Used 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2011 Sprinter, so we've included reviews for other years of the Sprinter since its last redesign.
Another $6000.00 in repairs!
Mike, 01/03/2017
updated 07/22/2019
2010 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 144 WB Cargo 3dr Van (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
25 of 25 people found this review helpful
I'm a courier. I drive about 30-40,000 miles per year. This is my second Sprinter( a 2005 & a 2010). The reason I bought 2 was the cargo capacity and interior height. At the time of purchases there was no comparable vans. Now there are! Service is VERY expensive, as you are buying Mercedes parts. Dealership service locations are few and far between. Both vans had deep surface rust before 3 years (I didn't even know vehicles could rust anymore). This is the most unstable The (traction-wise) vehicle I have ever owned - I use snow tires year round. Never again for me! Updated review. In the last 16,000 miles I have spent more than $3000.00 in a FAILED attempt to consistently get fuel from the gas tank to the engine!!! The "service" techs are still trying to figure out the problem. Updated review. Sold it to someone who has to now put $2700.00 into a wiring harness because some sensor/tank "exploded" under the van. It just keeps on getting better, doesn't it? Once again, the fuel delivery system. Add to this bill, the DEF system (ever wonder why this "idea" never caught on ).
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ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEMS
James, 10/05/2017
2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 170 WB Cargo 3dr Ext Van w/HR (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
22 of 22 people found this review helpful
I bought a sprinter RV 2011 MB chassis with 14500 miles on it . And on the drive away from buying it the engine light came on got towed and MB replaced EGR valve out of dealer @14608 miles drove 823 miles to next dealer they replaced nox out @15345 miles drove 3454 miles to next dealer they did IQT out @ 18799 miles,..Now I sit at another dealer with about 20689 miles waiting for a engine light problem to be fixed so I got 1890 miles on the last fix ..This is from March 17th 2017 to Oct 5th 2017 I am at my 4th Dealer visit in 6 months and drove only 6189 miles Totally MB needs to fix this issue
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2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter for sale near you
3 of 33 listings
- 2500 170 WB Cargo Diesel Cargo Van w/High RoofMSRP: $4,795549 mi away
- 2500 170 WB Crew Diesel Passenger Van w/High RoofMSRP: $29,995549 mi away
- 3500 170 WB Cargo Diesel Cargo Van w/High RoofMSRP: $27,995553 mi away
See all 33 listings
Sprinter's are nice to look at but.....
MartyK, 07/18/2016
updated 08/02/2021
2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 144 WB Cargo 3dr Van (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
44 of 46 people found this review helpful
I purchased a new 2011 sprinter 2500 cargo in March of 2012 as a leftover. It started out with poor shifting from the auto trans, soft mushy breaks, serious hesitation when trying to accelerate, especially at low speeds. That was just at the beginning. Right off the lot there wasn't even a working horn. In the first year the radio went out and the dealer wouldn't let me upgrade the radio to the better factory one. They told me I had to replace it with the one I had or just keep the non-working one and live without a radio. At first I got great fuel mileage, I started out for the first 38,000 miles getting an average of 23+ mpg that has now at 50,400 miles dropped to 16-17, even though I was told that it would get better around 35,000 miles when the engine was broken in. Well at 38,000 I lost 2 mpg. Then by 41,000 I had lost an additional 2 mpg. Currently it's down another 3 mpg. The stock answer I've received from Sprinter dealer techs in 3 states, CA, PA, AZ, is that I was getting better mileage than anyone else and now it's just down to what everyone else is getting and that I should be happy I did so well for the time I did. I've driven my sprinter back and forth from southern CA to southeast PA 5 times so as you can surmise most of my 50,400 miles had been cross country driving. In just this past year, since being stranded for 3 days in AZ in June 2015 for a transmission problem, my truck has been in the shop in 3 different states, been looked at by 5 different dealerships in those 3 states and it's been in 2 private shops in 2 different states. Mostly for engine light issues as well as all of the originally stated problems along with the loss of mpg. I was assigned a factory Case Rep from the Mercedes headquarters in NJ but that hasn't helped in the least. On my most recent drive from PA to CA, just a couple of weeks ago, July 2016, my newest issue came up. I now have added Cruise control issues to the list of problems. Intermittently not holding speed, shutting off for no reason while cruising, and not shutting off several times after applying the breaks. In this past year it's been in one shop or another 8 times for the engine light coming on, several times for the ABS light, once for the Traction light (whatever that is). It's currently at the local dealer's shop, and has been for 7 days as of today, for ABS light, engine light, cruise control issues, mpg issues, and breaking issues. SO... they're nice to look at but PLEASE take my advice and don't buy one!!! Well since writing the above review