50,000 mile Sprinter report

Dan Joyce_2 · December 2007

> There's a bit over 50,000 miles on our 2004 
> Sprinter, (purchased new in March 05) and I 
> thought some here would be interested in hearing 
> how it's performing. So here goes. 
> 
> At the 
> 51,213 mark the vehicle had consumed 2,486 
> gallons of diesel for an actual MPG of 20.6. I 
> like that! 
> 
> Oil changed 5 times at a cost of 
> $655.00. Next change due at 60K. The engine will 
> use about 1qt. of Mobil 1 synthetic between 
> changes. 
> 
> Brake pads installed on all four 
> corners at 44,588 miles at a cost of 
> $238.00 
> 
> Two sets of replacement wipers 
> installed. The factory set lasted about 7,000 
> miles and the second set took us to a tad over 
> 20K. Both of these were factory blades. Installed 
> a set of those aerodynamic Bosch (hey, it's a 
> German vehicle) and they are due to be replaced 
> as of now. The factory blades were $47.37 
> installed a set and the Bosch blades were just 
> under $50.00, installed by yours truly. The Bosch 
> blades are far superior to the factory blades in 
> durability and performance. 
> 
> This past 
> January, on the night of the Super Bowl, I had a 
> no heat call (3rd quarter of the game!!!) and 
> while driving there, the van quit as if I turned 
> off the key. Got it towed to the dealer and they 
> determined the the main CPU for the engine had 
> failed. They replaced is on Tuesday, took it out 
> for a test drive, made it about 3 blocks and it 
> died again, Further examination revealed that the 
> fuel filter/water separator had a leak which 
> allowed fuel to follow the wiring harness to the 
> engine control module and short it out. After all 
> was said and done, the repairs (expensive) were 
> covered under warranty even though the basic 36K 
> mile limit was long past. I appreciated that very 
> much when they showed me the cost of the parts. 
> The dealer told me they have never dealt with 
> another car company that backs their product like 
> Mercedes/Sprinter/Dodge or whatever they are now 
> does. 
> 
> We run Cooper snow tires in the winter 
> and the factory Michelin rubber in the summer. 
> Both sets of tires will go another 20K miles each 
> yet. Probably get 90,000 miles out of the two 
> sets. 
> 
> Body issues: The side sliding door just 
> started giving problems last week and has to be 
> pushed closed as of right now. The drivers side 
> door caught a gust of wind when opened and almost 
> got ripped right off the vehicle. The sheet metal 
> on the door actually bent and it has not closed 
> properly since. The paint job leaves a little to 
> be desired as there have been rust flecks showing 
> up in the form of bubbles under the paint since 
> the vehicle was new. These are not spots where 
> there was a dent or ding as some of them are 7 
> feet off the ground. They just seem to be the 
> result of poor surface prep and/or paint. The 
> drivers arm rest shows an abnormal amount of wear 
> for how few miles are on the vehicle. The 
> cushion will be worn completely off by 100K 
> miles. 
> 
> The little 5 cylinder engine does not 
> make enough heat while idling to keep itself warm 
> let alone warm up the cab. Mercedes thoughtfully 
> provided an auxiliary heater which can be turned 
> on and off manually and it works great. It some 
> kind of a little jet sounding device that burns 
> diesel and it will keep things warmed up nicely. 
> The anti skid control I could do without. Don't 
> get me wrong, it works great as far as preventing 
> a skid but sometimes when you have to come off a 
> street into a snow plugged driveway the ASR will 
> apply the brakes when it feels the vehicle skid 
> and stop you dead in the middle of a drift. I 
> wish there was an option to turn it off like the 
> anti spin control. The safety devices get in the 
> way sometimes. I would gladly remove the anti 
> skid control if possible and take my chances. 
> Overall I'd give the engine and transmission a 9, 
> the body a 2-3 (because of the doors and paint), 
> the chassis and brakes a solid 7, fuel economy a 
> strong 9, build quality and vehicle design about 
> a 6. 
 
As the man asked.How do you justify the cost differance gas to diesel??

Dan Joyce

Steve Ebels_3 · December 2007

FIY

There's a bit over 50,000 miles on our 2004 Sprinter, (purchased new in March 05) and I thought some here would be interested in hearing how it's performing. So here goes.

