This is in a Honda dealer here inAlberta, Canada. I left once my spare tire inflated to a low PSI on purpose before coming in for basic service. sure enough they gave me the service report back with everything in green, INCLUDING 'complementary' multipoint inspection... I told them .. are you sure you refilled ALL my tires to spec including spares? yep, all good sir. we did!. gues waht? ... they didn't ... and so I starting doubting of the such multipoint inpsection marketing bs... probably they do some... but not all of them.... be careful out there.
You really should change the oil, oil filter and air filter (at 40k miles you wouldve had to do this a couple times). If you're getting all of that for $120 then please share your sources!
I can feel a RateMyDealer coming up very soon ;) You're right, it's often a hit or miss situation, and that shouldn't be the case if they have good QC. That will benefit both the customer and the performance of the dealership.
Justadude, The problem is the Mercedes dealer has a attitude of "If you want service you can come to us, or take a hike" and they seem to not care if you do either one.
It's not just Colorado my friend. I have a 4WD converted 2022 MB Sprinter. I had an appointment last Monday (1/30/23) I drove 200+ miles to the closest MB dealership in the state that "actually" works on Sprinters to have the A/C compressor replaced since it was leaking. Surprisingly, They got it in within a few days. I drove up Sunday night and ended up in an ice storm that wasn't supposed to be here until Tuesday. They replaced the A/C compressor under warranty but I got stuck up there for 4 days (not MB's fault obviously). Was finally able to drive it home on Friday. Got home and the A/C compressor is leaking worse than it was before I went up there. I'm 99% sure they replaced the A/C compressor but can't be 100% sure. Now, it has to be flat bedded back to the dealership (once again 200 miles +) to have it replaced again since I'm not driving it back up there nor do I actually think it will make it up there. If the A/C compressor locks up, it will shred the serpentine belt and that will cause a whole host of other issues. I'm kind of like you. How do I know they "actually" do the things they said they did? You aren't back in the shop when the repairs are being made. Luckily all of this falls under warranty but it's still frustrating that I have to have the same service that I just had done last week all while being stuck up there for 4 days. Then only to find it is worse than when I took it in the first time. Saying all of that... They have been able to get me in both times within a few days instead of weeks to months in advance. And MB Roadside assistance has been great along with MBUSA. But I agree that MB service leaves something to be desired. I've actually marked my A/C compressor with my initials in a place that is hard to see. If it comes back with the same A/C compressor? We are going to have issues with them. I told them "do not send it back until it is fixed". We'll see how this goes. The van only has 2500 miles on it and it's already been in the shop twice now. Not a good start.
Ask that they RETURN the Replaced Parts. They should do that unless there is a CORE charge. It may be worth PAYING the core charge just so you have PROOF.
@@supermankent1041 That's a good idea but it's too late for that now. In fact, it's now on a flatbed traveling back up to the dealership I had the work done on it last week. I told them "do NOT send it back until you are sure it isn't leaking". So, we'll see what happens.
If it's cold enough for ice storms I'm confused on why you would need to run the A/C? I wouldn't think you would need to and you wouldn't have to worry about further damage happening from driving it back if you aren't running the A/C.
I live in Fort Collins and I am building a nice Sprinter campervan. I have had issues with both Loveland and Westminster. Like you... I wanted to use the dealer fo service so I could get a premium on the resale. I have resorted to doing the work myself or using a local guy. You can buy the German made Mann filters for half the price. I document everything and I send out oil samples to Blackstone Labs. It is what it is..... I feel better knowing my way around my own vehicle.
Service availability for the past few years has also been a major problem in the SF Bay Area (I'm in the North Bay). The Sprinter Service guy at the local dealer wouldn't even answer the phone and would not return calls. Only way to get service was to be towed in. I gave up and started to go to independent shops. Funny thing is I keep getting mailers from MB offering discounts on my next service at the local dealer. This may be one of the reasons that Transit Vans have become much more popular.
I really wish Ford would bring a diesel engine to the Transit/Transit Connect. I wouldn't even look at Mercedes for a diesel van if Ford offered diesel.
I found this a very balanced description of the difficulty of Sprinter ownership in Colorado, thank you. I own a 2011 Airstream Interstate/Sprinter 3500 and just had an emissions recall completed. The service writer stated that they are totally overwhelmed by the number of Sprinters VS the number of authorized MB service outlets. The recall was completed in a very professional manner and I do appreciate that, however the wait time to get the unit in was ridiculous.
Your post is spot on! Love my RV. The RV manufacturer is awesome when it comes to anything. My worst experiences have been with my local Mercedes-Benz Sprinter service center... Infamous no crank no start issue, replacing fuel pump with less than 12K miles on the odometer, sitting in their overflow lot for months with nobody touching the repair, swapping my custom license plate frame for their cheesy dealer frames, losing my front hood bug deflector, ... Things finally sorted out after they were on their 3rd service manager in 2 years.
Kyle, for basic service you can go to non-dealers, such as Branch Automotive, Merrill Automotive. These small automotive shops have years of experience with Sprinters.
thanks mercedes was taken off the my list in 2006 i went to local dealer to buy a car and i was buying a car on that saturday no sales man even approached me if they had i would have bought any car that i liked instead i ending up at the lexus dealer and bought a rx330 still have the car and it still runs like it did in 2006
THANK GOD SOMEONE DID THIS VIDEO. 100% Accurate as a fellow sprinter owner in Colorado. Had a 2017 before this when 4x4 sprinters were relatively rare. Totally different experience service wise. They are just totally overwhelmed. Sad. Also didn't mention registration costs. How many sprinters do I see running around Colorado with SD plates.
Thanks so much, my most expensive car I've ever owned was a 2002 C300 where every single window lift, a handful of sub assemblies as well as large suspension components all went out. Every quarter that red light would go on and it would be $1200-1800. Thanks for this video as I was vacillating between the Ford Transit and the Sprinter. There are 2966 ford dealerships nationwide as opposed to 383 MBZ dealers. Enough said.
Kyle good morning I do own a Mercedes as well and did put up with the Mercedes dealer BS while me vehicle was under Mercedes ‘free’ pre paid service. As soon as that was over I found an independent Mercedes certified mechanic has done all scheduled maintenance for the last 100,000 miles. The cost we still pay outrageous price for Mercedes parts but the labor costs are half the dealer price.
Same experience. Had a problem with our 4x4 while on the road in winter. Called every single Mercedes dealer in Colorado and was told they can see it in 6 months. We were traveling in this van and live in Florida and they offer to look at the van in 6 months. It can’t get more ridiculous. Never have problems with our dealer in Florida though.
One of my friend's parents had talked about selling their house and buying an RV to travel the US and just live in it for the rest of their lives and I just thought to myself, what are you going to do when it breaks down in some random state? Stay in a hotel for weeks? But hell, 6 months would be insane to wait around for it to even be looked at.
I had a good experience at MB of Tacoma. Yes, oil change was $350 but I got my recall work all taken care of, and they cross-pinned the radio speakers which really improves the "1975 transistor radio in a tin can" sound found on stock Sprinter sound systems. There is a huge wait right now due to the recalls and stop sale on on dealer/RV dealer MB chassis that have the "park" issue. Once that gets cleared out, it should get better.
That dealership may be decent on the service side, but the ownership is TERRIBLE. They charge $20k over MSRP for 4x4 (now AWD) vans. I’ll never give them any business.
This is why I’m waiting for the new Ford off-road ready van to become widely available. Lots more Ford dealerships and the parts should be cheaper too.
Classic. Watched your video and then I recognized MY Sprinter in the background while yours was in the shop (the black one). I waited +6 months for that appointment...and then it was back in multiple times to resolve an EGR valve issue....with cleaning, b/c they can't get a replacement. I couldn't agree more with your assessment. Front Range dealers are underwater. It's absurd. Great vehicle...if you have others in your garage to rely on.
I have an '05 2500 Sprinter, bought new, that was my work truck until I retired. 110,000 miles on it. Had intake manifold pressure sensor changed under warranty. Also put a new EGR valve in myself (very simple). Always have done my own oil and filter changes. Just changed out the coolant which was good for 15 yrs ( I ran it 19 yrs). The OM-647 2.7 liter 5 cylinder turbo diesel is the most reliable motor they ever made, and often goes over 500,000 miles no problem. Still runs like new.
