In this Mercedes Sprinter van buying guide, you’ll discover exactly what to look for and what the big red flags are. That way you can buy a van you won’t regret. But a lot of the information will apply to any vehicle you want to buy.
Since getting my driver’s license 19 years ago, I’ve bought and sold over 25 vehicles. But despite all that experience, I made a huge mistake when buying our Mercedes Sprinter. That mistake ended up costing me about $6,000.
There is going to be a lot of information in this article. So, to help you guys out, we’ve created a free van buying checklist that you can download here.
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My $6000 Mistake Buying a Mercedes Sprinter Van
Let’s start by talking about the mistake that ended up costing me almost $6,000. Because only a small piece of plastic stands between you and a huge repair bill.
This latest generation of Mercedes Sprinter has a huge Achilles heel, and much like the Greek hero, it can bring your van to a standstill. We had no idea about this ticking time bomb, but our travels were brought to a standstill, and our wallets drained twice because of that exact problem.
The first time this happened was in Portugal, and that repair ended up costing us almost $3,000 to get fixed. Unfortunately, that fix only lasted about a year until disaster struck again. This time it was in Poland. Once again, our wallets were drained to the tune of almost $3,000, and it took them over a week to diagnose and fix the problem.
This time, we finally discovered the technical service bulletin that actually had the answer to all our problems. For sprinters with an automatic transmission, there is a flaw where condensation from the windscreen can eventually drip down and shortcircuit this very computer that controls the automatic transmission.
The NHTSA has issued a technical service bulletin for this flaw, but unfortunately it’s not a recall, which I really think it should be. Now, the solution is actually deceptively simple, even though the repair is ridiculously expensive. The solution is to practice safe Sprinter ownership, or that is to say, just put a sleeve on it.
So, if you’re buying a new generation Sprinter with an automatic transmission, make sure that whoever owned it before you has followed that technical service bulletin and put a plastic sleeve on the transmission computer. The sleeve is an official Mercedes part, and it protects the transmission computer from any water damage or condensation.
In addition to avoiding a huge repair bill from your computer shorting out, make sure that you keep reading till the end, as one of the last tips could also save you thousands of dollars.
The First Things to Look for When Shopping for a Sprinter Van
Looking at a potential van to buy is a little bit like speed dating. There’s a few basic questions that you have to ask in order to make sure that you’re going to have a happy and successful relationship.
Van History:
Here are the two most important questions for your future partner. Number one, what was the van used for? Number two, where did most of the de mileage take place? That is to say, was it mostly driven on the highway or mostly driven in the city?
Let’s start by breaking down the first question. If the van was used for delivering heavy goods, then the overall wear and tear on the components is going to have been that much higher. This wear and tear mainly relates to the suspension components and the brakes, but chances are that the back of the van will also have been pretty beat up in the process.
This is something that I experienced firsthand when I was shopping for this Sprinter. I had looked at two other vans. One Sprinter had been used by a concrete company and the other one had been used to deliver drinks. And when I say drinks, this is in Germany, so it’s, you know, huge cases of glass bottles. So, they’re very heavy. The van that had been used by a concrete company was by far in the absolute worst shape. And honestly, I would be surprised if it hadn’t been overloaded its entire life.
If you’ve ever built a deck or a fence and had to use concrete bags, then you’ll probably know that they are deceptively heavy. And it doesn’t actually take that many bags of concrete before you’ve used up your entire payload. Likewise, the drinks van was also completely beat up in the back cargo area. And that’s just another indication that it had led a tough working life.
Another background that should be a huge red flag for you is if the van was used as a delivery van. The cargo area will probably be in okay condition because, well, cardboard doesn’t dent the van in the same way that huge crates of drinks do. But although the cargo area might be okay, the rest of the van is probably going to be pretty beat up. Now, I’m sure that there are conscientious delivery drivers that treat their vans with respect and care, but unfortunately, the majority are just doing their best to stick to an extremely tough delivery schedule. This can result in damages such as the roof being dented from lowhanging balconies or deep scratches on the side of the van because they just cut a corner too tight.
