2006 Sprinter 3500 Recalls & Complaints

Incident: January 4, 2012 · Filed: June 18, 2012

WHILE DRIVING SAW SMOKE FROM RIGHT SIDE OF ROOF AND PILLAR, THEN SAW FLAMES, EXTINGUISHED FLAMES, REPAIRER ADVISED THAT SHORT IN FUSE BLOCK STARTED THE FIRE, REPAIRS WERE $13000+ AND AFFECTED REAR LIGHTS AND SEAT BELTS. *TR

Incident: January 27, 2010 · Filed: March 9, 2010

WE PURCHASED A 2006 DODGE SPRINTER 3500 AS A 2006 WINNEBAGO VIEW CLASS C MOTORHOME WITH 5010 MILES ON NOVEMBER 2006. WE WERE TRAVELING APRIL 2007 WHILE CROSSING THE JACKSONVILLE BRIDGE ON A1A, FL.. THE MOTORHOME WOULD NOT ADVANCED. IT LOST THE POWER. WE MADE IT TO THE TOP OF THE BRIDGE AT 20MPH. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW WE MADE IT. WE HAD TO INTERRUPT THE TRIP AND GO TO A DODGE DEALER AND THEY FOUND THE RESONATOR WAS THE PROBLEM A FEW DAYS AGO JAN. 2010 ON THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS SCENIC HWY 348, BLAIRSVILLE, GA; WHEN WE GOT TO THE HIGHEST PEAK THE MOTORHOME WOULD NOT GO AT ALL. WE HAD TO BACK UP SLOWLY AT LEAST HALF A MILE TO FIND A SPOT OR SHOULDER TO TURN AROUND AND GO DOWNHILL. CAN YOU IMAGINE DRIVING BACKWARDS ON A NARROW TWO LANE ROAD ON A STEEP MOUNTAIN WITHOUT ANY KIND OF PROTECTION. THIS VEHICLE IS A HAZARD TO US AND OTHER MOTORISTS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION . A RECALL IS NEEDED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR

Incident: September 12, 2009 · Filed: October 12, 2009

SUBJECT: TURBO RESONATOR FAILURE I TOOK DELIVERY OF A DODGE SPRINTER MODEL 3500 CHASSIS WHEN I PURCHASED A WINNEBAGO VIEW IN MARCH OF 2007. CURRENT MILEAGE: 15,422 I HAVE MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OWNER'S MANUAL. ON 8/17/09, I HAD THE RESONATOR, PART NUMBER 14070001, AND THE ASSOCIATED AIR HOSE, PART NUMBER 14089002, REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE REPAIR WAS DONE BY FARRISH DODGE IN FAIRFAX, VA. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS IN 2007, THE REPAIR WAS DONE BY DOMINION DODGE IN ROANOKE, VA. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS IN 2008, THE REPAIR WAS DONE BY FREIGHTLINER OF HAGERSTOWN IN HAGERSTOWN, MD. IN EACH CASE, I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SLOWED AND BEGAN TO HAVE NO POWER. I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THE FAILURE OF THE RESONATOR IS DETECTED, THE ENGINE IS PUT INTO THE 'SAFE' MODE AT WHICH TIME THE VEHICLE CAN ONLY BE DRIVEN AT LOW SPEED FOR A SHORT DISTANCE. WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT FARRISH DODGE, HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NO SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY DODGE. HE DID SAY THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON AND WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE IS AWARE THAT THERE IS AN AFTERMARKET ALL METAL RESONATOR AVAILABLE BUT COULD NOT BE SURE WHETHER THE INSTALLATION OF THIS WOULD VOID THE WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHEN DODGE INTENDS TO OFFER A SOLUTION TO THIS RECURRING PROBLEM. MY WARRANTY WILL CONTINUE TO COVER THIS REPAIR FOR TWO MORE YEARS, BUT AT THIS POINT, I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THAT THE PROBLEM WILL NOT CONTINUE TO RE-OCCUR FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY CONCERN IS THAT THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AT WHICH TIME THE VEHICLE ESSENTIALLY COMES TO A NEAR STOP WITHOUT WARNING. IN ONE CASE I WAS ALMOST HIT IN THE REAR END BY A LARGE TRUCK. I HAVE APPROACHED DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH NO USEFUL HELP. *TR

Incident: June 26, 2009 · Filed: July 1, 2009

MY 2006 SPRINTER MOTOR HOME (CAB BY GULFSTREAM) SUFFERED A RESONATOR FAILURE ON JUNE 26TH ON INTERSTATE 81N NEAR BRISTOL TN. IT HAS 18,500 MILES ON IT. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE RIGHT LANE AND, IN "LIMP HOME" MODE FOUND A SPRINTER REPAIR GARAGE AND A NEW RESONATOR WAS INSTALLED. I INTEND TO REPLACE THIS PLASTIC RESONATOR WITH AN ALUMINUM PART. THANKS. *TR

