Total Complaints
5 filings
Freightliner Sprinter 2500 · model year
2005 Freightliner Sprinter 2500
5 NHTSA complaints, and 3 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 5
- Recalls
- 3
The verdict
The 2005 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 posts above-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- 27th pctile
- complaint volume, own model years
- 3
- recall campaigns
The 2005FreightlinerSprinter 2500 carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2005 Sprinter 2500 is power train with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and exterior lighting (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 38 investigation files overlapping the 2005 Sprinter 2500. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2005 Freightliner Sprinter 2500
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
Recalls (3)
08V33900024/07/2008
STEERING:COLUMN
SPRINTER IS RECALLING 10 MY 2001-2006 DODGE AND FREIGHTLINER 2500 AND 3500 VEHICLES. THE WELDING SEAM BETWEEN THE BRACKET AND STEERING COLUMN OF AFFECTED SPARE PARTS DOES NOT MEET DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS. THE RESULT OF AN OUT OF SPECIFICATION WELDING SEAM IS THAT THE STEERING COLUMN MAY DETACH FROM
16V83300017/11/2016
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Dodge and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vans manufactured June 30, 2003, to August 31, 2006. The instrument cluster on the affected vehicles fails to illuminate the BRAKE warning lamp in the instrument cluster during the
07V29900013/07/2007
INTERIOR LIGHTING
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH REAR AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM, THE INTERIOR LAMP IS EQUIPPED WITH AN 18W LAMP AND A SCATTERING LENS. IN EXTREMELY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS, THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY, AND THE HEAT FROM THE LAMP DUE TO EXTREME LONG TERM OPERATION, CAN DISTORT THE SCATTERING
Recent Complaints
20131106VISIBILITY/WIPER
2005 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER VAN 2500 WITH NO SIDE DOOR OR REAR DOOR GLASS. THE DRIVER MUST USE THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS TO MERGE IN TRAFFIC. THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS THAT ARE NOT HEATED WILL FOG UP WHEN DRIVING IN DIFFERENT ELEVATIONS CAUSING THE DRIVER TO BE BLIND. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHERE ALL FULL SIZE COFFIN VANS WITH NO SIDE OR REAR GLASS SHOULD HAVE HEATED OUTSIDE MIRRORS FROM THE FACTORY, THIS APPLIES TO ANY MAKE FULL SIDE COFFIN VANS, CARGO VANS. *TR
Mileage: 139,200
20131106STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
2005 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER VAN 2500 WITH NO SIDE DOOR OR REAR DOOR GLASS. THE DRIVER MUST USE THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS TO MERGE IN TRAFFIC. THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS THAT ARE NOT HEATED WILL FOG UP WHEN DRIVING IN DIFFERENT ELEVATIONS CAUSING THE DRIVER TO BE BLIND. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHERE ALL FULL SIZE COFFIN VANS WITH NO SIDE OR REAR GLASS SHOULD HAVE HEATED OUTSIDE MIRRORS FROM THE FACTORY, THIS APPLIES TO ANY MAKE FULL SIDE COFFIN VANS, CARGO VANS. *TR
Mileage: 139,200
20110927ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TURN SIGNAL FAILURE AT CONTROL ARM ON STEERING COLUMN. *TT
20110927EXTERIOR LIGHTING
TURN SIGNAL FAILURE AT CONTROL ARM ON STEERING COLUMN. *TT
20080813POWER TRAIN
WHILE CLIMBING A MOUNTAIN INCLINE (6%) IN N.C.,WE HAD SUDDEN LOSE OF POWER IN OUR 2005 FREIGHTLINER (DODGE) SPRINTER. THIS WAS OUR FIRST FAILURE. THE TURBO RESONATOR SEPARATED CAUSING ALMOST COMPLETE LOSE OF POWER. THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS HAD THERE BEEN TRAFFIC. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO REPLACE THIS ITEM WITH A MORE RELIABLE ONE. *TR
Mileage: 41,000
Compare 2005FreightlinerSprinter 2500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
PE24032Preliminary EvaluationClosed
EVDM connector plate separation
PE21006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Halogen Headlights May Cause Fires
PE21002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Trolley bus circuit breaker fires
PE20014Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Rear Wheel Speed Sensor Failure
PE20006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Intermittent Loss of Power Steering Assist
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2005 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 have?▼
The 2005 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2005 Freightliner Sprinter 2500?▼
Yes, the 2005 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is STEERING:COLUMN. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Freightliner Sprinter 2500?▼
The most-complained component for the 2005 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 is POWER TRAIN with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
Is the 2005 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2005 Freightliner Sprinter 2500; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.