Total Complaints
3 filings
FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER 3500 · model year
2016 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER 3500
3 NHTSA complaints, and 11 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2016FREIGHTLINERSPRINTER 3500 carries 3 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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 SPRINTER 3500 is service brakes with 1 filings, followed by power train (1) and vehicle speed control (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 11 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 38 investigation files overlapping the 2016 SPRINTER 3500. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
Recalls (11)
16V26100029/04/2016
STRUCTURE:BODY
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Mercedes Benz and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured April 1, 2015, to October 31, 2015. The affected vehicles may have had multiple layers of paint applied, and as a result, in a crash, the windows may s
20V66300028/10/2020
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Mercedes Benz Sprinter and Freightliner Sprinter vehicles. The hydraulic power steering return line hoses may detach at their connection points under certain operating conditions, causing hydraulic fluid to leak.
19V14000027/02/2019
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
Midway Specialty Vehicles (Midway) is recalling one 2016 Freightliner Sprinter vehicle modified to be equipped with a Ricon Titanium Wheelchair Lift. The wheelchair lift positioning input cam may fail while the lift is in use, allowing the platform to travel higher than the vehicle's floor height.
16V35100024/05/2016
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured May 31, 2015, to April 30, 2016, and 2015-2016 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured May 1, 2015, to April 30, 2016. The affected vehicles are confi
16V09300018/02/2016
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vans manufactured April 29, 2015, to December 15, 2015. The affected vehicles have a tire pressure label that incorrectly states a higher maximum load capacity than the vehi
16V67000015/09/2016
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain model year 2016 Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured March 1, 2016, to May 31, 2016. The bolts connecting the lower seat belt connection to the rear bench seat may not have been properly tightened.
17V09300010/02/2017
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. As a result, the air bag control unit m
19V00300008/01/2019
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2015-2017 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 driver frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replac
19V00400008/01/2019
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2014-2017 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 rep
17V14900007/03/2017
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The bracket for the center support bearing of the drive shaft may not have been properly welded.
21V04200003/02/2021
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.
Recent Complaints
20210301SERVICE BRAKES
WHILE DRIVING USING CRUISE CONTROL, THE SPEED WAS INCREASING 15 MPH PAST THE SETTING. I WAS ABLE TO STOP BY USING THE BRAKE. THEN ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. AFTER THAT IT WOULDN'T SHIFT RIGHT, IT WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO A HIGH GEAR AND IT WOULD BE HARD TO GET MOVING FROM A STOP. I HAD TO DRIVE TO A DEALER SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES AND IT WAS QUITE HARROWING. OF COURSE THEY COULDN'T WORK ON IT FOR 3 DAYS SO WE RENTED A CAR TO GO BACK HOME 400 MILES. THE PROBLEM WAS A REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED IN LESS THAN 5 MONTHS, ONCE IN VIRGINIA WITH 36410 MILES ON IT AND AGAIN IN NEBRASKA WITH 40621 MILES. IT CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE IS NO SHOULDER AND CAN NOT DRIVE FAST ENOUGH FOR THE TRAFFIC BEHIND. THE PROBLEM BOTH TIMES WERE REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS.
Mileage: 40,400
20210301POWER TRAIN
WHILE DRIVING USING CRUISE CONTROL, THE SPEED WAS INCREASING 15 MPH PAST THE SETTING. I WAS ABLE TO STOP BY USING THE BRAKE. THEN ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. AFTER THAT IT WOULDN'T SHIFT RIGHT, IT WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO A HIGH GEAR AND IT WOULD BE HARD TO GET MOVING FROM A STOP. I HAD TO DRIVE TO A DEALER SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES AND IT WAS QUITE HARROWING. OF COURSE THEY COULDN'T WORK ON IT FOR 3 DAYS SO WE RENTED A CAR TO GO BACK HOME 400 MILES. THE PROBLEM WAS A REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED IN LESS THAN 5 MONTHS, ONCE IN VIRGINIA WITH 36410 MILES ON IT AND AGAIN IN NEBRASKA WITH 40621 MILES. IT CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE IS NO SHOULDER AND CAN NOT DRIVE FAST ENOUGH FOR THE TRAFFIC BEHIND. THE PROBLEM BOTH TIMES WERE REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS.
Mileage: 40,400
20210301VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING USING CRUISE CONTROL, THE SPEED WAS INCREASING 15 MPH PAST THE SETTING. I WAS ABLE TO STOP BY USING THE BRAKE. THEN ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. AFTER THAT IT WOULDN'T SHIFT RIGHT, IT WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO A HIGH GEAR AND IT WOULD BE HARD TO GET MOVING FROM A STOP. I HAD TO DRIVE TO A DEALER SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES AND IT WAS QUITE HARROWING. OF COURSE THEY COULDN'T WORK ON IT FOR 3 DAYS SO WE RENTED A CAR TO GO BACK HOME 400 MILES. THE PROBLEM WAS A REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED IN LESS THAN 5 MONTHS, ONCE IN VIRGINIA WITH 36410 MILES ON IT AND AGAIN IN NEBRASKA WITH 40621 MILES. IT CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE IS NO SHOULDER AND CAN NOT DRIVE FAST ENOUGH FOR THE TRAFFIC BEHIND. THE PROBLEM BOTH TIMES WERE REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS.
Mileage: 40,400
Compare 2016FREIGHTLINERSPRINTER 3500 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
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2016 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER 3500 have?▼
The 2016 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER 3500 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER 3500?▼
Yes, the 2016 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER 3500 has 11 recall(s). The most common affected component is STRUCTURE:BODY. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER 3500?▼
The most-complained component for the 2016 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER 3500 is SERVICE BRAKES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 2016 FREIGHTLINER SPRINTER 3500 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.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.