At the 51,213 mark the vehicle had consumed 2,486 gallons of diesel for an actual MPG of 20.6. I like that!

Oil changed 5 times at a cost of $655.00. Next change due at 60K. The engine will use about 1qt. of Mobil 1 synthetic between changes.

Brake pads installed on all four corners at 44,588 miles at a cost of $238.00

Two sets of replacement wipers installed. The factory set lasted about 7,000 miles and the second set took us to a tad over 20K. Both of these were factory blades. Installed a set of those aerodynamic Bosch (hey, it's a German vehicle) and they are due to be replaced as of now. The factory blades were $47.37 installed a set and the Bosch blades were just under $50.00, installed by yours truly. The Bosch blades are far superior to the factory blades in durability and performance.

This past January, on the night of the Super Bowl, I had a no heat call (3rd quarter of the game!!!) and while driving there, the van quit as if I turned off the key. Got it towed to the dealer and they determined the the main CPU for the engine had failed. They replaced is on Tuesday, took it out for a test drive, made it about 3 blocks and it died again, Further examination revealed that the fuel filter/water separator had a leak which allowed fuel to follow the wiring harness to the engine control module and short it out. After all was said and done, the repairs (expensive) were covered under warranty even though the basic 36K mile limit was long past. I appreciated that very much when they showed me the cost of the parts. The dealer told me they have never dealt with another car company that backs their product like Mercedes/Sprinter/Dodge or whatever they are now does.

We run Cooper snow tires in the winter and the factory Michelin rubber in the summer. Both sets of tires will go another 20K miles each yet. Probably get 90,000 miles out of the two sets.

Body issues: The side sliding door just started giving problems last week and has to be pushed closed as of right now. The drivers side door caught a gust of wind when opened and almost got ripped right off the vehicle. The sheet metal on the door actually bent and it has not closed properly since. The paint job leaves a little to be desired as there have been rust flecks showing up in the form of bubbles under the paint since the vehicle was new. These are not spots where there was a dent or ding as some of them are 7 feet off the ground. They just seem to be the result of poor surface prep and/or paint. The drivers arm rest shows an abnormal amount of wear for how few miles are on the vehicle. The cushion will be worn completely off by 100K miles.

The little 5 cylinder engine does not make enough heat while idling to keep itself warm let alone warm up the cab. Mercedes thoughtfully provided an auxiliary heater which can be turned on and off manually and it works great. It some kind of a little jet sounding device that burns diesel and it will keep things warmed up nicely.

The anti skid control I could do without. Don't get me wrong, it works great as far as preventing a skid but sometimes when you have to come off a street into a snow plugged driveway the ASR will apply the brakes when it feels the vehicle skid and stop you dead in the middle of a drift. I wish there was an option to turn it off like the anti spin control. The safety devices get in the way sometimes. I would gladly remove the anti skid control if possible and take my chances.

Overall I'd give the engine and transmission a 9, the body a 2-3 (because of the doors and paint), the chassis and brakes a solid 7, fuel economy a strong 9, build quality and vehicle design about a 6.

joel_19 · December 2007

sprinter

> There's a bit over 50,000 miles on our 2004

> Sprinter, (purchased new in March 05) and I

> thought some here would be interested in hearing

> how it's performing. So here goes.

>

> At the

> 51,213 mark the vehicle had consumed 2,486

> gallons of diesel for an actual MPG of 20.6. I

> like that!

>

> Oil changed 5 times at a cost of

> $655.00. Next change due at 60K. The engine will

> use about 1qt. of Mobil 1 synthetic between

> changes.

>

> Brake pads installed on all four

> corners at 44,588 miles at a cost of

> $238.00

>

> Two sets of replacement wipers

> installed. The factory set lasted about 7,000

> miles and the second set took us to a tad over

> 20K. Both of these were factory blades. Installed

> a set of those aerodynamic Bosch (hey, it's a

> German vehicle) and they are due to be replaced

> as of now. The factory blades were $47.37

> installed a set and the Bosch blades were just

> under $50.00, installed by yours truly. The Bosch

> blades are far superior to the factory blades in

> durability and performance.

