Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 · model year

2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500

11 NHTSA complaints, and 2 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
11
Recalls
2

The verdict

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 posts top-quartile complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.

Top 22%
fewest complaints, own model years
2
recall campaigns

The 2012Mercedes-BenzSprinter 2500 carries 11 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. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2012 Sprinter 2500 is vehicle speed control with 3 filings, followed by air bags (2) and unknown or other (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 2 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 15 investigation files overlapping the 2012 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.

11
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2012 Mercedes-Benz 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.

Total Complaints

11 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 - Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3
AIR BAGS2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1
ENGINE1
SERVICE BRAKES1

Recalls (2)

17V48000028/07/2017

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2012 Freightliner and Mercedes Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled into the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event o

16V07700010/02/2016

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Daimler Vans USA, LLC (Daimler Vans) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Dodge Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2006, to July 31, 2008, 2007-2014 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2006, to July 1, 2014, and 2010-2014 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 25

Recent Complaints

20230317VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500. The contact stated that on various occasions after coming to a stop at a traffic signal, the vehicle was stalling and shaking while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the engine revved loudly before accelerating. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer on various occasions; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to several unknown dealers for routine maintenance services, and the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 16,000.

Mileage: 16,000

20220803SERVICE BRAKES

Wheel speed sensor malfunction, partially addressed in NHTSA recall ID: 21V042 Why only rear speed sensors? As of Aug. 2, 2022, I am facing the replacement of both front speed sensors one of which was replaced a year ago. No ABS braking, No stability control, faulty parts creating on going safety problems not addressed in recall 21V042.

20220803VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Wheel speed sensor malfunction, partially addressed in NHTSA recall ID: 21V042 Why only rear speed sensors? As of Aug. 2, 2022, I am facing the replacement of both front speed sensors one of which was replaced a year ago. No ABS braking, No stability control, faulty parts creating on going safety problems not addressed in recall 21V042.

20210812AIR BAGS

Had a service call to repair recall items. Technician forgot to install bolts holding the transmission which led to multiple light alerts. Could have been dangerous for driver.

20210812UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Had a service call to repair recall items. Technician forgot to install bolts holding the transmission which led to multiple light alerts. Could have been dangerous for driver.

20210812ENGINE

Had a service call to repair recall items. Technician forgot to install bolts holding the transmission which led to multiple light alerts. Could have been dangerous for driver.

20190315VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE VAN WILL AT TIMES ACCELERATE ON IT OWN.

Mileage: 50,000

20181113UNKNOWN OR OTHER

CHECK ENGINE AND DEF LIGHT COMES ON WHEN I CAN ONLY PUT A QUART OF DEF IN TANK ONLY HAVE 23000 MILES ON ENGINE. LIGHT CLEARS AFTER ADDING ONLY A QUART AND RESTATRTING AND DRIVING. THEN RETURNS IN A SHORT WHILE. SHOULDNT THIS BE COVERED UNDER THE EMISSION WTTY. YEAR 2012 MERCEDES SPRINTER 3500

Mileage: 23,000

20180511AIR BAGS

TAKATA RECALL- WE HAVE BEEN WAITING 3 YEARS FOR A FIX FOR THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG RECALL SINCE WE WERE FIRST NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG. THE RECALL WAS EFFECTIVE 02/11/2016. WE WERE NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM NEARLY A YEAR BEFORE THE RECALL BECAME EFFECTIVE. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN WAITING FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG RECALL REPLACEMENT SINCE 01/10/2017. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS AND WE FEEL MERCEDES SHOULD BUY OUR VEHICLE BACK FROM US FOR THE BLUE BOOK VALUE IMMEDIATELY.

20140220VISIBILITY/WIPER

THE WAY THEY DESIGN THE WIPER IT IS THE MOST UNSAFE VAN I HAVE EVER DRIVE SPECIALLY WHEN IT IS SNOWY.THERE IS NO HEAT WHERE THE WIPERS STOPS AND THE ICE BUILDS UNDER THE WIPER SO EVERY TWENTY MINUTES THE WIPERS NEED TO BE HAND CLEANED. IT IS MAKE IT VERY UNSAFE WHEN YOU HAVE TO DRIVE IN THE HIGHWAY IN SNOW.VERY BAD ENGINEERING.I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS VAN GET APPROVED TO SELL. I DROVE FOR FEDEX SAVE DRIVER IN LAST TEN YEARS. I'M VERY SCARED THEN I HAVE DRIVE THAT VAN IN SNOW. I HOPE THEY COME WITH BETTER DESIGN FOR THEIR FUTURE VANS. *TR

Mileage: 20,000

20140109EXTERIOR LIGHTING

HEADLIGHTS, DIRECTIONAL LIGHTS, PARKING LIGHTS, AND TAIL LIGHTS CONTINUE TO GO OUT AND HAVE FREQUENT REPLACEMENT. LEFT REAR FOG LIGHT WILL NOT FUNCTION EVEN AFTER REPLACEMENT WITH NEW BULB. *TR

Mileage: 25,000

Compare 2012Mercedes-BenzSprinter 2500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Vehicle Safety Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 have?
The 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 has 11 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500?
The 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500?
Yes, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500?
The most-complained component for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz 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. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. 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 2012 Mercedes-Benz 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.