What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Adaptive Cruise Control turns off and then won't reset while driving. When the Adaptive Cruise Control turns off and then won't reset while driving. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This causes the vehicle to immediately loose power. When traveling at highway speeds and vehicles are getting ready to pass us, then the cruise stops, we have been nearly rear ended multiple times on our last trip. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? This has been inspected but the service center couldn’t reproduce because it happens after several hours of driving. We had this problem several times while traveling from Denver Colorado to Pittsburg Kansas. If we stopped for fuel or food, and turned the vehicle off it would be fine on restart. If we were driving when it turned off we would have to follow another vehicle at a constant distance for more than 5 minutes to get the system to reset. Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't. This is also a safety issue because we were having to follow fairly close to a vehicle in front of us to get the system to reset. We also tried turning the system off every hour or so, use the “cancel” button while driving, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. The system continued to randomly turn itself off. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? We took the Sprinter in to a Mercedes-Benz dealer service center and they checked everything and said it was fine. Then we took it back a second time and asked if there was some sort of calibration or computer software update needed. They inspected the vehicle again and informed us everything was up to date. I do not feel that this issue was being taken seriously as it is very nerve racking when it happens and then trying to not get in an accident when traveling
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 adaptive cruise problems
23 of the 400 owner complaints about the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 describe adaptive cruise control problems, most of them for the 2020 model year.
- owner complaints
- 23
- worst model year
- 2020
- typical mileage
- 10,000
By model year
Often reported together
What owners say
Active distance assist inoperable, active brake assist functions limited, adaptive cruise control not working, lane keeping assist glitching. I was driving the vehicle home after purchase and the lane keeping assist was glitching, it was actively pulling the wheel to the left, like I was over the fog line (I wasn’t) and it was hard braking, Making driving very unsafe. I slowed down and got off at the next exit at a gas station to figure out what was happening. I put the vehicle in park and consulted the manual. I tried to turn off and back on all the systems, through the menu, noting worked. I shut the vehicle off and cleaned the areas around the sensors and the windshield, like the manual suggests. I went in to start the vehicle, and the message “service required do not shift gears” came on the dash. It was stuck in Park. I tried to get a tow truck, but had to wait 4 days, in a gas station parking lot before a tow company with a big enough truck, and skids, (because it was stuck in park) could come on Wednesday May 27. I got it towed to a repair shop. It shows the Code P179A77 direct select redundancy malfunction, they couldn’t fix it. It needs Xentry level diagnostics. The intelligent Servo Module, or direct select module failed/won’t shift from park. There is a recall that wasn’t fixed, I got a carfax from the dealer saying that there were NO active recalls. The recall is to update an all service modules. Yes it’s available for inspection, but it’s stuck in Park at the repair shop that can’t fix it in Riverton Wyoming. I called Mercedes Benz, and tried to get help because the active recall should fix these problems. They would not help. They will not sell me the part and code it to the vehicle because it’s part of their theft deterrent system. This has cost me thousands in flights, hotels, and countless hours trying to figure it out. The nearest Mercedes Benz dealership is 270 miles away, and towing will break me.
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was started, the message "Distance Assistance Currently Unavailable" was displayed. The contact also stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the cruise control was activated, but the option failed to appear on the screen. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,149.
since I am chemically sensitive and they had sprayed so much cleaner in this vehicle that when my husband got it home he took vinegar and cleaned it out many times and then he took it to someone to have them do the floor over so the plastic smell wouldn't stink so bad for me. It had to be there for a couple weeks or this I'm sure would have showed up much sooner. At one time our vehicle would not accelerate enough to pass or pull out safely from a stop sign but that seems to have gotten fixed but it continues to have the cruise control go off at the same time warning lights come on that says no brake assist no Lane keeping assist no distance. We have had it in the shop four times one time they had us replace the battery which really didn't need replaced and the things came back up again. It's a very frustrating vehicle and this happened within 30 days of us buying it. They gave us a limited 90 day warranty which they've been working on sporadically for months and keeping it for weeks at a time. We have spent a lot of time and money on this vehicle and it needs to be reported and something done about it as it's really really bad. It is an ongoing situation. Every time we take it in they either erase the warnings or somehow don't get it to act the same but it always happens with us within 200 miles of driving it. It's a constant thing on and off.