>

> This past

> January, on the night of the Super Bowl, I had a

> no heat call (3rd quarter of the game!!!) and

> while driving there, the van quit as if I turned

> off the key. Got it towed to the dealer and they

> determined the the main CPU for the engine had

> failed. They replaced is on Tuesday, took it out

> for a test drive, made it about 3 blocks and it

> died again, Further examination revealed that the

> fuel filter/water separator had a leak which

> allowed fuel to follow the wiring harness to the

> engine control module and short it out. After all

> was said and done, the repairs (expensive) were

> covered under warranty even though the basic 36K

> mile limit was long past. I appreciated that very

> much when they showed me the cost of the parts.

> The dealer told me they have never dealt with

> another car company that backs their product like

> Mercedes/Sprinter/Dodge or whatever they are now

> does.

>

> We run Cooper snow tires in the winter

> and the factory Michelin rubber in the summer.

> Both sets of tires will go another 20K miles each

> yet. Probably get 90,000 miles out of the two

> sets.

>

> Body issues: The side sliding door just

> started giving problems last week and has to be

> pushed closed as of right now. The drivers side

> door caught a gust of wind when opened and almost

> got ripped right off the vehicle. The sheet metal

> on the door actually bent and it has not closed

> properly since. The paint job leaves a little to

> be desired as there have been rust flecks showing

> up in the form of bubbles under the paint since

> the vehicle was new. These are not spots where

> there was a dent or ding as some of them are 7

> feet off the ground. They just seem to be the

> result of poor surface prep and/or paint. The

> drivers arm rest shows an abnormal amount of wear

> for how few miles are on the vehicle. The

> cushion will be worn completely off by 100K

> miles.

>

> The little 5 cylinder engine does not

> make enough heat while idling to keep itself warm

> let alone warm up the cab. Mercedes thoughtfully

> provided an auxiliary heater which can be turned

> on and off manually and it works great. It some

> kind of a little jet sounding device that burns

> diesel and it will keep things warmed up nicely.

> The anti skid control I could do without. Don't

> get me wrong, it works great as far as preventing

> a skid but sometimes when you have to come off a

> street into a snow plugged driveway the ASR will

> apply the brakes when it feels the vehicle skid

> and stop you dead in the middle of a drift. I

> wish there was an option to turn it off like the

> anti spin control. The safety devices get in the

> way sometimes. I would gladly remove the anti

> skid control if possible and take my chances.

> Overall I'd give the engine and transmission a 9,

> the body a 2-3 (because of the doors and paint),

> the chassis and brakes a solid 7, fuel economy a

> strong 9, build quality and vehicle design about

> a 6.

We have two 1 with over 100k my thoughts pretty much mirror yours. There is a techy site that you can down load how to adjust the doors on to solve that issue with 10 minutes and a screw driver. Paint seems much nicer on the newer ones. Ours are first year build. No rust underneath at all very solid. 100k plus model just had tie rod end replaced. Garrage that did state inspection thought it was loose. our driver had not noticed and our mechanic said a touch of wear but not bad at all. Chassis components very solid,motor itself 0 problems. did have water/fuel in harness. no problems since fixed. We use Mobile 1 in all vehicles and have a local shop do it.
We will buy more as mothing else that you can stand in can begin to approach the MPG and can turn as tightly.

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joel_19 · December 2007

sprinter

We have two 1 with over 100k my thoughts pretty much mirror yours. There is a techy site that you can down load how to adjust the doors on to solve that issue with 10 minutes and a screw driver. Paint seems much nicer on the newer ones. Ours are first year build. No rust underneath at all very solid. 100k plus model just had tie rod end replaced. Garrage that did state inspection thought it was loose. our driver had not noticed and our mechanic said a touch of wear but not bad at all. Chassis components very solid,motor itself 0 problems. did have water/fuel in harness. no problems since fixed. We use Mobile 1 in all vehicles and have a local shop do it.
We will buy more as mothing else that you can stand in can begin to approach the MPG and can turn as tightly.

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Wayco Wayne_2 · December 2007

Thanks for the info

My current van is a chevy and I've been waiting for it to wear out so I could try a Sprinter get that better gas mileage. However it has had no problems and is surviving a lot longer than previous vans. I'm curious as to why the other American companies havent come out with something to match the Sprinter. With gas prices going up and Sprinters obvious success you would think they would sit up and take notice. WW

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singh · December 2007

Thanks for the info, I had thought about the Sprinter. But in March '04 bought a Chevy Express Vortec V6. Very happy with it, and it's 18 mpg.
To know a diesel 5 cycl. only get's you 20 mpg is not worth the $14K difference in price.
I do like the looks, you do notice them on the road though.