I cannot stress enough to not do your own maintenance on a sprinter. I do my own maintenance on all of my vehicles. Did one on my sprinter 3500 (not easy), Oil filter gasket slipped after about 2000 miles and ruined the engine. Cost me $27,000 for a replacement engine. Not worth the risk.
yep. Exactly why the Ford Transit platform is the go to platform. In Colorado, there are plenty of Ford dealers. Been saying for years that it is foolish to buy Mercedes diesel camper van because barely anyone works on them. Finally, Ford has beefed up their Van Transit platform for Camper van use. Also, the average guy only knows how to work on gas engines too. Maintenance is expensive on diesel engines too
@Kyle Conner *Do you have a Freightliner dealer in your area? If so they SERVICE your Sprinter van as well!* They are an authorized Sprinter service center and dealer under the Freightliner name.
Kyle, I'm curious if you got the MB maintenance schedule in the glove box when you took delivery from Winnebago and what the ACTUAL schedule B is per MB, not what the dealership says it is. Every time I compare a manufacturer schedule to the one at the dealership there is always more things on the dealership schedule for more money of course. Could be an interesting video to share with us if drastically different. 2nd thing, saw that there was a battery replacement on the service invoice. Shouldn't that have been covered under warranty due to the vehicle being only 2 years old?
I have found this with almost every brands dealers, It gets really annoying. They always add on a few things that aren't included on the maintenance schedule but then omit things that must be more time consuming like brake, transmission, and differential fluid services.
Couldn’t agree more! I live in Castle Rock and have a Storyteller Stealth Mode van. The service here is ridiculous. Took 2 months to get a simple appointment.
Unlike Tesla, you are likely better off with an independent Sprinter specialist who will give you more competitive prices and faster turnaround. In Colorado there are many independents for Sprinters such as (in no order of recommendation) The Shop Boulder, Big Van Repair Denver, MB Clinic Denver, Sprinter Benz Service Brighton, Kleemann Colorado Springs, Hoover Mercedes Parker, Colorado Fleetworks of Commerce City
I got an oil change for my Subaru Outback at the dealer within two hours, no appointment, $74. Then I loaded my tent, camping gear, food, bike, and drove to AZ from LOCO. Was thinking about a camper van, but at 70 I'll stick to the KISS Principle. If I did anything to change my system, it would be a Toyota Tundra with slide in camper.
Service A and B mean diddly squat to me if done by Franchise dealerships around the country. The top reason is what you mentioned about service availability due to the lack of technicians to do the service. Do-overs rarely happen as they should when the least experienced techs' work orders are above their pay grade. The good, better, best choice of traps for the dealer's customers is fudging by the differences in what the owners' manuals recommendations say in print. Just follow the manual when dealing with certain dealers. They are not all the same. Franchise dealers pay techs less and they make more glaring mistakes overall, more so than other shops like independent german wrenchers and foreign car shops that can do warranty work approved by MB.
This was the case with almost all Kia dealers. My car was mostly great, but the service really let the car down from an ownership perspective. These companies need to realize that their repeat business doesn’t just rely on making a good car!
After Kia had the whole steering column / USB cable hack thing, I cannot recommend that anyone ever buys a Kia. There are places in the US where gangs of hoodlums specifically break into Kias because they are so easy to steal. No thanks!
They have issues with the sales too from what I've heard. They're still stuck on the sub-prime lender mindset and not used to a higher class of customer even though they sell $50k+ SUV's. One person said they had sold their previous SUV and had $45k in cash and told the finance guy that they wanted to put $45k down and finance the rest and the guy was like "do you mean $4,500?"
My son-in-law was training to be a car mechanic (ASE Certification). He told me that he would not recommend buying a Mercedes-Benz or a BMW, unless you want to be on a first-name basis with your mechanic. Sounds like he wasn't exaggerating.
Hi. Thanks for sharing! It's not just the Sprinters! I own a Mercedes E350 and have had the worst experience ever with maintenance/service in Florida! (Pre and Post Pandemic): 1) The dealership is ALWAYS behind, like 3 or 4 weeks; 2) They usually have NO loaner vehicles available anymore; and 3) I live 30+ miles from the dealer, which means their shuttle won't pick me up to and from the dealer because they only go 20 miles out. Therefore, I will not be purchasing another Mercedes. I've owned two now, but their maintenance experience sucks now, and I am so inconvenienced it's not even funny! I will be purchasing an EV :) - not a Mercedes
I forget the name, but there is a guy with a repair shop in Golden, who specializes in sprinters. (I don’t know where you are, you could be 5 hours away) I rolled in there on a cross country trip - recommended by a truck repair shop - I had a hole in my intercooler air intake hose. Took it in immediately, replaced both in and out hoses from the intercooler, and found a couple of other things that needed help. I was out, just after lunch.
LinDen Automotive - I'm sure this is the shop and guy you are referring to. He's talked about very highly on all of the sprinter forums. My biggest worry while traveling in our sprinter out West is running into an issue in CO. Even though with the AEM warranty, a month lead would kill our travel plans.
My buddy has a 2017 4x4 sprinter, $5000 a year in maintenance since owning. Last service he went to Albuquerque (he lives in steamboat springs). I did his buildout, I have a ford transit on order that I had originally looked at a sprinter. May not last as long but cost of ownership is going to be cheaper.
YEP that's what owning a Sprinter is all about. I always do my own maintenance and know its done right. They did give you a great price on the 13 quarts of 229.52 Oil....I usually pay about $10 a liter. All the other prices are about double retail. If you want a good MB dealer try MB of Albuquerque about 500 miles south of you. They have a dedicated Sprinter service building and I was able to have them do some warranty work on a weeks notice. As far as dealers I would say they are reasonable and know their stuff. Once I went to the MB dealer in Calabasas, CA for a TPS unit and they "only" charged me $209 with a 10 % off deal....That was just the sensor not installed.... You can buy the MB sensor from online Dealers for about $80 or less. Many MB and BMW dealers charge 200% on retail sales. That pays for the espresso machine.
Been there done that, had 2009 Dodge RAM 3500 6.7 diesel, was due for it 24K KM service, the dealer in Gibsons BC quote me $1900.00, went through an extensive list of fluid change in transfer case et, etc.. So I drove the Penticton where that Dodge dealer sold more heavy duty RAM than others (including a busy service department), quote me $190.00 for oil change and some other key points that were needed. Goes to show you there are lots of dealers ready to hose you.
I love my 2007 sprinter. No DEF additive needed. I also found my own mechanic in san diego that makes it affordable to maintain it. V6 diesel is awesome.
I work for an independent workshop and if customers are worried about their warranty on vehicles we will advise them to buy their parts from the local dealership and keep the bill of sale not only for their records but also of any warranty issues then they can go back and say 'no I purchased all OEM filters and oils from the manufacturer' if theres any problems down the line. The US may work differently from the UK (where I am) but we've had to do warranty claims on engine failures and not had problems in this situation with OEM oils and filters, the issue comes when you use aftermarket filters and oils from places like (for example) Napa and Autozone. Even if you do it DIY over here the OE or extended warranties are pretty good as long as you can provide proof of mileage and bill of sale of the parts and it will cost about between a quarter to a third of the price to DIY than go to a dealership
We have the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act here in the U.S. The implications are too long to list here, but in a nutshell as long as your vehicle is serviced by yourself or a certified mechanic the burden of proof lies on the warranty provider provided you used the proper part for your vehicle OEM or not.
I requested a tire rotation with my B service. It was desperately needed plus the MB dealer said it was included. I pick up my van and no rotation. (I always mark my tires.) Once I challenged them, the techs said they measured my tread and no rotation was needed. I had well over 10,000 miles since my last rotation so I call BS. I like for MB to rotate the tires because a lot of tire places don't know how and where to lift a Sprinter without damaging the frame.
Hello. This is a year after you posted your review. It hasn’t gotten much better in a year! This is my second Mercedes sprinter. Prior to the pandemic service was able to be completed with a week or two advance reservation. The cost of an oil change has gotten ridiculously expensive. I live in Seattle WA.
The absolutely terrible dealership experience these days (mark ups, bad customer service, long service wait times, etc) for pretty much any dealer has convinced me that it's not worth buying a new car anymore. I will wait for a quality used one and avoid the value drop when it is driven off the lot for the first time, and just do the services myself. I actually just picked up a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder 4WD with 70k miles on it and plan on keeping it for a while.
@jTube571 Bingo, the fact is that most every car manufacturer in the USA has terrible, or non-existent competent service for the past few years now. Heck even the independent shops in the USA lately have been getting worse and worse. BOTTOM LINE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY!
Dealer network and service availability is not just isolated to CO. Very common across the US from our experience. But back in 2019 Westminster got us in and out on a Friday morning with a DEF line fix. But since vans have become the new RVs things have definitely changed for the worse.
