Mercedes-Benz Sprinter years to avoid— and the best years
8 Sprinter model years ranked on what NHTSA holds for each one: recalls and owner complaints per year on the road, with critical recalls and standing advisories ahead of everything else. The current model year is left out, as are the 2024, 2025, 2026: too new for a record. This ranks the paperwork, not the car in front of you — a specific car’s history and service record still decide it.
Every Sprinter model year, ranked
Source: NHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings; the arithmetic in each rowCleanest record first. /yr is the count divided by the years that model year has been on sale (2026 minus the model year, at least 1), because raw counts condemn the oldest year on the page for having been around longer.
| Year · rank | Safety Signal | Years on road | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 #1 | D | 4 | 7 · 1.8/yr | 49 · 12/yr | not rated | |
| 2021 #2 | F | 5 | 18 · 3.6/yr | 62 · 12/yr | not rated | |
| 2018 #3 | F | 8 | 10 · 1.2/yr | 25 · 3/yr | not rated | 1 critical |
| 2023 #4 | F | 3 | 7 · 2.3/yr | 36 · 12/yr | not rated | 1 critical |
| 2020 #5 | F | 6 | 25 · 4.2/yr | 103 · 17/yr | not rated | 1 critical |
| 2017 #6 | F | 9 | 9 · 1/yr | 41 · 5/yr | not rated | 2 critical |
| 2016 #7 | F | 10 | 16 · 1.6/yr | 92 · 9/yr | not rated | 2 critical |
| 2019 #8 | F | 7 | 51 · 7.3/yr | 115 · 16/yr | not rated | Advisory |
The Sprinter years to check hardest
last 2 of 8 ranked years2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
The 2019 Sprinter: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory, which outranks every other figure here; 51 recalls in 7 years on the road (7.3 a year, 4 critical: visibility/wiper, engine, latches/locks/linkages) — also electrical system ×8, equipment ×6, steering ×5; 115 owner complaints to NHTSA, 16 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (24) and electrical (19)); owners reported 14 crashes, 7 fires, 5 injured; NHTSA investigation PE21019 (became recall 22V796000, power train).
2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
The 2016 Sprinter: 16 recalls in 10 years on the road (1.6 a year, 2 critical: air bags) — also equipment ×5, power train ×2; 92 owner complaints to NHTSA, 9 a year (most often airbag (21) and brake (18)); owners reported 3 crashes, 3 fires, 6 injured; NHTSA investigation EA21002 (open, air bags); NHTSA investigation PE20014 (became recall 21V042000, service brakes).
The Sprinter years the record favours
first 2 of 82022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
The 2022 Sprinter: 7 recalls in 4 years on the road (1.8 a year) — electrical system ×2, structure ×2, fuel/propulsion system; 49 owner complaints to NHTSA, 12 a year (most often automatic emergency braking (13) and electrical (11)); owners reported 2 crashes, 2 injured.
2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
The 2021 Sprinter: 18 recalls in 5 years on the road (3.6 a year) — electrical system ×6, structure ×5, back over prevention ×2; 62 owner complaints to NHTSA, 12 a year (most often automatic emergency braking (20) and brake (12)); owners reported 4 crashes, 1 injured.
How this ranking is made
Source: the same rule the nameplate page has used since v0.28- For each model year, NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints filed against it are counted from the public files, as on its own page.
- Each count is divided by the years the model year has been on sale (2026 − model year, at least 1): a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings, a 2023 only 3.
- The years are then ordered: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory first, then the number of critical recalls, then recalls per year, then complaints per year; a newer year wins a tie.
- The current model year and any year under 3 on the road are left out — a half-finished record should not win a ranking on a blank sheet.
What it cannot know: whether a given car had its recalls done (NHTSA’s VIN lookup and the maker’s own settle that), its mileage, its trim, or how it was kept. A recall is a repair at the maker’s expense, not a verdict on the design; a complaint is an owner’s unverified report. Every figure above links to the page that lists the filings behind it.
Common questions about Sprinter years
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter years should I avoid?
On the filed record the 2016, 2019 rank lowest of the 8 Sprinter model years WhichTrim can rank (2016–2023): the 2019 — a standing advisory, 51 recalls in 7 years (7.3 a year), 4 critical, 115 complaints (16 a year); the 2016 — 16 recalls in 10 years (1.6 a year), 2 critical, 92 complaints (9 a year). The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists.
What is the best Mercedes-Benz Sprinter year to buy used?
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has the cleanest record of the ranked years: Safety Signal D, 1.8 recalls a year on the road and 12 complaints a year. The 2022 Sprinter: 7 recalls in 4 years on the road (1.8 a year) — electrical system ×2, structure ×2, fuel/propulsion system; 49 owner complaints to NHTSA, 12 a year (most often automatic emergency braking (13) and electrical (11)); owners reported 2 crashes, 2 injured. That ranks paperwork, not condition.
Is the 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter reliable?
WhichTrim does not score reliability; it counts what was filed. The 2019 Sprinter: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory, which outranks every other figure here; 51 recalls in 7 years on the road (7.3 a year, 4 critical: visibility/wiper, engine, latches/locks/linkages) — also electrical system ×8, equipment ×6, steering ×5; 115 owner complaints to NHTSA, 16 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (24) and electrical (19)); owners reported 14 crashes, 7 fires, 5 injured; NHTSA investigation PE21019 (became recall 22V796000, power train). That is the weakest record on this page once the counts are put on a per-year footing. A specific car with its recalls done and a service history can be a sound buy; the record says what to check.
How many recalls does the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter have?
Across the 8 ranked model years (2016–2023) NHTSA has posted 143 recall campaigns against the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and owners filed 523 complaints. Across every model year on file (2016–2026) the nameplate page carries the full count.
Why divide by years on the road?
Recalls and complaints accumulate with time: a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings and a 2023 only 3, so raw counts condemn the oldest year every time. Dividing by the years on sale puts them on one footing. A standing advisory and critical recalls still come first, because no rate makes those smaller.