2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
79/100
#4 most-complained of 15 Sprinter 3500 years
The 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 has a Complaint Index of 79 and ranks 4th-worst among 15 model years, earning an Avoid verdict. Brakes and Engine are the top problem areas, each with 6 complaints, plus 4 recalls including a Takata airbag campaign.
- Complaints
- 21
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 1 / 1
- Injuries / deaths
- 2 / 1
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- —
Top 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Brakes6 (29%)
- Engine6 (29%)
- Airbags4 (19%)
- Other4 (19%)
- Electrical System3 (14%)
- Fuel System3 (14%)
- Transmission & Powertrain3 (14%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (10%)
- Structure & Body1 (5%)
What owners report
- Wheel speed sensors fail repeatedly, triggering ABS, BAS, and ESP warning lights and disabling stability control on the highway.
- Engine appears to disconnect from the transmission at highway speed, setting off check engine, ABS, ESC, and ASC warnings simultaneously.
- Vehicle loses all power steering, braking assist, and indicator lights while driving 70 mph, forcing a dangerous roadside stop.
- Engine stalls unexpectedly when the driver lifts off the accelerator, requiring a full stop and restart before normal operation resumes.
- Fuel injectors leak and spray fuel over the engine bay due to a reported design flaw.
- Owners report long delays getting replacement parts for the Takata airbag recall, with dealers unable to give a repair timeline.
2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V042000Feb 3, 2021Brakes48,667 vehicles
Electronic stability control (esc):control module
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 3500 and Freightliner Sprinter 3500 vehicles upfitted into campers or recreational vehicles. The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) unit may become disabled on these vehicles.
Risk: If ESC becomes disabled, vehicle driving stability may be impacted under certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear-wheel speed sensor with a more robust sensor, free of charge. DVUSA issued owners an interim notification on March 10, 2021. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. DVUSA's number for this recall is NC3DREZAHA.
- NHTSA 17V480000Jul 28, 2017Airbags17,609 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2012 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 recall began on January 12, 2018. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. Note: This recall supersedes recall 17V-025.
- NHTSA 16V077000Feb 10, 2016Airbags136,361 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
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.
See all 4 recalls for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 →
2012 compared with other Sprinter 3500 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 a bad year?
- Yes, relative to other Sprinter 3500 years. It has a Complaint Index of 79 and ranks 4th-worst out of 15 model years, giving it an Avoid verdict.
- What are the most common problems on the 2012 Sprinter 3500?
- Brakes and Engine are tied for the top problem areas with 6 complaints each (29% share), followed by Airbags with 4 complaints (19%).
- Does the 2012 Sprinter 3500 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2012 Sprinter 3500, covering brakes, two separate airbag campaigns including a Takata inflator recall, and a wheelchair lift platform support issue.
- At what mileage do brake problems tend to show up?
- NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage of 45,692 miles for brake-related failures on the 2012 Sprinter 3500.
- How does the 2012 Sprinter 3500 compare to other years?
- The 2012 model's Complaint Index of 79 is worse than 2011 (7), 2018 (14), and 2021 (36), but better than 2016 (100) and 2014 (93), which rank as the two worst years.