A VERY important consideration; thanks! It hits close to home for another reason: I have a 1987 BMW K75 motorcycle. NO BMW dealership will work on it; NOT even tire changes or oil changes. And that factor alone has me pissed off at BMW; had I known that prior I wouldn't have bought the brand!!! Talk about a need for Consumer protections: I suggest that ANY dealer flying that logo....HAS to provide service to all models flying that brand name. ps: it's NOT just Colorado; this is a nationwide service issue....and Mercedes DOES NOT care!!
I have a 2018 Pleasureway Ascent on a 2017 2500 chassis, 2WD. The chassis has been serviced exclusively at the Loveland Mercedes dealer. Other than the post pandemic wait times, I’ve been very satisfied with the service. Warranty service has been minimal-a software update and the backup camera replaced. Early on I had an engine block heater installed. I had the front end aligned. My only beef was the cost of windshield wipers, which they reduced to wholesale when I complained. I’ve spent time in the Loveland showroom and talked with salesmen. I haven’t seen any indication of over-pricing their cars beyond sticker. Sorry your experience has been poor, but mine hasn’t been.
Realize this is not apples to apples, but we had the exact same experience here in Kentucky with Mercedes of Louisville, except we were on the regular MB side, not sprinter. Starting in 2019, between my mom, myself and my partner we purchased 4 brand new vehicles from them. My mom has driven one since 2001, so we were all very familiar with dealer service A, B, etc… and this dealer completely dropped the ball. Confusing service intervals not in line with MB recs, totally inept service advisors and schedulers and border-line lemon vehicles. My partner’s C300 would regularly die at random intervals while driving and take excessively long (30 sec+ long crank) to start. They refused to even diagnose the issue even with videos, and even had it repeat the issue while bringing us the car back from service. Their solution - “only use Exxon Mobil premium gas,” and scolded us for not driving 35 min out of town just to fill up. I called him out on it and he swore that no other is MB certified” 😂. I laughed in his face and asked why they filled all their cars up at the speedway on the corner and he said that it was the same as Exxon. Naturally, we sold all 3 vehicles within a couple months after that. I’m in a Jeep Gladiator now, my partner in a Volvo. It’s a great brand but the dealer can absolutely make it or break it unfortunately.
There is a reason we have referred to dealers as "stealers" for years. The local MBZ dealer had an EQC (orS) at an electric car expo locally & they had a $125,000 "dealer add on". We bought a Bolt new in 2017 7 I realized the dealer & salesmen didn't know squat about the Bolt. I like the Sprinter but seeing what goes on as 'service' there is no way I'd buy one. I think I'd find an old Grumman commercial van & convert it to what I wanted. I also hate not being able to watch my vehicle being worked on. That's the reason the things I am not equipped to do, I take my vehicles to an independent shop. I generally have low trust in dealerships. Any dealership.
First, I applaud you efforts to keep your vehicle maintained and very much appreciate the heads up on the extended wait times. Like you said, do some pre planning and schedule ahead. Second, regarding the low coolant, I agree, in todays work environment, good quality control is something that has gone by the wayside in most industries; for now inspect what you expect. Lastly, this was super helpful in my camper van research. I’m debating between the Sprinter 4x4 which as I understand is not being produced anymore, and an all wheel drive Sprinter/Promaster/Transit. Of them all, I still love the Sprinter for its looks.
I’m sure you know Kyle but for the back yard mechanics the Sprinter uses something like 13 quarts of oil. So when you go to drain it make sure you have an oil pan that can hold 13+ quarts of oil. I had thought about changing the oil myself but took it to the dealership instead but if I had that would have been a bad day for me.
I have a 2020 and i buy the OIL and FILTER and Crush washer and take it to a Oil change place that I hove used for years. last time I paid them $35 to keep my hands clean and not deal with the oil disposal. I not know the price Post Covid. it also saves Time.
Same for Wyoming!!! Your choice is Salt Lake City. Draper was horrible, Warner, I have stories to share. Missoula, MT has awful reputation. People I know up there drive to SLC. I have 1000 mile drive to Boise and they are doing you a favor. In October they told me I needed new rotors. I come back in July and they tell me rotors are fine and maybe I had them fixed and I just forgot or Im driving some well it's all good. I dont know where else to go.
So sorry you are having troubles finding a good dealer. I'm in Minnesota, and Mercedes dealers here are outrageous!! They ripe you off so bad. We looked around forever and finally found a mechanic that deals with only fleet vehicles, so he works with Amazon, Fed Ex, other delivery vans, etc... and he is about 1/4-1/3 of the cost for anything we do. So... check around for any fleet mechanic.
You bring up a good point about car maintenance. If MB might not have the right technician for their electric fleet, what are other dealerships such as Ford GM Chevy saying about the electric vehicle maintenance? Do they have the right in-house technicians?
So true. Same dealer. None of the service people seem to have a clue about service for the sprinters. And way expensive! Consider yourself very lucky to get someone on the phone. Good to know about the Saturday oil changes. Most software updates we get is happens over the air… will have to try to call them!
And they had ours for weeks without looking at it. After waiting six months for the appointment. The turnover in techs and service people is a bad sign of how the places are run.
The pandemic hit my local MB dealer hard here in CT. Seems they have a shortage of mechanics resulting in a 1-2 months lead time for scheduled service. Re cost, they shockingly have become a bit negotiable, often offering 10% discount (when asked) or coming up with a coupon or special that brings down the price a bit. I think you were telegraphing the dynamic that underlies the very pricey service - MB owners have already bought in to paying a premium for their vehicles, so accepting the hosing on service is not a big leap!
He said in the video that he doesn't believe they work because they just make the car give you full throttle without having to physically fully press the throttle and he was putting the throttle to the floor and it wouldn't move.
I saw another video a few days ago about the new Sprinter that has a two litre turbodiesel but is actually far better at pickup and acceleration, even in Colorado at high elevation. ruclips.net/video/C5MqBv3tN68/видео.html
Not sure if you're aware but it's a commercial vehicle. Service intervals are longer because these vehicles need to be on the road with minimal downtime. And yes, they all get flogged hard but they can take the abuse.
Relationships....here in Texas , Houston to be exact i do not call the appointment line...i deal with 1 person..the sprinter advisor and he always works it in.....using my sprinter as a business i will not leave more than 2 days.....sry for your experience
@alejandrohagad628 i have never driven a Ford.....chevy , dodge and Mercedes yes.....in colorado a 4x4 Mercedes is top notch but very expensive (on initial cost and maintenance) the only gripe is the crosswind bs Mercedes has.....it's a great vehicle and comfortable to drive and live in.....best of luck.....
Amen to walk away Kyle! Plus, what really grinds my gears is the money goes to the dealership. None of it is going toward the manufacturer (or coachbuilder) as a reward for getting the market right.
This is not new. It's an amazing van when everything works. It's also quite complex, especially the diesel. I am very much leaning to the Pentastar Promaster. Very DIY friendly.
I have had a Promaster since 2017 and have don’t most all the work on my own. Changed lifters rockers, serp belt, radiator , spark plugs, oil, tranny fluid, etc and yes you can get some stuff done but a lot of it is a pain in the ass. The motor is sideways (fwd) so half the motor is almost impossible to get to, you are working blind in very small spaces, but I was able to get stuff done so far. Too much plastic parts too in places where they should be metal. It hasn’t been a horrible van, it gets down the road. My biggest complaint though is that the seats are incredibly uncomfortable ( In think the new ones are better) hope this helps
Weird, I didn't have any issues scheduling a service with just a few days of heads up here in Seattle. Ps: oil change is extremely straightforward on sprinters, there's really no need to pay 400-500.
Kyle, this is super upsetting, but I am a kind and generous man. I’ll take the car off you because I really need one of these as a surf expedition vehicle. When do you want me to come over to get the keys?
Buy AdBlue from VW dealerships. I discovered that the local MB Service Center sold AdBlue for $40 for 2.5 gals. The VW dealer sold that same amount for $16.
Taxis in Germany are mainly MB diesels, whether you call them CDI or Bluetec, and they just keep going and going. You see less and less of these newer diesels in U.S. because Americans don't know who to maintain and fix these vehicles correctly.
And that's why I bought a T1N. Paid $4700 and yes, there's more rust to keep an eye on/repair, but it's WAY easier to work on or get independent shops to work on it. Seeing as this is like a $130k+ van, it would be super annoying that you're forced to use the predatory MB dealerships. For the price of a few fluid services, you can just get a whole van that's older, but might as well invest $$$ into that, then some new hunk of DEF fluid electronic garbage that might leave you stranded for months on end.
