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Federal filingsHome›Recalls› 16V077000
NHTSA campaign 16V077000

2007–2014 Dodge, Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz: air bags recall

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

critical 136,361 vehicles affected 44% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem Daimler Vans USA, LLC (Daimler Vans) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Dodge Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2006, to July 31, 2008, 2007-2014 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2006, to July 1, 2014, and 2010-2014 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2010, to July 1, 2014. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture. Risk In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Fix Daimler Vans will notify the Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner owners and Fiat Chrysler will notify the Dodge owners. The respective dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2017. Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner owners may contact Daimler Van's customer service at 1-877-762-8267. Dodge owners may contact Fiat Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.

Reported to NHTSA Feb 10, 2016 by Daimler Vans USA, LLC, owners notified Mar 31, 2017.

What that means, in plain English

Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wording

Takata-style inflator rupture can propel metal fragments into occupants during airbag deployment, directly causing serious injury or death — this is a well-established life-threatening failure mode, not a hedged or speculative risk.

Written for us by a language model from the manufacturer's filed text, which is quoted in full above. Where the two differ, the filing is the record and this is only our summary of it.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 16V077000

Vehicles built Jul 1, 2006 to Jul 1, 2014 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearOn WhichTrim
2007 Dodge Sprinter 2500every Dodge on this site
2008 Dodge Sprinter 2500every Dodge on this site
2009 Dodge Sprinter 2500every Dodge on this site
2007 Dodge Sprinter 3500every Dodge on this site
2008 Dodge Sprinter 3500every Dodge on this site
2009 Dodge Sprinter 3500every Dodge on this site
2007 Freightliner Sprinter 2500—
2008 Freightliner Sprinter 2500—
2009 Freightliner Sprinter 2500—
2010 Freightliner Sprinter 2500—
2011 Freightliner Sprinter 2500—
2012 Freightliner Sprinter 2500—
2013 Freightliner Sprinter 2500—
2014 Freightliner Sprinter 2500—
2007 Freightliner Sprinter 3500—
2008 Freightliner Sprinter 3500—
2009 Freightliner Sprinter 3500—
2010 Freightliner Sprinter 3500—
2011 Freightliner Sprinter 3500—
2012 Freightliner Sprinter 3500—
2013 Freightliner Sprinter 3500—
2014 Freightliner Sprinter 3500—
2010 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500every Mercedes-Benz on this site
2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500every Mercedes-Benz on this site
2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500every Mercedes-Benz on this site
2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500every Mercedes-Benz on this site
2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500every Mercedes-Benz on this site
2010 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500every Mercedes-Benz on this site
2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500every Mercedes-Benz on this site
2012 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500every Mercedes-Benz on this site
2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500every Mercedes-Benz on this site
2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500every Mercedes-Benz on this site

None of the vehicles this campaign names has a page on WhichTrim: every model year it names is older than the catalogue, which begins at 2016. The campaign record above is complete as filed, and whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by its VIN. Other campaigns on vehicles without a page here →

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired 44%

of the campaign

The final figure: the six quarters of reporting that 49 cfr 573.7 requires have closed.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.

Campaign 16V077000

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

NHTSA’s investigation file links this recall to engineering analysis EA15001.

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A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.

Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.

Photo: Taiga Miyamoto / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Jul 1, 2006 to Jul 1, 2014. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA’s investigation file links this recall to engineering analysis EA15001. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.