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tim smith · December 2007

18 in city, wow!

Really? Tim. We have 3 sprinters, most mileage on oldest one is I think 30,000. 2005. No real probs. Bought a 2007 in june and is different but seems fine. White box w/ diesel pusher. A commodity.

Tim_41 · December 2007

we

I bought a 2006 sprinter 3500 dual wheel. No Problems. 1 oil change that I do myself. Only real quirk is the tire wear on the front. I have to keep rotating the tires or they wear on the outside of the tire. It has too much positive camber with no adjustment. Many people are irritated by it. I get 24 to 25mpg in the summer and 23 to 24 in the winter. I use the redline diesal additive which helps.

martin · December 2007

05 Sprinter

My 05 with 75G does 23 city/ rural summer an 21 winter same problem with paint and driver's door. Need to do brakes pretty soon, original Michelin tires should go beyond 85G

joel_19 · December 2007

18?

We have 1 of those too and it will only get 14 tops v6 1/2t express. Sure they are cheaper but your comparing 2 different vehicle classes. You would need to buy a 1 ton+ Ford or Chebbie gas with a Spartan utility box to stand up in to get close to a Sprinter Versatility wise .

When you do that the price difference is much smaller and a 1ton 6.0 gas gets about 10-12 MPG

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Steve Ebels_3 · December 2007

Addendum

Smoked a little 4 point buck on the way home from a no heat call about a half hour ago. The Sprinter sustained minor damage to the drivers side headlight and trim. The headlight still works but now points at the road 15 feet in front of the van while on high beam. The buck unfortunately did not fare as well.

singh · December 2007

No doubt

They are two different vehicles.

But I still get 18 mpg. Fact. And the sticker new, is 15/20 city/highway. I'm not in the city, and there are no traffic lights in town.

Then again, I don't carry $8,000 in parts all around town.

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Tony_23 · December 2007

Ouch !

Bet he doesn't warrant a pic like the one your son got

How come you have to change synthetic oil every 10k miles ? I thought that stuff was good for 25 ?

Steve Ebels_3 · December 2007

Actualy

The van has an engine monitor that tells you when to change the oil. Being that I get a little sideways when it comes to maintenance, I just do it 10K for the sake of engine life. I have to say the the engine will likely outlast the body by a factor of 2.PS: The deer soes not warrant a picture.

Darin Cook_5 · December 2007

Steve

Stop getting all the deer!!! I have not gotten one yet this year! What ever happened to your post about the beautiful buck your son got? I went to post on that thread when I came home from deer hunting in N Maine but it was gone.

I want to buy a new work vehicle in the spring. I use my 2004 GMC 2500 HD, long bed, extended cab 4X4 for my everything truck. I have 2 top sider Joboxes, a Adrian Steel flat tool box, a custom canvas tarp over the tool boxes ( to hide all the junk in the back of the truck), and a nice Adrian Steel pipe rack. It is a beast of a truck with the 6.0 liter in it but it gets 10 - 11 mpg no matter what I do. I do have a K&N air filter and plan to get a straight back dual Flowmaster exhaust. That may pick me up a 1 -2 mpg increase and more power. I have heard alot of comments on the Sprinters. I would like to get a vehicle that is more of a mobile shop on wheels. I do 99% install work but I run alot of miles. I am just shy of 100,000 on my GMC. I am worried about the diesel and the cold weather. How has your Sprinter started on those cold winter mornings? Gotta run, boilers are waiting!!!!!!!!

Darin

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Glen · December 2007

minor damage?

I popped a fawn with mine this spring - $3000 Cdn. thank goodness for insurance! Visibly - the only damage I could see was the broken chrome license holder.

joel_19 · December 2007

Cold

No problem in cold with Block heaters!! without block heater we have had them start at 10f but crank slooooooow. Of course water in fuel will sink you but we keep up with fuel filters and the occasional shot of anti gel. Starts here at -10f with block heater plus cab warms faster.