In the midwest and our MD dealer has a four month wait for service. Thankfully our dealer isn't going for broke on pricing of cars, new or used; I can't imagine paying $50K+ over for a car!
That suck man. Our 2016 170” WB sprinter has been great! The dealership here in Fort Wayne is great and has always treated me well and has a full time Sprinter tech. Maybe it’s the area, but our Volvo dealership has been really great with our XC40 Recharge, when its on board chargers died. I’ve changed my own oil, rotated my tires once because Costco couldn’t lift it off the ground without almost tipping it over. I’ve mentioned this once before Kyle. Get your oil analyzed done by proper oil analysis place. Blackstone Labs have done all my oil analysis for the van. So worth the peace of mind, knowing the actual status of your engine and oil. I changed the oil at first 10,000 miles and the oil analysis came back with tons of life left. Second was 20,000 miles later and the analysis came back all good. They said I could probably go further on that oil, but 20,000 miles is plenty for me. Every oil change since, three more oil changes, engine is @ 90,000 miles now, the oil and engine are showing no degradation or unusual wear. It’s been to Alaska, Southern California, Sanibel island, White Plains New York and many places in between.
As others have stated, the product is greatly diminished in value in the eyes of the consumer by a poor customer service / ownership experience. Luxury vehicles demand luxury service. I wonder if there will be any response to this video from MB - dealers or corporate. As for the two service techs who stated electric cars had the same service schedule, that could also be blatant stupidity on their part. But it could very well be a total money grab by the dealer and I wouldn’t be surprised. At all.
Test drive the awd Ford Transit RV. Others have compared it to the Mercedes Sprinter Winnebago and favored the Ford. Same problems with dealers and just finding anyone that services the Sprinter. They recommended Freightliner dealers as an option. Power, more interior height and handling were better with the Transit.
Not so much a comment but question. Sprinter was assembled by and sold in this country by the Daimler subsidiary Freightliner. Could you go to them for service?
Well we certainly appreciate you giving us a heads up about Mercedes sprinter van experience. Yes I found a Mercedes sprinter and everything you do at the dealer is ultra expensive. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely loved my sprinter Winnebago era, but there always was a light on on the dash, check engine light of course. Trying to get an appointment at any dealer was like trying to pull teeth. Are you serious a couple of months to get a service appointment to change the oil. No thank you. Yes it’s very important that you change the oil more frequently especially when off road and getting out of situations where it is hard on the motor transmission and brake fluid. I absolutely agree on changing your oil every 10,000 miles on these sprinters. Every breakdown I have ever seen on a Engine has been from the oil sludge in the motors. Changing the oil , and the oil filters are cheap compared to a new engine. On my personal car it gets changed every six months are 5000 miles.
Yep you're never going to use that to its full extent going to be in a campground in somebody is going to steal everything off of the outside of it but you know a fool and his money... it's nice to look out of your kitchen window and see it sitting in your parking spot though.... the first thing I do before I buy a vehicle is check the replacement headlight value because I grew up in the world and headlights we're fifteen bucks but when I first started driving a replacement headlight was $5.99
I probably have 4 Mercedes dealers around me here in Orange County California but none of them service sprinter van but there is lots of private mechanic that will service sprinter with better price than dealerships.
All dealerships have computer generated "complimentary" multi-point inspection reports, which they inspect nothing but try to generate problems out of no problems. MB offered me $2K cash for me to come in for their Bluetec emission recall, I refused because once I am in their trap, there will be a $20K bill waiting for me on the road.
Did you decided to sell your Revel? Also wondering if you checked out VanWorks? They are a local FoCo van builder, great shop, cool vans, simpler than the Revel, way lighter build might help with performance. Thanks for the info, leans me towards a slide in truck bed camper :)
Hopefully one of those people able to pay MB prices also happens to be a lawyer and sues MB. Essentially the warranty is not being honored due to appointment unavailability.
Just have to vent about my new Model 3. After 2 weeks of ownership, it bricked itself while charging. I consulted the troubleshooting and jump started the 12 volt battery. The next day it bricked itself again. Both were at about 85% SOC with it set to 100%. It stopped charging then the 12 volt drained in a few minutes and the car ran out of juice. I had it towed to the service center 1.5 hours away and it’s been there for 2 weeks. They did give me a loaner so I’m happy to at least have transportation and the people we have dealt with have been sympathetic. The app is telling me it won’t be ready until April 3. I ended up sending 2 letters to Tesla. One to opt out of arbitration and the other as a notice about the defect and my expectations (a formal necessity in the event of a lemon law case). It appears that the issue is related to high voltage isolation.
Makes no difference here in UK going to merc dealer or independent. And 236 usd for a fuel filteris pure bullshit. Service B about £300. Get the auto gearbox serviced as recommended. Again about £300 here in UK. Do you have the 2.1 twin turbo diesel?
Good to know. I live in CO and would like to buy the same model you have...but only if I move out of Colorado. I can't afford a $200k van *AND* still live in Colorado. :P
loveland and westminster are sister stores. exactly the same. at the dealers sprinter owners are 2nd class citizens. BTW, that $200 filter is $60 on amazon.
My third new Sprinter since 2017. Southern OR / Northern CA. Horrible service calendar and prices. One tech for hundreds of sq miles. $4,005.00 for my 40,000 service on current 4x4 170”.
I recently took my Mercedes to the Westminster dealership for a oil change. The vehicle only had 4200 miles on it and I took it in because the dashboard said it needed. It’s a service I expected to do a oil change and pay maybe $200 I got a bill handed to me for 1300+ I cannot believe it. I thought it was some type of a mistake. I would have to pay that much for a vehicle that has 4200 miles on it I feel your pain 13:21
Dealership service is generally horrible across the board in most places now with very few exceptions. I have experienced bad service from multiple BMW dealers here in NJ. Mazda being an exception. I don't expect MB service to be much better here.
Ditto from So Cal. Starts with the so-called Service Advisors...clueless. We have had our 2012 GL 350 (V6 Bluetec) since new and after 3 years with the Dealer, switched to infinitely more competent service from a local Independent. In the years of Dealer service invariably returned next day for something missed...to include "wrong bolt installed in re-assembly"...how is that even possible in any shop this side of Bangladesh? Love the SUV...never experienced your drive-ablity problems...strange.
Learn to do your own. There isn’t much that is tough or complicated on these. I have done my own maintenance on my Sprinter for a number of years due to what you experienced.
It’s pretty is to actually. Especially if you’re over 6ft tall. A Promaster is too tight. Transit vans are more roomy but not sure I trust the ecoboost for more than 125k on a 9k plus pound van it’s gonna be under boost sooo much. My sprinter is a joy to drive - and reliable.
@@JohnSeitz But this engine isn't exactly performing? And, what's the cost of a new Ecoboost, fitted? Less than the list price difference plus the extra service costs? . (That's if it fails out of warranty)
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This is in a Honda dealer here inAlberta, Canada. I left once my spare tire inflated to a low PSI on purpose before coming in for basic service. sure enough they gave me the service report back with everything in green, INCLUDING 'complementary' multipoint inspection... I told them .. are you sure you refilled ALL my tires to spec including spares? yep, all good sir. we did!. gues waht? ... they didn't ... and so I starting doubting of the such multipoint inpsection marketing bs... probably they do some... but not all of them.... be careful out there.
Solid comment
Good news is that if you wanted to open your own shop, the bar is really low.
2020 Ford Transit owner that considered a Sprinter. 3 years and 40k miles. $120 in maintenance and no service issues. Ecoboost AWD rocks!
You really should change the oil, oil filter and air filter (at 40k miles you wouldve had to do this a couple times). If you're getting all of that for $120 then please share your sources!
I can feel a RateMyDealer coming up very soon ;) You're right, it's often a hit or miss situation, and that shouldn't be the case if they have good QC. That will benefit both the customer and the performance of the dealership.
I'm surprised this isn't a thing already.
Lol I’ll go make this website right now.
@@davidbaker9943 Oh my word what have I done?! 😂
Justadude, The problem is the Mercedes dealer has a attitude of "If you want service you can come to us, or take a hike" and they seem to not care if you do either one.
