The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·18V032000·Announced 2018-01-09

2013 Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Passenger Air Bag Recall

Daimler Vans USA is recalling 2013 Sprinter vans because the passenger air bag inflator may explode during deployment, posing a risk of serious injury or death.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the inflator explosion may result in serious injury or death, which aligns with the rubric criteria for a Severe (4) rating involving significant injury or death reports.

Plain-English summary

Daimler Vans USA, LLC is recalling certain 2013 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The recall affects 17,413 vehicles equipped with specific passenger frontal air bag inflators that were installed as original equipment or as replacement parts.

The defect involves the air bag inflators, which may explode due to propellant degradation caused by long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. If a crash necessitates the deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, the inflator explosion could send sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Daimler issued an interim notification to owners on March 13, 2018, and the recall officially began on December 28, 2018. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module free of charge. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
FREIGHTLINER, MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 3500, SPRINTER 2500
Brand
FREIGHTLINER
Affected units
17,413

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • SPRINTER 3500
  • SPRINTER 2500

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.