AI Damage2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500: common problems
Owners of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 filed 28 complaints with NHTSA, most often about wheels and electronic stability control. The maker issued 60 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 28
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 60
What fails most often
- 1 Wheels 25% of all complaints
- 2 Electronic stability control 25% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 18% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 14% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 11% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- Wheels: 7 complaints (25% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Electronic stability control: 7 complaints (25% of all).
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (18% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Vehicle speed control: 4 complaints (14% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (11% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 6.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 28 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| Electronic stability control | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Air bags | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The vehicle was driven to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the front driver's side rim was cracked. The contact was informed that the front driver's side rim needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the parts were unavailable.
The vehicle has swivel seats. When the driverâs seat swivel, itâs severed the wires, the control the SRS system.
The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the DEF system again needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 325,000.
The contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds the warning message "DEF Is Low" had suddenly displayed and the vehicle went into "Limp Mode" causing the speed to suddenly reduce to 5 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the DEF tank was faulty and needed to be replaced.
Then he heard a loud sound coming from underneath the vehicle, when he took his foot off the brake. . The contact pulled over to the side of the road and saw the water tank had fallen to the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the water tank was firmly re-attached to the RV.
The ESP and ABS warning lights went on suddenly after what sounded like a thud. The car had not run over anything. There was some initial brief chattering of the break pedal, and that subsided. The car was not near a suitable and available repair shop at the time. It was driven to complete a trip.
I'm getting wheel sensor errors and the vehicle goes into limp mode and disables the cruise control, even after replacing the sensors. Very frustrated with this dangerous situation!
The contact stated that on two separate occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle started shaking and the contact heard a loud sound coming from the vehicle. The contact veered off the roadway and noticed that the hub cap had detached from the wheel.
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 7,081 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sprinter 3500 has 18 complaints (19 years in the data). This year has 28, above average.
What to check before buying
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
- Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
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…
- Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Freightliner Sprinter vehicles, has determined that on…
Mercedes-Benz AG (“MBAG”), the manufacturer of Freightliner Sprinter vehicles, has determined that on certain MY17-18 Freightliner Sprinter vehicles, the diesel particulate filter may crack due to an insufficient weld…
- 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…
- OM642 DPF Filter Cracked or Broken Complaint Vehicle will not start or exhibits noisy exhaust
Check Engine Lamp (CEL) is on. Multiple control unit communication and system faults may be present, including but not limited to: 134800, 134900, 11B300, 11EC00, 15E100, 155700, 162500. Additional events codes may…
- 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…
- Complaint Rattling noise from underneath the vehicle
Cause One or more of the following conditions may be present: 1. The exhaust bracket from the DPF to the transmission is cracked or broken. • See Pic. 1 for an example of a broken bracket. 2. Transmission bell housing…
- 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…
- 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…
- Clunking noise on load change or gear engagement Complaint Clunking noise can be heard on some load…
Clunking noise on load change or gear engagement Complaint Clunking noise can be heard on some load changes or when changing from N->R or N->D Cause Movement of transfer case splines Remedy Apply bearing retainer…
- Engine Oil Level Cannot Be Checked via Instrument Cluster Service Menu Complaint Sometimes the engine oil…
Engine Oil Level Cannot Be Checked via Instrument Cluster Service Menu Complaint Sometimes the engine oil level cannot be determined using the instrument cluster's service menu. The following mes- sages may be…
- Complaint Transmission control unit Y3/8n4 (fully integrated transmission control unit (VGS)) not listed…
Complaint Transmission control unit Y3/8n4 (fully integrated transmission control unit (VGS)) not listed in quick test and/or no communication possible with VGS. Cause Transmission control unit Y3/8n4 Remedy For…
NHTSA lists 60 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
- Sprinter 3500 20104 sources
- Sprinter 3500 20118 sources
- Sprinter 3500 201221 sources
- Sprinter 3500 201345 sources
- Sprinter 3500 201455 sources
- Sprinter 3500 201537 sources
- Sprinter 3500 2016132 sources
- Sprinter 3500 201854 sources
- Sprinter 3500 2019183 sources
- Sprinter 3500 2020150 sources
- Sprinter 3500 2021134 sources
- Sprinter 3500 2022100 sources
- Sprinter 3500 2023122 sources
- Sprinter 3500 202494 sources
- Sprinter 3500 202539 sources
- Sprinter 3500 20267 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: wheels, electronic stability control, service brakes. Total complaints: 28. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (29%), loss of power / limp mode (11%), jerking, harsh shifts (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500?
NHTSA lists 60 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 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 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 2017 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.