It's not just Colorado my friend. I have a 4WD converted 2022 MB Sprinter. I had an appointment last Monday (1/30/23) I drove 200+ miles to the closest MB dealership in the state that "actually" works on Sprinters to have the A/C compressor replaced since it was leaking. Surprisingly, They got it in within a few days. I drove up Sunday night and ended up in an ice storm that wasn't supposed to be here until Tuesday. They replaced the A/C compressor under warranty but I got stuck up there for 4 days (not MB's fault obviously). Was finally able to drive it home on Friday. Got home and the A/C compressor is leaking worse than it was before I went up there. I'm 99% sure they replaced the A/C compressor but can't be 100% sure. Now, it has to be flat bedded back to the dealership (once again 200 miles +) to have it replaced again since I'm not driving it back up there nor do I actually think it will make it up there. If the A/C compressor locks up, it will shred the serpentine belt and that will cause a whole host of other issues. I'm kind of like you. How do I know they "actually" do the things they said they did? You aren't back in the shop when the repairs are being made. Luckily all of this falls under warranty but it's still frustrating that I have to have the same service that I just had done last week all while being stuck up there for 4 days. Then only to find it is worse than when I took it in the first time.
Saying all of that... They have been able to get me in both times within a few days instead of weeks to months in advance. And MB Roadside assistance has been great along with MBUSA. But I agree that MB service leaves something to be desired. I've actually marked my A/C compressor with my initials in a place that is hard to see. If it comes back with the same A/C compressor? We are going to have issues with them. I told them "do not send it back until it is fixed". We'll see how this goes. The van only has 2500 miles on it and it's already been in the shop twice now. Not a good start.
Ask that they RETURN the Replaced Parts. They should do that unless there is a CORE charge. It may be worth PAYING the core charge just so you have PROOF.
@@supermankent1041 That's a good idea but it's too late for that now. In fact, it's now on a flatbed traveling back up to the dealership I had the work done on it last week. I told them "do NOT send it back until you are sure it isn't leaking". So, we'll see what happens.
If it's cold enough for ice storms I'm confused on why you would need to run the A/C? I wouldn't think you would need to and you wouldn't have to worry about further damage happening from driving it back if you aren't running the A/C.
I live in Fort Collins and I am building a nice Sprinter campervan. I have had issues with both Loveland and Westminster. Like you... I wanted to use the dealer fo service so I could get a premium on the resale. I have resorted to doing the work myself or using a local guy. You can buy the German made Mann filters for half the price. I document everything and I send out oil samples to Blackstone Labs. It is what it is..... I feel better knowing my way around my own vehicle.
Service availability for the past few years has also been a major problem in the SF Bay Area (I'm in the North Bay). The Sprinter Service guy at the local dealer wouldn't even answer the phone and would not return calls. Only way to get service was to be towed in. I gave up and started to go to independent shops. Funny thing is I keep getting mailers from MB offering discounts on my next service at the local dealer. This may be one of the reasons that Transit Vans have become much more popular.
I really wish Ford would bring a diesel engine to the Transit/Transit Connect. I wouldn't even look at Mercedes for a diesel van if Ford offered diesel.
I found this a very balanced description of the difficulty of Sprinter ownership in Colorado, thank you. I own a 2011 Airstream Interstate/Sprinter 3500 and just had an emissions recall completed. The service writer stated that they are totally overwhelmed by the number of Sprinters VS the number of authorized MB service outlets. The recall was completed in a very professional manner and I do appreciate that, however the wait time to get the unit in was ridiculous.
Your post is spot on! Love my RV. The RV manufacturer is awesome when it comes to anything. My worst experiences have been with my local Mercedes-Benz Sprinter service center... Infamous no crank no start issue, replacing fuel pump with less than 12K miles on the odometer, sitting in their overflow lot for months with nobody touching the repair, swapping my custom license plate frame for their cheesy dealer frames, losing my front hood bug deflector, ... Things finally sorted out after they were on their 3rd service manager in 2 years.
My thoughts exactly at the end. I was thinking the whole time I would bet money they didn’t check half the stuff on that list. That’s so sad.
This is why I went with the Storyteller LT (Ford Transit version) instead of the Classic MODE. I am so glad I did.
Wise choice
Kyle, for basic service you can go to non-dealers, such as Branch Automotive, Merrill Automotive. These small automotive shops have years of experience with Sprinters.
thanks mercedes was taken off the my list in 2006 i went to local dealer to buy a car and i was buying a car on that saturday no sales man even approached me if they had i would have bought any car that i liked instead i ending up at the lexus dealer and bought a rx330 still have the car and it still runs like it did in 2006
THANK GOD SOMEONE DID THIS VIDEO. 100% Accurate as a fellow sprinter owner in Colorado. Had a 2017 before this when 4x4 sprinters were relatively rare. Totally different experience service wise. They are just totally overwhelmed. Sad. Also didn't mention registration costs. How many sprinters do I see running around Colorado with SD plates.
Thanks so much, my most expensive car I've ever owned was a 2002 C300 where every single window lift, a handful of sub assemblies as well as large suspension components all went out. Every quarter that red light would go on and it would be $1200-1800. Thanks for this video as I was vacillating between the Ford Transit and the Sprinter. There are 2966 ford dealerships nationwide as opposed to 383 MBZ dealers. Enough said.
Kyle good morning I do own a Mercedes as well and did put up with the Mercedes dealer BS while me vehicle was under Mercedes ‘free’ pre paid service. As soon as that was over I found an independent Mercedes certified mechanic has done all scheduled maintenance for the last 100,000 miles. The cost we still pay outrageous price for Mercedes parts but the labor costs are half the dealer price.
Same experience. Had a problem with our 4x4 while on the road in winter. Called every single Mercedes dealer in Colorado and was told they can see it in 6 months. We were traveling in this van and live in Florida and they offer to look at the van in 6 months. It can’t get more ridiculous. Never have problems with our dealer in Florida though.
One of my friend's parents had talked about selling their house and buying an RV to travel the US and just live in it for the rest of their lives and I just thought to myself, what are you going to do when it breaks down in some random state? Stay in a hotel for weeks? But hell, 6 months would be insane to wait around for it to even be looked at.
I had a good experience at MB of Tacoma. Yes, oil change was $350 but I got my recall work all taken care of, and they cross-pinned the radio speakers which really improves the "1975 transistor radio in a tin can" sound found on stock Sprinter sound systems. There is a huge wait right now due to the recalls and stop sale on on dealer/RV dealer MB chassis that have the "park" issue. Once that gets cleared out, it should get better.
That dealership may be decent on the service side, but the ownership is TERRIBLE. They charge $20k over MSRP for 4x4 (now AWD) vans. I’ll never give them any business.
Dude has $300k in the driveway of a $400k house. Great video with real experience
This is why I’m waiting for the new Ford off-road ready van to become widely available. Lots more Ford dealerships and the parts should be cheaper too.
Thumbs up for exposing the evil in the car industry! Pure evil, greed. We call them "stealerships!"
Classic. Watched your video and then I recognized MY Sprinter in the background while yours was in the shop (the black one). I waited +6 months for that appointment...and then it was back in multiple times to resolve an EGR valve issue....with cleaning, b/c they can't get a replacement. I couldn't agree more with your assessment. Front Range dealers are underwater. It's absurd. Great vehicle...if you have others in your garage to rely on.
I have an '05 2500 Sprinter, bought new, that was my work truck until I retired. 110,000 miles on it. Had intake manifold pressure sensor changed under warranty. Also put a new EGR valve in myself (very simple). Always have done my own oil and filter changes. Just changed out the coolant which was good for 15 yrs ( I ran it 19 yrs). The OM-647 2.7 liter 5 cylinder turbo diesel is the most reliable motor they ever made, and often goes over 500,000 miles no problem. Still runs like new.
I cannot stress enough to not do your own maintenance on a sprinter. I do my own maintenance on all of my vehicles. Did one on my sprinter 3500 (not easy), Oil filter gasket slipped after about 2000 miles and ruined the engine. Cost me $27,000 for a replacement engine. Not worth the risk.
yep. Exactly why the Ford Transit platform is the go to platform. In Colorado, there are plenty of Ford dealers. Been saying for years that it is foolish to buy Mercedes diesel camper van because barely anyone works on them. Finally, Ford has beefed up their Van Transit platform for Camper van use. Also, the average guy only knows how to work on gas engines too. Maintenance is expensive on diesel engines too
@Kyle Conner
*Do you have a Freightliner dealer in your area? If so they SERVICE your Sprinter van as well!* They are an authorized Sprinter service center and dealer under the Freightliner name.
Kyle,
I'm curious if you got the MB maintenance schedule in the glove box when you took delivery from Winnebago and what the ACTUAL schedule B is per MB, not what the dealership says it is. Every time I compare a manufacturer schedule to the one at the dealership there is always more things on the dealership schedule for more money of course. Could be an interesting video to share with us if drastically different.
2nd thing, saw that there was a battery replacement on the service invoice. Shouldn't that have been covered under warranty due to the vehicle being only 2 years old?