The other problem with a delivery van is that the engine probably spent the entire day idling, which for a modern diesel is a silent killer. Along with requesting the Carfax, which will tell you whether the van has been in any major accidents, the two questions we just discussed are questions that you can and should ask before you even leave the comforts of your home to go see the van. For more straightforward advice that will save you money, make sure to subscribe to our channel.
Van Maintenance:
Since we’re on the topic of questions that you can ask before you even go see the van, let’s talk about maintenance. The Mercedes Sprinter can be a great van, but it’s a little bit like a high-string actress that needs constant attention and tending to. If you fail to keep that up, it will have a meltdown.
The solution to this is really simple. Make sure you ask for a complete and detailed service history of the van before you even go look at it. If you’re lucky, the previous owner purchased a maintenance plant from Mercedes, and in that case, you can rest easy knowing that everything has literally been done by the book.
If there’s no history from the Mercedes dealership, then you need to ask for copies of the receipts for all the oil changes, filter changes, and other maintenance items according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
If there’s a gap in the maintenance history or a history of the previous owner missing the oil change deadlines or just exceeding them by a lot of kilometers, then you just need to strike that van off your list.
Modern diesel engines have become a lot more eco-friendly and powerful than your grandpa’s glorified tractor engine, which could run on waste oil from the fried chicken place down the road. But all these changes have added a lot of complexity, and that means that buying a van with anything other than a perfect service record is like buying Pandora’s box. As soon as you open the box, there is no putting back the evils that have escaped.
Don’t Buy a Cheap Van:
We all know the expression that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And yet, when we’re shopping for a new van and picturing the Instagram lifestyle that we’re about to have, it can be hard to keep that in mind.
We touched on the importance of buying a van with a thorough maintenance history and the right background. But the reason those questions are so important is that repairs on a Sprinter can quickly add up to thousands of dollars. So, if the van that you’re looking at seems oddly cheap, then there’s probably a reason for it. Either it’s a scam or the seller is hoping that you’ll be distracted by the low price and not ask too many questions about the vehicle’s background.
Even if you’re on a tight budget, buying a cheap Sprinter with a poor maintenance history or a history of idling will end up being a false economy. Trust me, it’s better to stretch your budget now than to try and budget for a future of unknown repairs.
What to Look When Seeing a Sprinter Van for the First Time
Congratulations, you’ve done all your homework and you’re ready to go see the van for the first time. But before you uncork the champagne and sign on the dotted line, there are still plenty of items that you need to check first.
To help you know what to look for, and to help you avoid buying a van that’s going to cause you grief in the future, we’ve created a free van buying guide that you can use to help you find the right van. Make sure that you bring that checklist with you whenever you go to look at a potential van. That way you know that you can keep a cool head no matter how excited you are about starting your future van life adventures.
Choose the right van & find hidden issues with this FREE van buying checklist
Rust:
The first and perhaps most important of these items is rust. There are a few common areas where the sprinter likes to rust. So before you do anything else, you need to get up close and inspect those problem areas.
Let’s start our rust hunt at the bottom of the van. So, one of the top places that a sprinter or really any van can rust is right here along the bottom part of the van and also along the door sill. And that makes sense, right? Any salt from the road or anything like that, you’re going to get stone chips and that eventually will rust. So, take a look along the whole bottom of the van along the bottom edge and just look for any signs of rust. If you see paint peeling, that’s also problematic.
Another place that Sprinters or really any van can rust is right here along the wheel arch. And again, that’s just salt and stones and gravel that chips the paint and lets it rust. Make sure to use a powerful flashlight to find any hard to see rust spots inside the wheel arches and underneath the van.
Whilst you’re looking at the front, you also want to see if there’s any signs of mismatched paint or if it’s more matte than the rest of the paint, or even if you see signs of a really bad spray paint job. Anything like that could be a sign that somebody has tried to fix a rust problem and done a really bad job of it.
Another big problem area of rust for the Sprinter especially is on the front of the hood. Again, this is stone chips and just salt from the roads or corrosion in the air if you’re by the ocean. And so, just take a look. You can run your hand along. Just make sure that it all feels nice and smooth. If you feel any bubbles or obviously if you see, a big patch of rust, well, that’s problematic.
Another area to look out for is at the very top of the front of the van. Stone chips and corrosion from the road or from the air can cause rust spots to form right up along your roof line.
