodge Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2006, to July 31, 2008, 2007-2014 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2006, to July 1, 2014, and 2010-2014 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2010, to July 1, 2014. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, exces…

What could happen: 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 occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

The fix: Daimler Vans will notify the Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner owners and Fiat Chrysler will notify the Dodge owners. The respective dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2017. Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner owners may contact Daimler Van's customer servic…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 SPRINTER 2500.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 16V077000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-877-762-8267.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

4. Airbags

What's wrong, in plain English: The airbag system — the part that is supposed to protect you in a crash. These vehicles were manufactured without a reinforcement plate and protective bracket on the air bag control unit. As a result, the air bag control unit may not remain functional after the initial impact, possibly preventing additional air bags from deploying in response to a secondary impact.

What could happen: If additional air bags do not deploy as intended, the occupants are at an increased risk of injury.

The fix: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will install a reinforcement plate and protective bracket around the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2017. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 SPRINTER 2500.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 17V093000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-877-762-8267.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Most complained-about parts: Airbags (1), Brakes (1).

Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.