The contact owns a 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds with the cruise control activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking, with the traction control warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times while the cruise control was activated. The contact stated that the failure worsened over time. The contact stated that the failure ceased after turning off the cruise control feature. In addition, the contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance feature was disabled and failed to operate as needed. The dealer was notified of the failure; but the manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 6,800.
While driving the MB sprinter with distronic cruise control and there are no vehicles around the cruise control option on the sprinter will disable itself and fail to restart until it senses another vehicle object around. I have noticed this many times while driving long distance on the interstate.
The adaptive cruise control, auto emergency breaking and collision warning stopped working on the vehicle on a clear day as I was entering the freeway for a long drive. It said sensors were dirty. I stopped, shut off vehicle, cleaned all sensor locations, and restarted vehicle. Sensors worked for 5min and then stopped again and have yet to start functioning after 4 days and extensive driving. It appears that this is a common issue for other 2019+ Sprinter owners. This definitely reduces the safety of the vehicle for the driver, passengers and other vehicles. Shut-off without warning, reduces speed unexpectedly in traffic is a risk. The distractions of looking down for solutions to see what's going on and trying to reset system.
I drove on the freeway with Cruise Control engaged. Suddenly, the control kicked off, and the meter board displayed the following warnings: "Active Brake Assist Functions Limited. See Operator's Manual" and "Active Distance Assist Inoperative." I immediately contacted Mercedes-Benz road assistance, and it took them 13 hours to tow my vehicle to the Mercedes-Benz dealer in Las Vegas. It is closed on Sunday. They just drop us on the driveway. The temperature was scorching at 105 degrees Fahrenheit. I drove very cautiously to a nearby parking lot, parked my vehicle under the shade of a tree, engaged park position, activated the emergency brake, and kept the engine idling with the air conditioning on for approximately 10 minutes. Unexpectedly, the vehicle suddenly started moving forward and accelerated, ultimately colliding with a tree about 5 feet in front. The front end of my vehicle sustained severe damage, but Mercedes-Benz has refused to take responsibility for this incident.
Our Sprinter 2500 is equipped with Mercedes Benz autonomous cruise (Distronic Cruise). It fails repeatedly for unknown reason, and when it does it also disabled related safety features (collision warning, emergency braking) as well as standard cruise control. The manual suggests checking for bugs, snow, or other obstructions on sensors, but they’ve been clear. Forums note that their vans also cut out, theorizing that it happens because there aren’t any vehicles in front of the van for prolonged periods of time and the software thinks there is an error. They also note that Mercedes had not been helpful. The fact 1) it happens for unknown reasons, and 2) it disables essential safety systems is concerning and unacceptable.
The "Distronic" Front radar sensor that controls Forward Collision Warning , Emergency Braking and Adaptive cruise control failed twice during a 900 mile road trip. Once the sensor literally fell out of it's bracket leaving the system non working and putting my family at risk. Second time it failed during a snow storm with limited visibility in Wyoming. There are numerous reports in Mercedes forums that this sensor fails frequently jeopardizing the safety of occupants. There were not warnings prior to the failure and Mercedes
Related recalls
Forward collision avoidance: sensing system: radar
- What is wrong
- Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2025 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 vehicles. The front short-range radar sensor printed circuit board may fail and result in a loss of automatic emergency braking and other driver assistance features.
- Risk
- An automatic emergency braking system that does not function as intended can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the short-range sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 21, 2025. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1‑877‑762‑8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3RADARS. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning October 24, 2025.
Recall number 25V712000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: display function
- What is wrong
- Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Freightliner Sprinter and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles. The rearview camera may not display the rearview image due to a software error. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- An inoperable rearview camera display reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 20, 2022. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1‑877‑762‑8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3KOMRUE.
Recall number 22V281000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Mercedes Benz Sprinter and Freightliner Sprinter vehicles equipped with the multimedia system "Connect 5" and a rearview camera. The rearview image may not display within 2 seconds from the start of the backing event. In addition, the rearview image may be obscured or covered by the visual display of the Emergency Call (eCall) pop-up window if the eCall system is activated while the reverse gear is engaged. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- A delayed or obstructed rearview camera display can reduce the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update on the vehicles, free of charge. The recall began March 5, 2021. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1‑877‑762‑8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is VS3RUECON.
Recall number 21V077000 · Recall details
Questions about the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 adaptive cruise
Which Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 years have adaptive cruise control problems problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2020 (7 complaints), 2022 (5 complaints) and 2019 (4 complaints).
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