Incident: October 21, 2008 · Filed: November 13, 2008

TURBO RESONATOR CRACKED AND PUT SPRINTER INTO LIMP MODE. 30 MPH. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF CASES ON THE INTERNET WITH THIS ITEM AND I HAD PURCHASED AN ALUMINUM ALTERNATIVE RESONATOR IN CASE IT HAPPENED TO ME. WHEN IT DID FAIL I WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE RESONATOR IN 30 MINUTES. THE LIMP MODE IS VERY SCARY ON A FREEWAY WHEN IT FAILS. YOU CANNOT ACCELERATE PAST 30 MPH. I AM SURE THIS IS SO NOT TO HURT THE TURBO, BUT IN ANY CASE THE PART IS A WELL KNOW DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

Incident: February 7, 2007 · Filed: October 25, 2007

2006 DODGE RAM 3500- VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN DEALERSHIP 3+ TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND LOSES POWER. DROPS TO LOWER GEAR AND CONTINUES TO LOSE SPEED. SOMETIMES AS LOW AS IDLE ONLY. ECM HAS BEEN REPLACED (2) TIMES AND ACCELERATOR MODULE (1) AND SHORT IN WIRING REPAIRED?- LAST REPAIR DONE ON 10/23/07 - DROVE 69 MILES AND SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. DEALER CLAIMS THEY CAN NOT FIND PROBLEM. HAVE CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORP. AND STARTED LEMON REPLACEMENT PROCEEDINGS? THIS TRUCK WAS ALSO REPAIRED PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING IT WITH ONLY 45 MILES ON SPEEDOMETER. CHRYSLER HAS ASK ME TO TAKE TRUCK BACK TO DEALER FOR FURTHER REPAIR?? *JB

Incident: September 4, 2007 · Filed: October 15, 2007

MY DODGE DURANGO (2006) ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS HAS LUNGED FORWARD WITH THE ENGINE REVVING UP AND WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL I SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND PRESSED ON THE BRAKE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON 9/4/07 I WAS APPROACHING A FOUR LANE DIVIDED ROAD, WITH TRAFFIC IN BOTH DIRECTION I STARTED TO APPLY MY BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE JUST HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN AND WOULDN'T STOP. *JB

Incident: August 29, 2007 · Filed: September 22, 2007

THIS COMPLAINT CONCERNS A 2006 DODGE SPRINTER 5 CYL DIESEL ENGINE FAILURE. I HAVE A 2007 WINNEBAGO VIEW RV ON A 2006 SPRINTER. ON AUG 29 2007 I WAS TRAVELING ON I90 IN WASHINGTON STATE JUST WEST OF THE SNOQUALMIE PASS SUMMIT WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. AT THAT TIME IT HAD 4539 MILE ON THE ODOMETER. WE COULD HAVE BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND OR STRANDED IN THE MOUNTAINS AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. THE WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE SUGGEST THAT ANY REPAIR MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED BY A SPRINTER DEALERSHIP. THE NEAREST ON WAS OVER 100 MILE AWAY. THE PARTS THAT FAILED WERE THE 'TEMPERATURE SENSOR (PART # 486235AA TE 8037155 AND THE RESONATOR- TURBO PART # 513715AB) . THE SPRINTER SERVICE PERSONNEL IN AND OTHER SPRINTER OWNERS TELL ME THAT THE RESONATOR AND TEMPERATURE SENSOR FAILURE RATES ARE QUITE HIGH AND SUGGESTED THAT I PURCHASE A SENSOR REPLACEMENT TO CARRY WHEN TRAVELING. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS APPARENT DEFECT IN THE SPRINTER ENGINE. I SUGGEST A RECALL. *JB

Incident: June 10, 2007 · Filed: June 22, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 DODGE SPRINTER 3500. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH UPHILL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TURBO RESONATOR HAD BURST. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. THE BODY STYLE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 6,887 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,725.

Incident: January 17, 2007 · Filed: June 19, 2007

A 2006 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LIMITED REQUIRED REPAIR THE DAY AFTER PURCHASE. ONE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REPAIR IT AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS. THE SELLING DEALERSHIP WORKED ON IT FOR 2 WEEKS, ATTEMPTED TO RELEASE IT, BUT COULD NOT DUE TO ENGINE LIGHT AND SHAKING ALL OVER. TWO WEEKS LATER, RELEASED, SEEMINGLY OKAY. THE FOLLOWING DAY CRASHED WHILE EMPLOYEE HAD BOTH FEET ON BRAKES. POLICE STATED DUE TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *AK