I have found this with almost every brands dealers, It gets really annoying. They always add on a few things that aren't included on the maintenance schedule but then omit things that must be more time consuming like brake, transmission, and differential fluid services.
Couldn’t agree more! I live in Castle Rock and have a Storyteller Stealth Mode van. The service here is ridiculous. Took 2 months to get a simple appointment.
Unlike Tesla, you are likely better off with an independent Sprinter specialist who will give you more competitive prices and faster turnaround. In Colorado there are many independents for Sprinters such as (in no order of recommendation) The Shop Boulder, Big Van Repair Denver, MB Clinic Denver, Sprinter Benz Service Brighton, Kleemann Colorado Springs, Hoover Mercedes Parker, Colorado Fleetworks of Commerce City
I got an oil change for my Subaru Outback at the dealer within two hours, no appointment, $74. Then I loaded my tent, camping gear, food, bike, and drove to AZ from LOCO. Was thinking about a camper van, but at 70 I'll stick to the KISS Principle. If I did anything to change my system, it would be a Toyota Tundra with slide in camper.
Service A and B mean diddly squat to me if done by Franchise dealerships around the country. The top reason is what you mentioned about service availability due to the lack of technicians to do the service. Do-overs rarely happen as they should when the least experienced techs' work orders are above their pay grade. The good, better, best choice of traps for the dealer's customers is fudging by the differences in what the owners' manuals recommendations say in print. Just follow the manual when dealing with certain dealers. They are not all the same. Franchise dealers pay techs less and they make more glaring mistakes overall, more so than other shops like independent german wrenchers and foreign car shops that can do warranty work approved by MB.
This was the case with almost all Kia dealers. My car was mostly great, but the service really let the car down from an ownership perspective. These companies need to realize that their repeat business doesn’t just rely on making a good car!
After Kia had the whole steering column / USB cable hack thing, I cannot recommend that anyone ever buys a Kia. There are places in the US where gangs of hoodlums specifically break into Kias because they are so easy to steal. No thanks!
They have issues with the sales too from what I've heard. They're still stuck on the sub-prime lender mindset and not used to a higher class of customer even though they sell $50k+ SUV's. One person said they had sold their previous SUV and had $45k in cash and told the finance guy that they wanted to put $45k down and finance the rest and the guy was like "do you mean $4,500?"
My son-in-law was training to be a car mechanic (ASE Certification). He told me that he would not recommend buying a Mercedes-Benz or a BMW, unless you want to be on a first-name basis with your mechanic. Sounds like he wasn't exaggerating.
I’m in the exact same boat. Such a pain. Great video.
Hi. Thanks for sharing! It's not just the Sprinters! I own a Mercedes E350 and have had the worst experience ever with maintenance/service in Florida! (Pre and Post Pandemic): 1) The dealership is ALWAYS behind, like 3 or 4 weeks; 2) They usually have NO loaner vehicles available anymore; and 3) I live 30+ miles from the dealer, which means their shuttle won't pick me up to and from the dealer because they only go 20 miles out. Therefore, I will not be purchasing another Mercedes. I've owned two now, but their maintenance experience sucks now, and I am so inconvenienced it's not even funny! I will be purchasing an EV :) - not a Mercedes
I forget the name, but there is a guy with a repair shop in Golden, who specializes in sprinters. (I don’t know where you are, you could be 5 hours away) I rolled in there on a cross country trip - recommended by a truck repair shop - I had a hole in my intercooler air intake hose. Took it in immediately, replaced both in and out hoses from the intercooler, and found a couple of other things that needed help. I was out, just after lunch.
LinDen Automotive - I'm sure this is the shop and guy you are referring to. He's talked about very highly on all of the sprinter forums. My biggest worry while traveling in our sprinter out West is running into an issue in CO. Even though with the AEM warranty, a month lead would kill our travel plans.
My buddy has a 2017 4x4 sprinter, $5000 a year in maintenance since owning. Last service he went to Albuquerque (he lives in steamboat springs). I did his buildout, I have a ford transit on order that I had originally looked at a sprinter. May not last as long but cost of ownership is going to be cheaper.
YEP that's what owning a Sprinter is all about. I always do my own maintenance and know its done right. They did give you a great price on the 13 quarts of 229.52 Oil....I usually pay about $10 a liter. All the other prices are about double retail. If you want a good MB dealer try MB of Albuquerque about 500 miles south of you. They have a dedicated Sprinter service building and I was able to have them do some warranty work on a weeks notice. As far as dealers I would say they are reasonable and know their stuff. Once I went to the MB dealer in Calabasas, CA for a TPS unit and they "only" charged me $209 with a 10 % off deal....That was just the sensor not installed.... You can buy the MB sensor from online Dealers for about $80 or less. Many MB and BMW dealers charge 200% on retail sales. That pays for the espresso machine.
Been there done that, had 2009 Dodge RAM 3500 6.7 diesel, was due for it 24K KM service, the dealer in Gibsons BC quote me $1900.00, went through an extensive list of fluid change in transfer case et, etc.. So I drove the Penticton where that Dodge dealer sold more heavy duty RAM than others (including a busy service department), quote me $190.00 for oil change and some other key points that were needed. Goes to show you there are lots of dealers ready to hose you.
I love my 2007 sprinter. No DEF additive needed. I also found my own mechanic in san diego that makes it affordable to maintain it. V6 diesel is awesome.
I work for an independent workshop and if customers are worried about their warranty on vehicles we will advise them to buy their parts from the local dealership and keep the bill of sale not only for their records but also of any warranty issues then they can go back and say 'no I purchased all OEM filters and oils from the manufacturer' if theres any problems down the line. The US may work differently from the UK (where I am) but we've had to do warranty claims on engine failures and not had problems in this situation with OEM oils and filters, the issue comes when you use aftermarket filters and oils from places like (for example) Napa and Autozone. Even if you do it DIY over here the OE or extended warranties are pretty good as long as you can provide proof of mileage and bill of sale of the parts and it will cost about between a quarter to a third of the price to DIY than go to a dealership
We have the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act here in the U.S. The implications are too long to list here, but in a nutshell as long as your vehicle is serviced by yourself or a certified mechanic the burden of proof lies on the warranty provider provided you used the proper part for your vehicle OEM or not.
I requested a tire rotation with my B service. It was desperately needed plus the MB dealer said it was included. I pick up my van and no rotation. (I always mark my tires.) Once I challenged them, the techs said they measured my tread and no rotation was needed. I had well over 10,000 miles since my last rotation so I call BS. I like for MB to rotate the tires because a lot of tire places don't know how and where to lift a Sprinter without damaging the frame.
Hello. This is a year after you posted your review. It hasn’t gotten much better in a year! This is my second Mercedes sprinter. Prior to the pandemic service was able to be completed with a week or two advance reservation.
The cost of an oil change has gotten ridiculously expensive. I live in Seattle WA.
The absolutely terrible dealership experience these days (mark ups, bad customer service, long service wait times, etc) for pretty much any dealer has convinced me that it's not worth buying a new car anymore. I will wait for a quality used one and avoid the value drop when it is driven off the lot for the first time, and just do the services myself. I actually just picked up a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder 4WD with 70k miles on it and plan on keeping it for a while.
@jTube571
Bingo, the fact is that most every car manufacturer in the USA has terrible, or non-existent competent service for the past few years now. Heck even the
independent shops in the USA lately have been getting worse and worse.
BOTTOM LINE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY!
Dealer network and service availability is not just isolated to CO. Very common across the US from our experience. But back in 2019 Westminster got us in and out on a Friday morning with a DEF line fix. But since vans have become the new RVs things have definitely changed for the worse.
A VERY important consideration; thanks! It hits close to home for another reason: I have a 1987 BMW K75 motorcycle. NO BMW dealership will work on it; NOT even tire changes or oil changes. And that factor alone has me pissed off at BMW; had I known that prior I wouldn't have bought the brand!!! Talk about a need for Consumer protections: I suggest that ANY dealer flying that logo....HAS to provide service to all models flying that brand name. ps: it's NOT just Colorado; this is a nationwide service issue....and Mercedes DOES NOT care!!
I have a 2018 Pleasureway Ascent on a 2017 2500 chassis, 2WD. The chassis has been serviced exclusively at the Loveland Mercedes dealer. Other than the post pandemic wait times, I’ve been very satisfied with the service. Warranty service has been minimal-a software update and the backup camera replaced. Early on I had an engine block heater installed. I had the front end aligned. My only beef was the cost of windshield wipers, which they reduced to wholesale when I complained.
