The defect
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Dodge and Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vans manufactured June 30, 2003, to August 31, 2006. The instrument cluster on the affected vehicles fails to illuminate the BRAKE warning lamp in the instrument cluster during the vehicle start up bulb-function check. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems."
The risk
Without the BRAKE lamp illuminating during the vehicle start up bulb-function check, the driver has no confirmation that the lamp is working and therefore may not know whether or not the lamp will illuminate if the brake fluid level is low. If the operator is unaware that the vehicle has low brake fluid, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
The remedy
DVUSA will notify owners, and DVUSA and Dodge dealers will correct the instrument cluster software, as necessary, free of charge. An interim notification was sent to owners on January 6, 2017. A second notice will be mailed to owners once the remedy becomes available. The recall began on July 27, 2017. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-770-705-2070.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Dodge Sprinter 2500 | 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 |
| Dodge Sprinter 3500 | 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 |
| Freightliner Sprinter 2500 | 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 |
| Freightliner Sprinter 3500 | 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 |
Components: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge Sprinter 2500 | 2003 | 5 | 5 |
| Dodge Sprinter 2500 | 2004 | 12 | 3 |
| Dodge Sprinter 2500 | 2005 | 21 | 3 |
| Dodge Sprinter 2500 | 2006 | 34 | 5 |
| Dodge Sprinter 3500 | 2003 | 0 | 4 |
| Dodge Sprinter 3500 | 2004 | 2 | 2 |
| Dodge Sprinter 3500 | 2005 | 6 | 2 |
| Dodge Sprinter 3500 | 2006 | 24 | 3 |
| Freightliner Sprinter 2500 | 2003 | 6 | 5 |
| Freightliner Sprinter 2500 | 2004 | 0 | 3 |
| Freightliner Sprinter 2500 | 2005 | 3 | 3 |
| Freightliner Sprinter 2500 | 2006 | 3 | 3 |
| Freightliner Sprinter 3500 | 2003 | 2 | 4 |
| Freightliner Sprinter 3500 | 2004 | 0 | 2 |
| Freightliner Sprinter 3500 | 2005 | 1 | 2 |
| Freightliner Sprinter 3500 | 2006 | 1 | 2 |
Other electrical system recalls in 2016
92 of the 919 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2016 concerned the electrical system; Daimler Vans USA, LLC filed 126 campaigns in all.
| 16V936000 28 Dec 2016 | Maserati North America, Inc. |
| 16V938000 28 Dec 2016 | Navistar, Inc. |
| 16V951000 27 Dec 2016 | Kalmar Solutions, LLC |
| 16V950000 23 Dec 2016 | ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLC |
| 16V923000 22 Dec 2016 | Pierce Manufacturing |
| 16V920000 21 Dec 2016 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| 16V915000 21 Dec 2016 | Bluecar SAS |
| 16V919000 21 Dec 2016 | BMW of North America, LLC |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2016