2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sprinter 3500 years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 18 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 21 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. That ranks 7th out of 18 Sprinter 3500 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electronic stability control (esc) (5 complaints, 24%), typically at around 45,692 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 fire, 2 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 21owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 24% | 45,692 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 24% | 31,750 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 19% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 19% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 14% | 38,200 | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 14% | 31,750 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 10% | 41,946 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 10% | 30,346 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 5% | 11,400 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electronic stability control (esc):control module
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Problem: Cummings Mobility Conversion & Supply (Cummings) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Ford E-150, E-250, E-350, Chevrolet Express, 2006-2008 Dodge Sprinter, and 2009-2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and 2013 Ford Transit Connect vehicles manufactured January 1, 2006, to October 8, 2014, equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation after January 1, 2006. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.
Risk: If the platform side plates crack, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the doors are opened, the platform may fall out, increasing the risk of injury to the lift operator.
Fix: Cummings will notify owners to take buses to a Ricon dealer or service center who will install supplemental platform support bumpers. Any platform that has already started cracking will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began January 13, 2015. Owners may contact Cumming's customer service at 1-800-639-5438 or Ricon customer service at 1-800-322-2884. Cumming's number for this recall is 14E-041.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Rear Wheel Speed Sensor Failure (PE20014) — opened Sep 21, 2020, closed Mar 30, 2021, led to recall 21V042000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
This vehicle was subject to NHTSA Recall Number 19V003 involving failure of rear wheel speed sensors. The recall was completed by a dealer in April 2022 at 70,466 miles. At just under 90,000 miles in August 2026 a failure was indicated for the right rear wheel speed sensor. Error code C003A…
The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V042000 (Electronic Stability Control) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet…
The contact owns a 2012 mercedes-benz sprinter 3500. The contact stated that the vehicle intermittently failed to start up after multiple attempts, without warning. The contact called several unknown dealers and was informed that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed to determine the cause of the…
When starting the vehicle it may take several times turning the ignition switch to start the vehicle.it may start each time for weeks and then you might try 30 tomes before it would start again. If one had an emergency and needed to find a doctor quick you would be hoping that it would start. I…
ON OR ABOUT MARCH 11TH, I WENT TO MERCEDES BENZ OF 4000 N. MAIN STREET, GAINESVILLE FL. TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE SAFETY RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 21V042000 ON MY 2012 SPRINTER 3500 ( VIN WDA [redacted],PRODUCTION DATE 04/12/2012). I MET WITH MICHAEL POTTEIGER, ASST. SERVICE MANAGER. TO…
Other Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 years
← 2011 Sprinter 3500 · 2013 Sprinter 3500 →
See all Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 problems by year, every Mercedes-Benz model, or the Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500?
Owners most often report electronic stability control (esc), vehicle speed control, air bags problems. The top one, electronic stability control (esc), accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sprinter 3500 model years, the 2012 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.