I’ve spent time in the Loveland showroom and talked with salesmen. I haven’t seen any indication of over-pricing their cars beyond sticker.
Sorry your experience has been poor, but mine hasn’t been.
Realize this is not apples to apples, but we had the exact same experience here in Kentucky with Mercedes of Louisville, except we were on the regular MB side, not sprinter. Starting in 2019, between my mom, myself and my partner we purchased 4 brand new vehicles from them. My mom has driven one since 2001, so we were all very familiar with dealer service A, B, etc… and this dealer completely dropped the ball. Confusing service intervals not in line with MB recs, totally inept service advisors and schedulers and border-line lemon vehicles. My partner’s C300 would regularly die at random intervals while driving and take excessively long (30 sec+ long crank) to start. They refused to even diagnose the issue even with videos, and even had it repeat the issue while bringing us the car back from service. Their solution - “only use Exxon Mobil premium gas,” and scolded us for not driving 35 min out of town just to fill up. I called him out on it and he swore that no other is MB certified” 😂. I laughed in his face and asked why they filled all their cars up at the speedway on the corner and he said that it was the same as Exxon. Naturally, we sold all 3 vehicles within a couple months after that. I’m in a Jeep Gladiator now, my partner in a Volvo. It’s a great brand but the dealer can absolutely make it or break it unfortunately.
There is a reason we have referred to dealers as "stealers" for years. The local MBZ dealer had an EQC (orS) at an electric car expo locally & they had a $125,000 "dealer add on". We bought a Bolt new in 2017 7 I realized the dealer & salesmen didn't know squat about the Bolt. I like the Sprinter but seeing what goes on as 'service' there is no way I'd buy one. I think I'd find an old Grumman commercial van & convert it to what I wanted. I also hate not being able to watch my vehicle being worked on. That's the reason the things I am not equipped to do, I take my vehicles to an independent shop. I generally have low trust in dealerships. Any dealership.
First, I applaud you efforts to keep your vehicle maintained and very much appreciate the heads up on the extended wait times. Like you said, do some pre planning and schedule ahead. Second, regarding the low coolant, I agree, in todays work environment, good quality control is something that has gone by the wayside in most industries; for now inspect what you expect. Lastly, this was super helpful in my camper van research. I’m debating between the Sprinter 4x4 which as I understand is not being produced anymore, and an all wheel drive Sprinter/Promaster/Transit. Of them all, I still love the Sprinter for its looks.
The 2023 AWD Sprinters are better in every way from the previous 4x4 models so that’s progress in the right direction. 👏
@@ryandevera8782 don't they get a 4cyl turbo engine? That doesn't sound confident considering this thing weighs over 6,000lbs
I’m sure you know Kyle but for the back yard mechanics the Sprinter uses something like 13 quarts of oil. So when you go to drain it make sure you have an oil pan that can hold 13+ quarts of oil.
I had thought about changing the oil myself but took it to the dealership instead but if I had that would have been a bad day for me.
Ever thought of going to a Freightliner dealership it's MB aswell?
I have a 2020 and i buy the OIL and FILTER and Crush washer and take it to a Oil change place that I hove used for years. last time I paid them $35 to keep my hands clean and not deal with the oil disposal. I not know the price Post Covid. it also saves Time.
Same for Wyoming!!! Your choice is Salt Lake City. Draper was horrible, Warner, I have stories to share. Missoula, MT has awful reputation. People I know up there drive to SLC. I have 1000 mile drive to Boise and they are doing you a favor. In October they told me I needed new rotors. I come back in July and they tell me rotors are fine and maybe I had them fixed and I just forgot or Im driving some well it's all good. I dont know where else to go.
So sorry you are having troubles finding a good dealer. I'm in Minnesota, and Mercedes dealers here are outrageous!! They ripe you off so bad. We looked around forever and finally found a mechanic that deals with only fleet vehicles, so he works with Amazon, Fed Ex, other delivery vans, etc... and he is about 1/4-1/3 of the cost for anything we do. So... check around for any fleet mechanic.
Great info! Do you mind sharing the name? I'm also in MN.
You bring up a good point about car maintenance. If MB might not have the right technician for their electric fleet, what are other dealerships such as Ford GM Chevy saying about the electric vehicle maintenance? Do they have the right in-house technicians?
So true. Same dealer. None of the service people seem to have a clue about service for the sprinters. And way expensive! Consider yourself very lucky to get someone on the phone.
Good to know about the Saturday oil changes.
Most software updates we get is happens over the air… will have to try to call them!
And they had ours for weeks without looking at it. After waiting six months for the appointment. The turnover in techs and service people is a bad sign of how the places are run.
Any good independent folks out there?
The pandemic hit my local MB dealer hard here in CT. Seems they have a shortage of mechanics resulting in a 1-2 months lead time for scheduled service. Re cost, they shockingly have become a bit negotiable, often offering 10% discount (when asked) or coming up with a coupon or special that brings down the price a bit. I think you were telegraphing the dynamic that underlies the very pricey service - MB owners have already bought in to paying a premium for their vehicles, so accepting the hosing on service is not a big leap!
I’ve found Springfield MB has been amazing. Conn MB is beyond useless
It’s funny in Europe It’s exactly the opposite. A sprinter can get serviced at any corner but with a Tesla you have wait long time for a service.
For throttle delay on Sprinter, you may want to check out the paddle box. It really changed the performance on mine 😊
He said in the video that he doesn't believe they work because they just make the car give you full throttle without having to physically fully press the throttle and he was putting the throttle to the floor and it wouldn't move.
I saw another video a few days ago about the new Sprinter that has a two litre turbodiesel but is actually far better at pickup and acceleration, even in Colorado at high elevation. ruclips.net/video/C5MqBv3tN68/видео.html
Not sure if you're aware but it's a commercial vehicle. Service intervals are longer because these vehicles need to be on the road with minimal downtime. And yes, they all get flogged hard but they can take the abuse.
Come to Tucson, best Sprinter service in the country. Usually 1 or 2 day to get an appointment.
Relationships....here in Texas , Houston to be exact i do not call the appointment line...i deal with 1 person..the sprinter advisor and he always works it in.....using my sprinter as a business i will not leave more than 2 days.....sry for your experience
Would you recommend a transit 250 or a Mercedes Benz sprinter 170
@alejandrohagad628 i have never driven a Ford.....chevy , dodge and Mercedes yes.....in colorado a 4x4 Mercedes is top notch but very expensive (on initial cost and maintenance) the only gripe is the crosswind bs Mercedes has.....it's a great vehicle and comfortable to drive and live in.....best of luck.....
Amen to walk away Kyle! Plus, what really grinds my gears is the money goes to the dealership. None of it is going toward the manufacturer (or coachbuilder) as a reward for getting the market right.
This is not new. It's an amazing van when everything works. It's also quite complex, especially the diesel. I am very much leaning to the Pentastar Promaster. Very DIY friendly.
Yup the pm is much simpler. And I think too much is made of the sprinter’s awd - the sprinter will never be a jeep no matter how high your lift.
The dodge is the worst , according to owner reviews
I have had a Promaster since 2017 and have don’t most all the work on my own. Changed lifters rockers, serp belt, radiator , spark plugs, oil, tranny fluid, etc and yes you can get some stuff done but a lot of it is a pain in the ass. The motor is sideways (fwd) so half the motor is almost impossible to get to, you are working blind in very small spaces, but I was able to get stuff done so far. Too much plastic parts too in places where they should be metal. It hasn’t been a horrible van, it gets down the road. My biggest complaint though is that the seats are incredibly uncomfortable ( In think the new ones are better) hope this helps
Weird, I didn't have any issues scheduling a service with just a few days of heads up here in Seattle.
Ps: oil change is extremely straightforward on sprinters, there's really no need to pay 400-500.
Kyle, this is super upsetting, but I am a kind and generous man. I’ll take the car off you because I really need one of these as a surf expedition vehicle. When do you want me to come over to get the keys?
My wife and I just purchased a 2022 4x4 Sprinter from Vanworks in Colorado. Hope we have a better experience lol.
Buy AdBlue from VW dealerships. I discovered that the local MB Service Center sold AdBlue for $40 for 2.5 gals. The VW dealer sold that same amount for $16.
Taxis in Germany are mainly MB diesels, whether you call them CDI or Bluetec, and they just keep going and going. You see less and less of these newer diesels in U.S. because Americans don't know who to maintain and fix these vehicles correctly.
