AI Damage2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 1500: common problems
Owners of the 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 1500 filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and electrical system. The maker issued 147 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
- involving a crash
- 1
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 147
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 38% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 13% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 6 Electronic stability control 13% of all complaints
- Steering: 3 complaints (38% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 7.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (13% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 41.
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 14.
- Structure: 1 complaints (13% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 11.
- Air bags: 1 complaints (13% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 41 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Engine | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Seats | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Fuel system | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Service brakes | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Visibility | 0 | 0 | 4 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
When I was parked on a city street I accidentally bumped the gear shift lever in my 2019 sprinter after pressing the ignition button that is directly in front of the lever. This put it into neutral without me knowing, without a beep or any signal that it was not in park any longer.
The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the SRS warning light would remain illuminated due to the metal driver side seat frame tearing under the seat and also the driver side seat material becoming worn and open were the airbag is located.
Visibility through the window became low very fast. Two years ago the same issue happened. The dealer updated software which fixed the issue, until now. When my vehicle was in the shop, they had another in as well with the same issue and they couldn't find a solution.
While driving, the power steering hose disconnected from the radiator, dumped all the power steering fluid and caused me to lose steering. I was in motion, driving up a winding gravel mountain road with very sharp curves. I was able to stop as I was traveling at low speed.
The 2019 sprinter has a serious problem with the active lane keeping assist feature ("alka") a few weeks ago I drove the van from san diego to mammoth mountain (bishop, ca.
There was a pool of power steering fluid beneath the engine. Shouldnt this be a recall issue?
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 11,896 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sprinter 1500 has 3 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 8, above average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Unavailability of MB Apps Complaint A popup is seen on the HU with the message "data connection…
Unavailability of MB Apps Complaint A popup is seen on the HU with the message "data connection temporarily not available". Cause MB Apps is officially sundowned for all vehicles with NTG5 Head Unit Variant. Remedy No…
- Brakes may lock up when reversing at slow speeds Complaint When reversing slowly, the vehicle erroneously…
Brakes may lock up when reversing at slow speeds Complaint When reversing slowly, the vehicle erroneously triggers an emergency braking event, causing the brakes to lock up. Engine may not start following a key cycle…
- Sprinter 907 with 725.0 (NAG3 Classic) Transmission ‑ Shudder during acceleration Complaint Shudder may be…
Sprinter 907 with 725.0 (NAG3 Classic) Transmission ‑ Shudder during acceleration Complaint Shudder may be felt in the following situations: • accelerating from stop or up hill • during upshifts Cause Under…
- Complaint While driving through muddy / sandy/ off road terrain "4Matic Currently Unavailable" message on…
Complaint While driving through muddy / sandy/ off road terrain "4Matic Currently Unavailable" message on the dash Cause This vehicle is not equipped with a fixed force distribution AWD, rather force is only applied to…
- ASSYST PLUS service reminder appears earlier than expected due to vehicle operating conditions Complaint…
ASSYST PLUS service reminder appears earlier than expected due to vehicle operating conditions Complaint The ASSYST PLUS service reminder appears earlier than expected. The customer or dealer may report that the…
- Model 907 with all-wheel drive (A4M) – All-wheel drive inoperative Complaint The customer may report one…
Model 907 with all-wheel drive (A4M) – All-wheel drive inoperative Complaint The customer may report one or more of the following: • All-wheel drive is unavailable or inoperative. • Rear wheel slip during acceleration…
- Complaint Complaint A
The engine is jolting/bucking between 1700 and 1900 rpm. Complaint B: One or more mechanical related fault codes for EGR Valve stored in CDI control unit, with possible Check Engine Light. Review list of mechanical…
- The check engine light is illuminated, or the AdBlue warning is active, with recorded faults related to…
The check engine light is illuminated, or the AdBlue warning is active, with recorded faults related to AdBlue quality or concentration. Complaint Customer reports an illuminated check engine light and or an AdBlue…
- Vehicles with SCR Generation 4
SCR/AdBlue® warning message cannot be reset with fault code P13DF00 or P300685 Complaint Vehicles with SCR Generation 4: SCR/AdBlue® warning message cannot be reset. Information: All fault codes in the AdBlue® (SCR)…
- Complaint Vehicles with SCR Generation 4
SCR/AdBlue® warning message cannot be reset. Information: All fault codes in the AdBlue® (SCR) control unit have been processed and corrected; however, fault codes P13DF00 and P300685 remain active and stored in the…
- EGR Valve Diagnosis & Cleaning (and EGR Cooler Cleaning) – OM642, Sprinter 906/907 Complaint A
The engine is jolting/bucking between 1700 and 1900 rpm. Complaint B: One or more mechanical related fault codes for EGR Valve stored in CDI control unit, with possible Check Engine Light. Review list of mechanical…
- The software for the communication module does not correspond to the latest series production configuration
For this reason, a remote software update to update the software for the communication module is planned for the affected vehicles. This update includes quality-enhancing optimizations for the communication module to…
NHTSA lists 147 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 1500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (25%), steering or power steering problems (25%), warning lights, check engine (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 1500?
NHTSA lists 147 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 1500 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2019 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.