Sprinter Reliability

[Papa_O]

After, more or less, deciding on a class B sprinter as first rv purchase, I read some articles/threads today questioning their reliability.

I'm sure there have been many comments over time regarding the cost of ownership of sprinters vs. Fords and Chevys etc.

Also, is it true that sprinters need to go in for maintenance every 10,000 miles?

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Escargot]

Just a note: My previous comment wasn't about taking /not taking sides. It just seemed that the heat of the conversation was over-powering the experience based info.
Thanks for understanding.

[gerrym51]

topless wrote:
My 10 year old Sprinter has been fine. But with 28k miles it's not even broke in yet. I would not automatically jump on a new Sprinter, just because it's a Sprinter. I am as opinionated as anyone when it comes to vehicles, many miles of driving and racing. Before I bought my van, I researched the Sprinter T1N and found they had been in production for years all over the world. I wanted a turbo diesel, and 10 years ago the only one that was easy to get was a Sprinter.
Today, I would wait to see a Ford Transit, and look real hard at the Ecoboost gas engine. The emissions on new diesels is cost prohibitive, the turbo on a gas engine will do almost the same job and with a lot less emission junk. I have zero interest in the Dodge Promaster, FWD and Fiat, make that decision for me. Bad experiences with both.

topless-other than turbo resonator issues on some T1N it's bullet proof-totally unlike the NCV3. i would stick with your T1N

If I were to buy a modern sprinter-adn i am considering buying Roadtrek CS. I would employ a different strategy.

I would buy the sprinter extended service plan which adds 3 years to warranty and plan on trading in every 5-6 years. Most people with NCV3 issues tend to get them after about 75,000 miles on. warranty is finished and NCV3 is very expensive to repair if footing the bill yourself.



sprinter van ELW

elw



more extended warranty info


info

[topless]

My 10 year old Sprinter has been fine. But with 28k miles it's not even broke in yet. I would not automatically jump on a new Sprinter, just because it's a Sprinter. I am as opinionated as anyone when it comes to vehicles, many miles of driving and racing. Before I bought my van, I researched the Sprinter T1N and found they had been in production for years all over the world. I wanted a turbo diesel, and 10 years ago the only one that was easy to get was a Sprinter.
Today, I would wait to see a Ford Transit, and look real hard at the Ecoboost gas engine. The emissions on new diesels is cost prohibitive, the turbo on a gas engine will do almost the same job and with a lot less emission junk. I have zero interest in the Dodge Promaster, FWD and Fiat, make that decision for me. Bad experiences with both.

[kendall69]

Escargot wrote:
Dang. This is not a competition. The anti-Sprinter crowd sure is sounding over-exercised and venomous.
We're talking about machines, not egos.

If you have, or had one, share your experience regarding reliability, and would you purchase one again. That's all the OP is asking about.

If you haven't owned one, maybe you should just stand down.

My Sprinter was great until the service bills became endless. The last $2,000.00 non budgeted unexpected repair bill was the straw that broke the camels back.

Being an advocate AGAINST the Sprinter is so the average Joe will look at both sides of the Sprinter and make an educated decision. There was not enough info out there on the USA model before I purchased mine. Had I read the stories of "reliability" here I would never purchased the Sprinter.

Sure you get the few maybe many that have great success, but there are way too many ongoing issues with the Sprinter that should make people take notice.

For me now just turning 100K miles with plenty of dealer visits, and months of down time sitting in the service bay waiting for repairs, the numbers don't lie.

Now it's all about trust. I simply DO NOT trust the Sprinter to go more than 100 miles from home or a dealer.

I purchased five vehicles at the same time (2) Hino Big Box trucks, (1) Jeep Commander, (1) Ford F250, (1) Sprinter. The have the same or more mileage, the Ford, The Jeep, The Sprinter- the Sprinter was the only vehicle of the the 5 that I spent the most money on and the most dealer time. Actually I spent more on the Sprinter than the other four combined in the last 7 years. Again number don't lie.

[gerrym51]

gerrym51 wrote:

Escargot wrote:
Dang. This is not a competition. The anti-Sprinter crowd sure is sounding over-exercised and venomous.
We're talking about machines, not egos.

If you have, or had one, share your experience regarding reliability, and would you purchase one again. That's all the OP is asking about.

If you haven't owned one, maybe you should just stand down.

your 2006 sprinter is not NCV3. the T1N was a terrific van-it's the NCV3's that have issues.

i have a question for you. When did your Sprinter have it's last DPF regeneration-yes this is a trick question

the T1N other than the name sprinter and has a diesel engine is no relation to the NCV3-they have nothing in common other than the name and using diesel. the NCV3 was a totally-soup to nuts-recreation.