my van was in the shop several more times for the engine light coming on and for 2 dash warnings: Seatbelt sys. Visit Workshop, and SRS Restraint System Visit Workshop. The dealer agreed with me that both warnings are a safety issue but that they're not covered by the warranty. I also got a recall notice about the airbags but the dealer said until they figure out what to do just hope I don't have an accident. Aren't they nice. All I can say is, and I'll be as kind as I can be in saying that if you buy a sprinter you're an idiot. I'm just trying to get through the warranty and then I'm trading it in on a new Ford or Ram with the same body style. Jan 2018 update: On my yearly cross country drive in 2017 I was stranded in NM in June 2017 for a couple of days. The dealer discovered that my problem was with the DEF system, which by the way had been completely replaced one year earlier in 2016, so they replaced the whole system again. Anyway, it's now Jan 2018 and now I have need for a glow-plug and the dealer tells me to replace all 6 would cost just under $1,000.00 as long as they don't run into a problem. If even one doesn't come out easily it could end up costing an additional $3,000.00 just to replace the plugs because they would have to take the engine head off. I just need to get this piece of junk back to PA in the spring so I can trade it off for a real vehicle. I already have a deal worked out with a Ford dealership in PA to take this rolling piece of xxxx off my hands. Fuel mileage is still bad compared to what I was getting for the first 38,000 miles. It's still down from (23.5 mpg) to (16-17). PLEASE DON'T BUY ONE OF THESE HUNKS OF JUNK !!!!!! Update as of Jan 26, 2019 Still drives like crap. Needed a glow plug and was told by the dealer that it would cost anywhere from $350 on the low side to $3500-$4000 on the high side. WTF! I found an aftermarket garage who changed it for $230. $230 to change a damn spark plug (ONE PLUG $230). I can't wait to get back to the east coast where I have a Ford dealer prepared to take this garbage pile off my hands and is giving me a new Transit for a fleet price for dumping my Sprinter. Please, Please, Please, don't buy one of these junk heaps! I'm now back on the east coast. The engine light is still on, 10 years now, but the brakes finally work because the front shocks are shot after only 83,000 miles. I'm working with Enterprise Car Sales to get a Transit.
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Excellent Family Van
happycamper17, 04/29/2011
2010 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 144 WB Passenger 3dr Van w/HR (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
14 of 14 people found this review helpful
Bought this van to tote around our large family (9 kids). We have owned (and worn out) a Chevy Express 3500 and a Ford F-350, both 15 passengers and are very pleased with the Sprinter. More room than any of the competitors and much much better gas milage. Drives like a much smaller vehicle and not at all intimidating, even my wife loves to drive it. Parking is always an issue with large vans, but the visibility in the sprinter is excellent. Heartily recommend.
Worst Investment Ever. Sprinter is a Money Sucker
AR, 07/05/2017
2010 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 170 WB Cargo 3dr Ext Van w/HR (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 5A)
23 of 26 people found this review helpful
Where do I begin. The Radio is a possessed and worthless waste of space. Battery Drains, Stops working for no reason, Finally just had to pull the fuse and ride silent for the last 6 months or so I owned it. DEF/DPF issues: These engines and system has never gotten the bugs worked out. Oil recommended my MB specs (read: required) cannot handle the 1200 degrees that the engines put out to try and "burn off" the soot. These engines eventually destroy themselves from the inside out. EGR valve clogs, DEF tank sensors, N0x sensors fail, and once this starts it is THOUSANDS of dollars in repairs. Ranging from about $1,100 to up to $6000. The OM642 Engine is said by some "A Ticking timebomb" if it doesn't fail.. it will most certainly drain your wallet and your desire to continue to want to own it. Speaking of Service: Regular Mercedes dealerships want NOTHING to do with these. They don't want to service them. I had diehard diesel mechanics who refused to work on my Sprinter. On a Sprinter Forum.. people have mechanics just throw parts at problems to the tune of thousands of dollars- to not actually fix the problem.. and they suggest driving your sprinter to Golden Colorado to have a guy repair it- I'm SERIOUS! Lightbulbs: I changed nearly every lightbulb on this van. Felt like it was a full-time job. The headlights will blow if you hit a bad pothole. Advice by diehards "Just carry spares." Speaking of what to carry with you- suggestion is to carry a scanner with you at all times to diagnose problems. Why should I have to carry a scan tool with me to drive daily? That is ludicrous! I sold my Sprinter 2 years to the day and only put 14,000 miles on it when I owned it. The longest I went without a "Check" light on the dash was 21 days! I thought I was buying quality, I had hoped to run it to 500,000 Miles! It started its "Death Cycle" at around 165K. I feel bad for the person who bought it from the dealer I traded it into. They have nothing to look forward to other then other than DEF/DPF problems and costly repairs in the THOU$AND$ in the very near future.
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