Check for Cheaply Fixed Accident Repairs:
Whilst you’re looking for rust, this is also a good time to check for any sketchy accident repairs. And the best way to do that is with a simple magnet. So, if there’s any area that you’re a little bit suspicious of, just take a magnet and hold it up to it.
Obviously, if it’s metal, it should stick. Now, if it doesn’t, then there’s a chance that they just repaired the damage with fiberglass, and that’s okay for a temporary repair, and it can look okay, but it’s never going to be as good as just welding in a new piece of metal.
Van Interior:
Now that you’ve looked over the exterior of the van for any signs of rust, it’s time to move on to the cab of the van. Since most Sprinters will have most likely been used as work vans, you’re looking for any signs of excess wear and tear and of course the obligatory cigarette burns.
Let’s start with the driver’s seat. Because these are work vehicles, there’s a good chance that somebody’s been just sliding in and out. And if they just slide, well, that’s a lot of wear and tear on the fabric. I have seen so many vans with a rip in the seat right here. Obviously, if you see that, don’t buy the van. Or if everything else is perfect on the van and that’s the only issue, then have the seller replace the seat or reupholster it.
If there’s no tear, but the fabric here has become really, really smooth, then again, that’s a warning sign that the fabric is about to tear, and that’s going to be an expensive reupholstery job.
Another place to look out for excess wear and tear is on the steering wheel. Now, in this case, we’ve got a really nice leather steering wheel. You would just be kind of looking for any tears or rips in it because again, this would be really expensive to fix. If it’s smooth, that’s okay. If it’s a plastic steering wheel, yeah, chances are it’s going to be smooth as well. And that’s all okay. You just want to make sure that there’s no burns, there’s no tears, there’s no rips in the steering wheel.
The other thing to look out for is the good old smell test. If the van smells like it’s been smoked in, just skip it entirely. It is almost impossible to get rid of that smell and it will really affect the resale value.
I know we already talked a little bit about rust, but if you’re really serious about the van, then one thing you can look out for, and this is really mainly the case if you’re buying in one of the northern states or pretty much anywhere in Canada, and that’s actually rust on the metal underneath these rubber mats.
It is a bit of a pain to lift up these mats, but if you are really serious about the van and you’re buying it in a northern climate, then it’s absolutely worth doing because people are going to be coming in with boots or shoes covered in snow with lots of salt in it from the road and over time that can make its way down to the metal. Also, because you don’t see it, it’ll just silently corrode away.
Van Exterior:
On the outside, there’s a few basic checks that you can do pretty easily. And one of the big ones is taking a look at the tires. The first thing you need to do is just take a general look at how the tire looks. If it looks really worn out, has lots of cracks in it, well then it’s probably really old or the van’s been sitting for too long on the dealership lot.
The other thing, of course, is to look for tire tread. If you have a penny, just insert it sort of upside down. And if you can still see Lincoln’s head, then you know that the tire doesn’t have enough tread. Now, obviously, that’s a pretty basic test, and it’ll only really show you if the tires are completely worn out.
The other thing to look out for is how old the tires are. Because a tire that’s over 5 years old probably needs to be replaced to still be safe. Now, one way you can do that is obviously just by asking the seller, but they might not even know if it’s a dealer. So, what you can do is you can look for the DOT number. This DOT number will actually tell you when the tire was manufactured.
If the tires are worn out or too old, make sure you get a discount from the seller. It doesn’t matter if you’re planning on replacing them anyway with a set of all terrains like we did, you should still get that discount.
Another basic thing to look out for is the windshield. If you see any big cracks in it or a lot of stone chips, then make sure you get a discount from the seller because these windshields are not cheap.
What to Look for When You Test Drive a Mercedes Sprinter Van
If the Sprinter van you’re considering buying has passed all the previous criteria that we just talked about, well, good news. It’s time to go for a test drive. On your test drive, there’s a few things that you want to keep an eye out for just to make sure that you don’t end up buying a lemon.
Before you go test drive a used van, you should actually go test drive a new van first. Not because I think you should buy a new van. That’s just like flushing money down the toilet. Instead, the idea is to get a baseline feeling for what the van is supposed to feel like when it’s new. For example, what’s the feel of the acceleration, braking, suspension, and all those other components.