[gerrym51]

Escargot wrote:
Dang. This is not a competition. The anti-Sprinter crowd sure is sounding over-exercised and venomous.
We're talking about machines, not egos.

If you have, or had one, share your experience regarding reliability, and would you purchase one again. That's all the OP is asking about.

If you haven't owned one, maybe you should just stand down.

your 2006 sprinter is not NCV3. the T1N was a terrific van-it's the NCV3's that have issues.

i have a question for you. When did your Sprinter have it's last DPF regeneration-yes this is a trick question

[Escargot]

Dang. This is not a competition. The anti-Sprinter crowd sure is sounding over-exercised and venomous.
We're talking about machines, not egos.

If you have, or had one, share your experience regarding reliability, and would you purchase one again. That's all the OP is asking about.

If you haven't owned one, maybe you should just stand down.

[gerrym51]

gerrym51 wrote:

Davydd wrote:

gerrym51 wrote:

CHSMITHINS wrote:
Its The T1N 5 Cylinder Chassis. Reliable As Could Be So Far.

the point is all the complaints are about the NCV3.

other than the name sprinter and a diesel engine-the T1N and the Ncv3 are 2 totally different vans.

it's the NCV3 that has all the issues and what people complain about

So, I guess I got to say it again. I've had near perfect service from my NCV3 after 65,000 miles of travel and I am getting another one. The pluses far outnumber the minuses over Chevys as far as van livability and enjoyment in my opinion.

Davydd- my point was not that NCV3 was always bad-far from it-but that most of the complaints involved the NCV3-not the T1N. i keep seeing posts saying sprinter is great-and 90 percent of these end up being T1N's. T1N's and NCV3 totally different.

PS, just so you'll know. my loacal dealer has a Roadtrek CS e-trek siiting on his lot and the price keeps coming down. if when the time for my roadtrek ranger order in the first quarter of next year it's still sitting there i will make him an offer for this CS first. i will buy it if the price is right-but only right!

[gerrym51]

Davydd wrote:

gerrym51 wrote:

CHSMITHINS wrote:
Its The T1N 5 Cylinder Chassis. Reliable As Could Be So Far.

the point is all the complaints are about the NCV3.

other than the name sprinter and a diesel engine-the T1N and the Ncv3 are 2 totally different vans.

it's the NCV3 that has all the issues and what people complain about

So, I guess I got to say it again. I've had near perfect service from my NCV3 after 65,000 miles of travel and I am getting another one. The pluses far outnumber the minuses over Chevys as far as van livability and enjoyment in my opinion.

Davydd- my point was not that NCV3 was always bad-far from it-but that most of the complaints involved the NCV3-not the T1N. i keep seeing posts saying sprinter is great-and 90 percent of these end up being T1N's. T1N's and NCV3 totally different.

[Davydd]

gerrym51 wrote:

CHSMITHINS wrote:
Its The T1N 5 Cylinder Chassis. Reliable As Could Be So Far.

the point is all the complaints are about the NCV3.

other than the name sprinter and a diesel engine-the T1N and the Ncv3 are 2 totally different vans.

it's the NCV3 that has all the issues and what people complain about

So, I guess I got to say it again. I've had near perfect service from my NCV3 after 65,000 miles of travel and I am getting another one. The pluses far outnumber the minuses over Chevys as far as van livability and enjoyment in my opinion.

[gerrym51]

topless wrote:
Amazing, I've been a Sprinter owner for 10 years and the opinions about them haven't changed a lot. There are more people that like them than 10 years ago, but the dislike is still intense as ever. I keep vehicles until I can no longer trust them, which is why I still have a 1987 Chevy pickup that I bought new and have rebuilt everything at least 2 times over the years. It's never left me stranded, just wore things out with 260,000 miles that happens.

topless i forget-do you have T1N or NCV3

[gerrym51]

CHSMITHINS wrote:
Its The T1N 5 Cylinder Chassis. Reliable As Could Be So Far.

the point is all the complaints are about the NCV3.

other than the name sprinter and a diesel engine-the T1N and the Ncv3 are 2 totally different vans.

it's the NCV3 that has all the issues and what people complain about

[topless]

Amazing, I've been a Sprinter owner for 10 years and the opinions about them haven't changed a lot. There are more people that like them than 10 years ago, but the dislike is still intense as ever. I keep vehicles until I can no longer trust them, which is why I still have a 1987 Chevy pickup that I bought new and have rebuilt everything at least 2 times over the years. It's never left me stranded, just wore things out with 260,000 miles that happens.

[CHSMITHINS]

Its The T1N 5 Cylinder Chassis. Reliable As Could Be So Far.