2010 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 problems

What is wrong

Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2010-2011 Freightliner and Mercedes Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled into 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 rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk

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

Remedy

DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag, free of charge. The began on January 12, 2018. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1‑877‑762‑8267. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V‑379.

Recall number 17V479000 · Recall details

What is wrong

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, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

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 occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

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 service at 1‑877‑762‑8267. Dodge owners may contact Fiat Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403.

Recall number 16V077000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Cummings Mobility Conversion & Supply (Cummings) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Ford E-150, E-250, E-350, Chevrolet Express, 2006-2008 Dodge Sprinter, and 2009-2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and 2013 Ford Transit Connect vehicles manufactured January 1, 2006, to October 8, 2014, equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation after January 1, 2006. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.

Risk

If the platform side plates crack, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the doors are opened, the platform may fall out, increasing the risk of injury to the lift operator.

Remedy

Cummings will notify owners to take buses to a Ricon dealer or service center who will install supplemental platform support bumpers. Any platform that has already started cracking will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began January 13, 2015. Owners may contact Cumming's customer service at 1‑800‑639‑5438 or Ricon customer service at 1‑800‑322‑2884. Cumming's number for this recall is 14E-041.

Recall number 14V706000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Mercedes-benz is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 2500 and 3500 sprinter vehicles equipped with an optional three-seat bench in the passenger compartment. The seat benches in the second seating row may have been equipped with safety belts that do not meet the minimum requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard 208, "occupant protection in interior impact," and motor vehicle safety standard 209, "seat belt assemblies." first, those safety belts may not lock as required. Second, the assembly loop may not perform to minimum force requirements.

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 the risk of injury or death in the event of a crash.

Remedy

Mercedes-benz will inspect and replace any seat belt assemblies that do not meet the requirements free of charge. The safety recall began on july 15, 2011. Owners may contact mercedes-benz at 843‑695‑5000.

Recall number 11V210000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Mercedes benz is recalling certain model year 2007 and 2010 2500 and 3500 sprinter vehicles. The correct interior trim covering the a-pillars may not have been installed. If incorrect trim was installed on a vehicle, the vehicle would fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard 201, "occupant protection in interior impact."

Risk

In the event of a vehicle crash, the vehicles may not provide the protection required by the standard if an occupant strikes the a-pillar trim.

Remedy

Mercedes-benz will check to see if the correct trim cover was installed and, if not, replace that trim cover with the correct one. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during february 2011. Owners may contact mercedes-benz at 843‑695‑5000.

Recall number 10V655000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Sprinter is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 vehicles manufactured from november 2009 through march 2010 and sold under the mercedes-benz, freightliner, and dodge brand name. The spring plate which attaches the oil filler neck to the cylinder-head cover may crack.

Risk

A crack in the spring plate may result in engine oil leaking into the engine compartment from the oil filler neck, possibly leading to the accumulation of dirt in the engine compartment with subsequent soiling of the road surface which could lead to a vehicle crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the oil filler neck free of charge. Mercedes-benz USA is handling the mercedes-benz and freightliner sprinter owner notification and remedy for this campaign, and chrysler is handling the dodge sprinter owner notification and remedy for this campaign. The safety recall began on october 4, 2010. Mercedes-benz and freightliner sprinter owners may contact mbusa, llc at 1‑877‑762‑8276, and dodge sprinter owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑992‑1997.

Recall number 10V294000 · Recall details

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

EA21002