Once you’ve developed your baseline feeling after driving a new van, you can then go test drive older vans, and that will allow you to potentially spot some problems that you might not otherwise have noticed. For example, if the acceleration on the used van feels a little bit sluggish in comparison to the new van that you test drove, well, then that could be a warning sign.
Likewise, if the transmission just doesn’t feel as smooth or if it’s a bit jittery or makes some weird jumps compared to the new one, well, that could also be a sign of a potential problem. And again, these are all things that you wouldn’t really know whether or not they’re normal if you haven’t actually tried a new van first.
Now, of course, this comparison will only work if you can actually find a used van that matches up with both the transmission and the engine that you test drove in the new van. And even in the current generation, that’s not actually a guarantee.
Now, it’s time for the actual test drive. As soon as you get into the van, make sure you turn off the radio and allow yourself a moment to concentrate. If the salesperson is really chatty, which I know from experience they can be, then you might just have to be a teeny bit rude and just ask them to be quiet for a moment.
Once you have complete silence, it’s time to allow yourself to try and become one with the van. As you’re driving, listen to the engine and try to hear if there’s any grinding noises or anything that just sounds like metal on metal coming together in a way that it shouldn’t.
Also, make sure you pay attention to how the transmission is shifting. Is it jumping or stuttering between shifts? How does the steering feel? Is it smooth? Is it easy? Does it feel like it’s catching on something at any point? You also want to listen out for any rattles or noises coming from the dash. When you drive over a bump, do you hear any thuds coming from the suspension?
Obviously, a used van will never drive exactly like a new van, and that’s to be expected. But the aim with the test drive is to get a sense for how the van was treated. If the suspension makes clunking noises when you go over a bump, well then maybe it’s been driven on and off curbs too many times or it may have been overloaded for most of its working life as well. Likewise, if you hear any grinding noises or if there are jolts in the transmission, then maybe it just hasn’t been serviced properly.
Lastly, make sure that you test out all the buttons and features of the van. For example, you should test out all the settings on the radio and make sure that all the buttons on the steering wheel work as well. If the van has adaptive cruise control, make sure that you get a chance to test that on a main road so that you can ensure that the van will actually keep the set distance by itself.
You also want to make sure that the backup camera and any other electronic gadgets or upgrades that the van might have all work because trust me, trying to fix random electrical issues on a modern vehicle can become really expensive. If everything went well on your test drive, it’s time for the final step. Before signing on the dotted line, make sure you get the van inspected by a mechanic to ensure there’s no major issues lurking.
Buying an Extended Warranty for Your Mercedes Sprinter Van
If you’re worried about reliability and the potential repair bills, there is one thing that you can do to protect yourself from a major financial cost. Depending on the age of the van, you might have the option to buy a factory warranty extension. This is a warranty that’s directly from Mercedes, not the dealership. and it essentially just extends your factory warranty for a specific number of years and or miles.
In Germany, for example, the Mercedes certified used vans will usually give you an extra 2 years of factory warranty with no kilometer restriction, and that will work worldwide to the best of my knowledge. In our case, for example, if I had been able to find a van with that warranty, well, we probably would have saved over $6,000 in repairs.
If you can’t get a Mercedes direct warranty, then I probably wouldn’t really bother with it because in my experience and from what I’ve heard, all the third party warranty companies are really sketchy and just not worth the paper that the contract is printed on. Now, I’m sure there are exceptions, but I haven’t heard of any.
The Most Important Thing When Looking to Buy a Sprinter Van
Last, but most definitely not least, the best tip that I can give you when you’re buying a van is to follow your gut. If you get a bad vibe from the seller, or if something just seems off about the van, even if you can’t actually put your finger on it or identify why you get a weird feeling, just walk away.
As the wonderfully outdated and utterly unhelpful dating advice always says, there’s always more fish in the sea. And when you’re spending this much money on a van and your potential future tiny home, well, then it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
If you’re in the market to buy a new or a used van, and you kind of have some questions about what you should be looking for, or you’re just a little bit confused, then go ahead and ask any questions you might have in the comments, and I will try to help you.
To see how we transformed our 144” wheelbase Sprinter cargo van into a tiny home on wheels, check out our van tour video or van tour post.
