2006 Sprinter 3500: sudden loss of power

Filed Sep 22, 2007 · Engine · 4,539 miles · WA

This complaint concerns a 2006 dodge sprinter 5 cyl diesel engine failure. I have a 2007 winnebago view rv on a 2006 sprinter. On aug 29 2007 I was traveling on i90 in washington state just west of the snoqualmie pass summit when the vehicle lost power. At that time it had 4539 mile on the odometer. We could have been hit from behind or stranded in the mountains as a result of the failure. The warranty on the vehicle suggest that any repair must be accomplished by a sprinter dealership. The nearest on was over 100 mile away. The parts that failed were the 'temperature sensor (part # 486235aa te 8037155 and the resonator- turbo part # 513715ab) . The sprinter service personnel in and other sprinter owners tell me that the resonator and temperature sensor failure rates are quite high and suggested that I purchase a sensor replacement to carry when traveling. I was also told that there was a service bulletin on this apparent defect in the sprinter engine. I suggest a recall.

Filed Apr 30, 2007 · Body · 3,000 miles · CA

My new motor home , sprinter chassis, suddenly lost power when driving on freeway, which almost caused a crash. It was towed to dodge dealer in thousand oaks city, result was a failure of a turbo resonator. This is a very common problem among these vehicles, and dodge failed to admit it to issue a recall.

Filed Mar 1, 2007 · Engine · 11,000 miles · WA

(1) without warning sudden loss of power. This has happened twice. Had to drive a total of over 200 miles on reduced power to get home. (2) 2006 dodge sprinter chassis motorhome with mercedes benz 2.7l 5-cyl turbo diesel engine, turbo resonator split at seam, causing turbo shutdown, and maximum speed of 30-40 MPH and no power on any hills. Failure on a hill or freeway could cause a major accident! (3) dealer has replaced resonator twice at no charge. We're seeking a metal replacement part that won't void the warranty.

Filed Dec 24, 2006 · Engine · 15,800 miles · OH

I was driving a 2006 itasca navion class c rv with a dodge-sprinter chassis (built on july 2005) and cruising at 65 MPH, when going up a slight incline, the speed dropped drastically to 50 MPH, unresponsive to further accelerator pressure. A reduced power mode subsequently ensued and the check engine light came on. It was a potentially hazardous situation because of the vehicles following behind and the reduction in power made it more difficult to execute maneuvers in accordance with the flow of traffic. The vehicle was towed to a dealership where a leaking turbo resonator was found causing the problem the part was replaced under warranty and normal function was restored.

Filed Nov 14, 2006 · Engine · 2,436 miles · PA

I purchased a 2006 dodge sprinter motor home and with only 2,000 miles the engine lost power while traveling on the interstate. Luckily traffic was light and I was able to have enough power to get off at the closest exit and called the daimler/chrysler hotline obtained the name of the nearest repair dealer. I explained my situation to the repair shop and they new exactly what the problem was and had the part available. The problem was a cracked turbo resonator which is made out of plastic and replaced with a new updated version. The repairman said this is a common problem with this vehicle and daimler/chrysler is aware of it and that they are now replacing the part with a more reliable one. My complaint is if I were in heavy traffic the loss of power could have caused me to hit someone or I could have been hit. Sprinters are used in many applications including ambulances, and as of this date dodge has not issued a warning or recall on their web site.

Filed Aug 16, 2006 · Engine · 2,700 miles · CA

I purchased an itasca navion which is built on a 2006 dodge sprinter 3500 chassis. The mercedes engine, I found out after ours failed, has a history of problems with the turbo resonator opening up, resulting in the engine going into a "limp home mode" where the vehicle operates at 200 RPM or less. I was traveling southboung on the 101 highway south of santa barbara which is a hilly 2 lane highway. Due to the RPM restriction on the engine, the vehicle would dramatically lose power and speed on the slightest incline. It was on one such incline that I found myself with a large 18 wheeler bearing down on me in the #2 lane. Due to the small incline we had just encountered, my speed dropped to below 20 MPH. There was heavy traffic in the #1 lane, so neither the 18 wheeler nor I could jump into the #1 lane to avoid an accident. Rather than forcing the 18 wheeler to lock up to slow down, I dove into a very narrow shoulder with what appeared to be a steep dropoff. Had the should not been wide enough, I do not believe that it was possible to avoid injury or death on this incident. Greatly shaken, I was forced to take side streets all the way back to my home in altadena, ca. I had my vehicle taken to a dodge dealership for repair, where the mechanic knew exactly what the problem was without looking at it. The part was replaced with the same non-upgraded part. From the research I have done since this incident, I have found that this problem has been well known for several months, and I have heard of failures on the replacement units as well.