Mercedes-Benz bulletin LI49.20-N-078466
What it saysCheck engine light with fault code P3005CA in MRD1 (CDI) Complaint: The check engine light is on, with a possiblility in a reduction of power and the presence of soot in the exhaust sys- tem. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Mercedes-Benz filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 22, 2025, received Dec 4, 2024, about the engine — 2 documents under this number. It names 3 model years (2023–2025). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationCheck engine light with fault code P3005CA in MRD1 (CDI) Complaint: The check engine light is on, with a possiblility in a reduction of power and the presence of soot in the exhaust sys- tem. Fault code P3005CA: The diesel particulate filter efficiency is insufficient. Additional information: Additional fault codes may be present, related to the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) system or the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system. Cause: This fault code sets due to the following factors: 1. Damage to the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) unit. 2. The N74 (Soot Particulate Sensor Control Unit) identifies soot or debris located downstream of the SCR Catalyst (underbody).
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LI49.20-N-078466 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2025 | 11024929 | PDF, 2,978 KB |
| LI49.20-N-078466 | Service bulletin | Nov 4, 2024 | 11011228 | PDF, 2,978 KB |
What the document itself lists
Labour operation and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 495920 | Replace SCR catalytic converter diesel particulate filter unit | 2.4 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (6 pages), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Mercedes-Benz’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 58 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 6 of them name Engine — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
The ECM harness was wired too close to a sharp metal piece within the engine bay, the clip MBZ uses to secure it was insufficient to hold it back, the thick wiring harness got caught on the metal piece and overtime got cut deeply causing a short with thermal issues spreading to other components, the wiring harness melted together and…
2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 8, 2026 · ODI 11769942
Complaint Description I am filing this complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding a safety issue with my new Mercedes Benz Sprinter 2500. I purchased this vehicle brand new from Mercedes Benz Manhattan. From the first day of ownership, I began experiencing multiple serious problems with the van.
2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter · Engine · filed with NHTSA Mar 15, 2026 · ODI 11724480
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the engine
Source: same model, same component group32 other manufacturer communications filed against the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Mercedes-Benz list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| LI20_10-N-080868_2_en | Service bulletin | Sep 2, 2026 | Coolant warning light (MIL) lights up on the display Complaint The coolant warning lamp may be displayed in the instrument cluster. The malf… |
| LI09_41-N-079165_2_en | Service bulletin | Aug 3, 2026 | Complaint Low Coolant warning with possible engine misfire caused by a leaking Charge Air Cooler (Intercooler), accompanied by one or more o… |
| LI07.16-N-080731 | Service bulletin | Jun 18, 2026 | Complaint The customer reports an exhaust odor from the engine compartment, potentially accompanied by a check engine light and/or engine mi… |
| LI14.20-N-073867 | Service bulletin | Jun 15, 2026 | Complaint Complaint A: The engine is jolting/bucking between 1700 and 1900 rpm. Complaint B: One or more mechanical related fault codes for… |
| LI09.41-N-080666 | Service bulletin | Jun 3, 2026 | Check engine light with reduced power –P300A6D due to charge air system contamination Complaint The check engine light is activated, accompa… |
| LI05.30-N-080518 | Service bulletin | Jun 3, 2026 | OM654 Extended engine crank or starting concerns and/or poor running characteristics Complaint One or more of the following may be reported:… |
| LI4910-N-060969 | Service bulletin | Apr 18, 2026 | Complaint Rattling noise from underneath the vehicle. Cause One or more of the following conditions may be present: 1. The exhaust bracket f… |
| LI49.20-N-075995 | Service bulletin | Mar 23, 2026 | Vehicles with SCR Generation 4: SCR/AdBlue® warning message cannot be reset with fault code P13DF00 or P300685 Complaint SCR or AdBlue warni… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Mercedes-Benz, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Mercedes-Benz LI49.20-N-078466 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the LI49.20-N-078466 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Mercedes-Benz warranty extension on file lists the ones Mercedes-Benz has filed.
Which vehicles does LI49.20-N-078466 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2025 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, 2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.