— Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner are recalling nearly 52,000 Sprinter vans because of power steering problems.
The 2015-2020 Sprinter vans have hydraulic power steering return line hoses that may detach at their connection points, causing hydraulic fluid to leak.
The Sprinter vans are manufactured on the 907 (VS30) and 906 (NCV3) platforms, and all the vans were produced with the suspect components.
A driver will notice a big increase in steering effort as the steering reverts to manual mode when the hydraulic power steering hose detaches. All of this creates an increased risk of a crash, including from the road getting covered in steering fluid and making things slippery.
Drivers may also notice noise coming from the power steering pumps as steering fluid is leaking.
The U.S. Sprinter recall includes 47,667 vans in the U.S., and in Canada more than 4,100 Sprinter vans are recalled.
Sprinter dealerships will inspect the return line connections of the power steering systems and install replacement clamps.
Owners of 2015-2020 Sprinter vans may call 877-762-8267 and use recall reference number NV3LETULPE.
