MODELYEARINDEX

Which Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 years to avoid

Across 8 scored model years, the 2019, 2020 and 2021 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 Full report
F
Grade 2011–2021
2019 vs model median 5.8×
Model median3× median
Steering 14
Drivetrain 11
Brakes 10
Avoid

2019 · 2020

Best

2011 · 2018

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2011
0.58× 13 B
2014
1.14× 21 C
2015
0.66× 12 C
2016
0.86× 20 C
2018
0.44× 11 B
2019
5.78× 74 F
2020
6.98× 119 F
2021
3.20× 66 F
2022 P
3.58× 64 F
2023 P
1.44× 27 D
2024 P
1.22× 17 C

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2019 F 74 reports · median 14,288 mi

  1. Steering 14

    This afternoon (2020-08-09) the power steering system on my van failed. No warning, no warning lights on the dash. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 11

    It is brand new vehicle and while driving a strange sound is coming from the vehicle, I went back to dealer and I was told it is an manufacturing defect on driver shaft and bearings. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Brakes 10

    New purchase 02-29-2020; the mercedes sprinter 2500 that was upfitted by airstream into the airstream interstate nineteen. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

14 crash · 5 fire · 5 injuries

2020 F 119 reports · median 3,400 mi

  1. Driver Assist 29

    This feature is dangerous. When I drive this vehicle on a 2 lane highway with on coming trucks the "assist" pushes me into the oncoming trucks because it thinks I AM drifting from my lane. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Electrical 18

    Mercedes has located a dashboard drink holder directly above a vent that opens to the starter electrical module and circuit board. The drink holders are very shallow, and unstable. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 13

    My brand new 2020 mercedes sprinter 2500 van just like. Everyone else's on that vehicle has a power steering hose that is too short. Because of this a fair amount of people have had this come off and ended up stranded. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

5 crash

The best year for the Sprinter 2500

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2011 is the best-scoring Sprinter 2500 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 72.2 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations. On complaint rate alone the lowest is 2018 at 0.44× this model’s median, against 0.58× for 2011.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2011 0.58× 13 B
2018 0.44× 11 B
2015 0.66× 12 C

Recalls

85 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
16V077000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2011, 2014 136,361
22V796000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:PARK PAWL 2019–2022 124,305
19V004000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2014–2016 88,388
21V055000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE 2019, 2020 84,345
19V003000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2015, 2016 71,301
21V152000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES 2019, 2020 56,534
20V180000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL 2019 52,127
20V181000 SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS 2019 48,791
21V972000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE 2019, 2020 48,400
20V663000 STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS 2015–2020 47,667
21V411000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE 2019–2021 33,437
17V479000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2011 20,665

+ 73 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2019 were reported at a median of 14,288 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 years should you avoid?
2019, 2020, 2021 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500?
2011 is the best-scoring Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 72.2 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 have?
85 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2019 Sprinter 2500
Complaints in window
74
Severity-weighted
144.5
Model median (weighted)
25
vs model median
5.78×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
42
Open investigations
0
Score 10 F