The defect
Daimler Vans USA, LLC (DVUSA) is recalling certain 2013 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 and 3500 and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
The risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy
DVUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module, free of charge. Daimler issued an interim notification to owners on March 13, 2018. The recall began December 28, 2018. Owners may contact DVUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by ODI
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Freightliner Sprinter 2500 | 2013 |
| Freightliner Sprinter 3500 | 2013 |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 | 2013 |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 | 2013 |
Components: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freightliner Sprinter 2500 | 2013 | 2 | 4 |
| Freightliner Sprinter 3500 | 2013 | 0 | 5 |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 | 2013 | 21 | 3 |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 | 2013 | 45 | 5 |
Other air bags recalls in 2018
85 of the 912 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2018 concerned the air bags; Daimler Vans USA, LLC filed 126 campaigns in all.
| 18V912000 19 Dec 2018 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| 18V905000 19 Dec 2018 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| 18V887000 13 Dec 2018 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| 18V883000 12 Dec 2018 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| 18V868000 6 Dec 2018 | General Motors LLC |
| 18V838000 27 Nov 2018 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| 18V836000 27 Nov 2018 | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. |
| 18V806000 14 Nov 2018 | Ford Motor Company |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2018