Atlanta – Nov. 11, 2016 – Daimler Vans USA has announced a recall of Dodge and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vans due to problems with brake warning light illumination.
The Defect
According to documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Daimler will recall vans from the 2003-2006 model years – specifically, those manufactured between June 30, 2003 and Aug. 31, 2006. The problem is that the brake warning lamps located on the vehicles’ instrument clusters are failing to illuminate during startup.
This initial illumination is a good way to let the driver know that the light is functioning as intended. After that point, as long as the light remains off, drivers can be reasonably confident that they do not have any serious brake issues to address. The purpose of the lamp is to warn occupants of low brake fluid, which could severely impact their ability to stop on command.
Timeline of Events
April 2015 – Fiat Chrysler reportedly asked Daimler Vans for support with Dodge vehicles that failed the bulb check during New York State inspections. Daimler Vans examined numerous vehicle models from different years, as well as different instrument clusters, to locate the problems. This was a challenging process that required the manufacturer to study instrument cluster coding and analyze each system to determine the underlying cause. At first, Daimler Vans did not have access to all of the information necessary, forcing it to use other methods to replicate the problem.
October 2016 – Daimler Vans received more information about the faulty bulb, including the proper instrument coding. This allowed the manufacturers to determine exactly which vehicles were being affected.
The Solution
Daimler Vans will conduct a voluntary recall to examine each vehicle’s instrument cluster coding and fix any problems that can be found. This will be done free of charge. A schedule has not yet been announced.