Check out Adrenaline Vans in Montrose. They do Sprinter Service A/B plus many other things. Great people too
And that's why I bought a T1N. Paid $4700 and yes, there's more rust to keep an eye on/repair, but it's WAY easier to work on or get independent shops to work on it. Seeing as this is like a $130k+ van, it would be super annoying that you're forced to use the predatory MB dealerships. For the price of a few fluid services, you can just get a whole van that's older, but might as well invest $$$ into that, then some new hunk of DEF fluid electronic garbage that might leave you stranded for months on end.
i have a spare Winnebago Revel exhaust, straight replacement for the one you dinged. Free pickup here in Austin, TX
In the midwest and our MD dealer has a four month wait for service. Thankfully our dealer isn't going for broke on pricing of cars, new or used; I can't imagine paying $50K+ over for a car!
Thanks man. I would have thought Colorado would have been the Mecca of the Sprinter Van industry.
That suck man. Our 2016 170” WB sprinter has been great! The dealership here in Fort Wayne is great and has always treated me well and has a full time Sprinter tech.
Maybe it’s the area, but our Volvo dealership has been really great with our XC40 Recharge, when its on board chargers died.
I’ve changed my own oil, rotated my tires once because Costco couldn’t lift it off the ground without almost tipping it over.
I’ve mentioned this once before Kyle. Get your oil analyzed done by proper oil analysis place. Blackstone Labs have done all my oil analysis for the van. So worth the peace of mind, knowing the actual status of your engine and oil. I changed the oil at first 10,000 miles and the oil analysis came back with tons of life left.
Second was 20,000 miles later and the analysis came back all good. They said I could probably go further on that oil, but 20,000 miles is plenty for me. Every oil change since, three more oil changes, engine is @ 90,000 miles now, the oil and engine are showing no degradation or unusual wear.
It’s been to Alaska, Southern California, Sanibel island, White Plains New York and many places in between.
Fwiw: nearish you Bowen Street Garage is a 10/10 independent garage very familiar with Sprinters. Otherwise obviously Adrenaline in Montrose.
That's a really long time to wait if something major goes wrong, and the part at the end was hilarious.
As others have stated, the product is greatly diminished in value in the eyes of the consumer by a poor customer service / ownership experience. Luxury vehicles demand luxury service.
I wonder if there will be any response to this video from MB - dealers or corporate.
As for the two service techs who stated electric cars had the same service schedule, that could also be blatant stupidity on their part. But it could very well be a total money grab by the dealer and I wouldn’t be surprised. At all.
Test drive the awd Ford Transit RV. Others have compared it to the Mercedes Sprinter Winnebago and favored the Ford. Same problems with dealers and just finding anyone that services the Sprinter. They recommended Freightliner dealers as an option. Power, more interior height and handling were better with the Transit.
Not so much a comment but question. Sprinter was assembled by and sold in this country by the Daimler subsidiary Freightliner. Could you go to them for service?
You can also get them serviced at Freightliner
Well we certainly appreciate you giving us a heads up about Mercedes sprinter van experience. Yes I found a Mercedes sprinter and everything you do at the dealer is ultra expensive. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely loved my sprinter Winnebago era, but there always was a light on on the dash, check engine light of course. Trying to get an appointment at any dealer was like trying to pull teeth. Are you serious a couple of months to get a service appointment to change the oil. No thank you. Yes it’s very important that you change the oil more frequently especially when off road and getting out of situations where it is hard on the motor transmission and brake fluid. I absolutely agree on changing your oil every 10,000 miles on these sprinters. Every breakdown I have ever seen on a Engine has been from the oil sludge in the motors. Changing the oil , and the oil filters are cheap compared to a new engine. On my personal car it gets changed every six months are 5000 miles.
LOL. Kyle bought a Mercedes and expected fair pricing for service. Fair pricing at Mercedes is not a real thing.
Yep you're never going to use that to its full extent going to be in a campground in somebody is going to steal everything off of the outside of it but you know a fool and his money... it's nice to look out of your kitchen window and see it sitting in your parking spot though.... the first thing I do before I buy a vehicle is check the replacement headlight value because I grew up in the world and headlights we're fifteen bucks but when I first started driving a replacement headlight was $5.99
I probably have 4 Mercedes dealers around me here in Orange County California but none of them service sprinter van but there is lots of private mechanic that will service sprinter with better price than dealerships.
Hi Im going to order a 2023 144 wb. Van fully loaded cargo van , the only problem is from the date of order it will take 11 months to build. Ouch.
You could save a bunch and DIY it. I did this in my driveway on a 2021 2500 3.0L diesel for less than $250 in parts and tools.
All dealerships have computer generated "complimentary" multi-point inspection reports, which they inspect nothing but try to generate problems out of no problems. MB offered me $2K cash for me to come in for their Bluetec emission recall, I refused because once I am in their trap, there will be a $20K bill waiting for me on the road.
Did you decided to sell your Revel? Also wondering if you checked out VanWorks? They are a local FoCo van builder, great shop, cool vans, simpler than the Revel, way lighter build might help with performance. Thanks for the info, leans me towards a slide in truck bed camper :)
Hopefully one of those people able to pay MB prices also happens to be a lawyer and sues MB. Essentially the warranty is not being honored due to appointment unavailability.
Just have to vent about my new Model 3. After 2 weeks of ownership, it bricked itself while charging. I consulted the troubleshooting and jump started the 12 volt battery. The next day it bricked itself again. Both were at about 85% SOC with it set to 100%. It stopped charging then the 12 volt drained in a few minutes and the car ran out of juice. I had it towed to the service center 1.5 hours away and it’s been there for 2 weeks. They did give me a loaner so I’m happy to at least have transportation and the people we have dealt with have been sympathetic. The app is telling me it won’t be ready until April 3. I ended up sending 2 letters to Tesla. One to opt out of arbitration and the other as a notice about the defect and my expectations (a formal necessity in the event of a lemon law case). It appears that the issue is related to high voltage isolation.
Makes no difference here in UK going to merc dealer or independent. And 236 usd for a fuel filteris pure bullshit. Service B about £300. Get the auto gearbox serviced as recommended. Again about £300 here in UK. Do you have the 2.1 twin turbo diesel?
Good to know. I live in CO and would like to buy the same model you have...but only if I move out of Colorado. I can't afford a $200k van *AND* still live in Colorado. :P
hahaha good one, $200,000 will buy you a house on five acres in Mississippi. Park the Sprinter in back, and camp there.🙂
loveland and westminster are sister stores. exactly the same. at the dealers sprinter owners are 2nd class citizens. BTW, that $200 filter is $60 on amazon.
take a trip to vegas and mercedes of henderson. had my sprinter serviced there a few mohths ago, still expensive but in and out in 2 days.
For as little as you used it how does 150,000$ pay off?
My third new Sprinter since 2017. Southern OR / Northern CA. Horrible service calendar and prices. One tech for hundreds of sq miles. $4,005.00 for my 40,000 service on current 4x4 170”.
I recently took my Mercedes to the Westminster dealership for a oil change. The vehicle only had 4200 miles on it and I took it in because the dashboard said it needed. It’s a service I expected to do a oil change and pay maybe $200 I got a bill handed to me for 1300+ I cannot believe it. I thought it was some type of a mistake. I would have to pay that much for a vehicle that has 4200 miles on it I feel your pain 13:21
Dealership service is generally horrible across the board in most places now with very few exceptions. I have experienced bad service from multiple BMW dealers here in NJ. Mazda being an exception. I don't expect MB service to be much better here.
Ditto from So Cal. Starts with the so-called Service Advisors...clueless. We have had our 2012 GL 350 (V6 Bluetec) since new and after 3 years with the Dealer, switched to infinitely more competent service from a local Independent. In the years of Dealer service invariably returned next day for something missed...to include "wrong bolt installed in re-assembly"...how is that even possible in any shop this side of Bangladesh? Love the SUV...never experienced your drive-ablity problems...strange.
You always seem to have the worst luck Kyle, but you are entertaining. Good luck with your MB, it is a very nice looking camper van.
Learn to do your own. There isn’t much that is tough or complicated on these. I have done my own maintenance on my Sprinter for a number of years due to what you experienced.
It is really hard to justify a sprinter for the cost.
It’s pretty is to actually. Especially if you’re over 6ft tall. A Promaster is too tight. Transit vans are more roomy but not sure I trust the ecoboost for more than 125k on a 9k plus pound van it’s gonna be under boost sooo much.
My sprinter is a joy to drive - and reliable.
@@JohnSeitz
But this engine isn't exactly performing?
And, what's the cost of a new Ecoboost, fitted? Less than the list price difference plus the extra service costs?
.
(That's if it fails out of warranty)