Sandy Springs, GA – January 16, 2022 – Daimler (OTCMKTS:DMLRY), that owns both Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner brands, is recalling 48,400 vans that may roll away while the vehicle is in park. This increases the risk of a crash and injury. This recall is a result of a U.S. government investigation into the issue and includes the following vans:
- 2019 – 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 1500
- 2019 – 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500
- 2019 – 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500
- 2019 – 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4500
- 2019 – 2021 Freightliner Sprinter 1500
- 2019 – 2021 Freightliner Sprinter 2500
- 2019 – 2021 Freightliner Sprinter 3500
- 2019 – 2021 Freightliner Sprinter 4500
Recall summary
Vehicles that are a part of this recall are equipped with automatic transmission and a manual parking brake. Unless the parking brake is engaged, the vehicle may roll away even when the gear selector is placed in “Park.”
The exact cause of the recall is currently under investigation, but seems to be connected to a software issue.
The component in question is the “Electronic Stability Program (ESP) control unit” software.
Background of the recall
The recall comes on the heels of a U.S government investigation into the rollaways opened in August of last year based on 11 complaints. You can read more here.
Recall risks
Vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash, injury and property damage. In fact, leading up to the recall, there was at least one collision with a house and one injury, as reported.
Other Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van recalls
The 2021 Sprinter passenger vans have been recalled 7 times in total. One of the more recent ones includes one in December of last year because of damaged brake hoses. The 2020 Sprinter vans are subject to 14 recalls, including one in June of last year for malfunctioning backup cameras.
The repair
To fix the issue, Daimler dealers will flash the ESP control unit and install an updated software version. Notifications about this replacement will be sent to vehicle owners on January 31, 2022.
Is your vehicle part of this recall?
This Mercedes-Benz recall is affecting more than 40,000 Mercedes Freightliner and Sprinter vans. To do a Mercedes-Benz recall check and see if your van is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
