Most common 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 problems
Share of the 45 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 complaints by model year
Best Sprinter 3500 years: 2010, 2011, 2018. Years to avoid: 2016, 2014, 2023, 2013. Compare all years →
2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 recalls (5)
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.
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2013 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment.
Remedy: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module, free of charge. Daimler issued an interim notification to owners on March 13, 2018. The recall began December 28, 2018.
Air bags
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vans. These vehicles were manufactured without a reinforcement plate and protective bracket on the air bag control unit.
Remedy: DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will install a reinforcement plate and protective bracket around the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began on May 26, 2017.
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…
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.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
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,…
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500:
Rear Wheel Speed Sensor Failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by Daimler Vans USA, LLC (Daimler) as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers to identify incidents related to Rear Wheel Speed Sensors (RWSS) failures.
What 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 owners say
Air bags
"Takata airbag" I purchased a 2013 mercedez Sprinter 3500 van that had been converted through winnebago industries in forest city ia. When I exported/imported the vehicle into Canada, I was unable to register the motorhome, due to the Takata air bag recall. The registry of motor vehicle in nova scotia, Canada has granted me a temporary permit for 2017 only, I have been unable to receive any sort of time line as to the approximate date that this recall will be repaired. I was told in October of 2016 by Mercedes Benz USA that they expected the repair would be completed by July/August of 2016. When contacted today they said they have no timeline that they could share indicating when this tacata airbag recall would be completed. Mbusa has known about this recall for approximately 3 years, it appears that they have not communicted to their customers or to the NHTSA which seems unacceptable.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated that he was unable to contact an authorized dealer to schedule a recall repair appointment within a reasonable amount of time regarding NHTSA campaign number: 16V077000 (air bags). The interim recall notice began on April 11, 2016 and indicated that the part was not available and a second notice would be sent to the vehicle owner. In addition, the manufacturer indicated that the closest dealer was less than three hours away. The contact informed the manufacturer several times that this was not a reasonable option. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. Consumer stated it is manufactures fault due to faulty airbags/recall.
Speed control & acceleration
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and attempting to activate the cruise control, the vehicle failed to remain in cruise control mode. The contact stated that the ABS, traction control, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under a related recall. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact received a repair for the rear wheel speed sensors and now they were unable to exceed 50 mph while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle was possibly in Limp Mode. The contact contacted the dealer who performed the repair however, the contact was unable to take the vehicle in for an appointment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 33,000.
Stability & traction control
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated while driving 65 mph, the ABS warning light and two other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated he continued to drive the vehicle. The contact stated the vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired however, the contact replaced the driver's side rear wheel speed sensor himself. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V042000 (Electronic Stability Control) however, the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 12,200. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500. The contact stated while driving, the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle had lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the wheel speed sensor was replaced. 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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Parts distribution disconnect. The failure mileage was approximately 34,200.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 a good car?
Based on 45 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Sprinter 3500 rates use caution: 1.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sprinter 3500 at the same age. It is one of the Sprinter 3500 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500?
The air bags — 19 complaints, 42% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the speed control & acceleration (12) and stability & traction control (10).
How many recalls does the 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500, the most recent from February 3, 2021 (control module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2011 and 2018. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2016, 2014, 2023 and 2013. See the full Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 28,000 miles; 86% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.