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Steve Ebels_3 · December 2007

Darin

We've never had a problem with cold weather starts and it doesn't have a block heater. IIRC, ours has a cold weather package which includes a device which preheats the fuel as well as some type of glow plug or air preheater. It cranks right up with no problemo at -10* and less.

PS: I think that they are available in 4 wheel drive now if I'm not mistaken. If you're used to that in your truck you will miss it big time on a Sprinter. The factory rubber is useless in snow.

Tim_41 · December 2007

espar

The preheater is the "espar heater". They work great. Its exhaust is in the left front wheel well. Once I drain the coolant, I am installing the block heater. Just to have it in case I am overnight someplace and its super cold.

Steve M_2 · December 2007

My thoughts

My company supplies us with Sprinters and the only problem I have is that they're terrible in snow. I got stuck 4 or 5 times last year and had to be pulled out, sometimes with just a few inches of snow. Also one of my work mates Sprinter had an electrical fire from a wiring problem with one of the rear cargo's interior lights. There was quite a bit of damage and he was lucky he bailed out in time, he was driving it when it happened. Other than that, it gets great fuel mileage, 20+, handles nicely and not too bad in crosswinds. Not to mention all the inventory I carry.

Douglas Hicks · December 2007

Steve, you can turn off the traction control. On my 2003 the switch is to the right off the door lock button. On the 2005, the switch us under the door lock button. Or look in the owner's manual. When you shut off the traction control, a triangle appears at the top of the speedomoter. I only turn mine off when I am in deep snow and the traction control shuts off the throttle.

My 2003 had problems with the paint and was repainted under warrenty.
fireguy

Tim_41 · December 2007

snow

I to have been stuck in the snow at my house with the sprinter. The stock tires are useless in the snow. Actually, they are dangerous. Next week, I will mount new Hakka CQ light truck snow ice tires for the first time. I've used the hakkas on some winter rallies in the past and they were great. I will let you know how they work on the van.

mikebegood · December 2007

how much weight

I thought about the sprinter but i bought a Ford F350 diesel with a harbour work master 12foot walk in box. I wanted more room and more power. I only get about 11 miles to the gallon. It weighs 13,500 Lbs. I drive a little agressive so I could be getting more like 12 to the gallon. How much weight are you guys putting in the sprinters?

Steve Ebels_3 · December 2007

Not the traction control

What I'm referring to is the anti skid control, not the anti spin. The wheel spin can be turned off but not the anti skid. When it senses a direction of travel not in sync with the direction of the front wheels, it will automatically apply the appropriate brake to bring things back in line. Get's to be a tad frustrating but on the other hand I know it's saved my bacon a couple times in the slush on these country roads we drive.

joel_19 · December 2007

snows

we run snows sans studs even on my 4x4 cause you still gotta stop and turn. The Sprinters rate with the Fords in the snow. Something differnt withe chebbies rear end and they are better in snow. Ours are dual whl models and that makes them worse to begin with Tough to find heavy truck snows for the older small 15" wheels have had Verdestein and Nokian like the Nokian more.

11 MPG for a Ford diesel ????We have a dual cab Mitsubishi seats 7 holds more weight than that Ford and gets 13MPG. Not trying to dis your truck but man that's big $$$ for only 11mpg.

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mikebegood · December 2007

kinda a bummer

I was disapointed I was told that the new 6 litre engines have more power and get less millage. They stoped making the 7.3 litre in 02 I think. I do drive agresive and I also am driving in San Fransisco and rural hills alot. The stop and go on steep hills mixed with my agresive driving cant be helping.

Plumber7 · December 2007

Sprinter

I have a 2007 Sprinter cab chassis 3500 with a Spartan utility body. The 07's have a 6 cyl diesel engine. I'm averaging around 15MPG which is much better than the 6MPG I got with my Isuzu cab chassis (gas). It also drives like a Lexus compared with the Isuzu. I have a tire package and they look much more aggressive that I've seen on other new Sprinters. I have had no problems with this truck. I only have 5000 miles. There are two error messages that are associated with the body install. (Backup & Marker lamps)
No problems starting it in the NJ cold.

Steve Ebels_3 · December 2007

Fireguy

Was there a service bulletin or recall on the paint issue? Rust spots are popping up all over the place since the salt came out this winter!

50,000 mile Sprinter report

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