2014 Itasca Navion

NOW TWO MONTHS AFTER THE LAST IDENTICAL INCIDENT, ANOTHER WHEEL SPEED CONTROL SENSOR FAILED (REAR AXLE) THAT AFFECTED NOT ONLY CRUISE-CONTROL BUT ALSO DISABLED ABS BRAKES AND STABILITY CONTROL FUNCTIONS DURING A LONG AND RAINY TRIP TO PA. (SEE EARLIER COMPLAINT #11340388) OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THIS IS NOW THE FIFTH WHEEL SPEED SENSOR NEEDING REPLACEMENT AND THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT REFLECTS THE SECOND TIME FOR THE VERY SAME UNIT THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED YEARS AGO ON THE SAME SIDE. M/BENZ HAS DISALLOWED ANY WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THESE LAST FEW FAILURES DESPITE WHAT MY FAMILY (AND OTHERS) BELIEVE IS A DRASTIC SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN NOT ONLY AN ACCIDENT, BUT POTENTIAL LOSS OF LIFE ! THESE SENSORS ARE NOT CONSIDERED TYPICAL 'WEAR-AND-TEAR' ITEMS FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND/OR REPLACEMENT SUCH AS BRAKE ROTORS, DISKS, ETC. THE ISSUE HERE IS NOT JUST THE COST OF REPLACEMENT ($600/EACH), BUT PRINCIPALLY THE MATTER OF SAFETY AND RELIABILITY. TAKING THIS MOTORHOME CROSS-COUNTY IS NOW CONSIDERED VERY RISKY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR REPETITIVE FAILURES AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THE RV GOING INTO 'LIMP MODE' WHEREIN SUCH AN OUTAGE WOULD DROP THE TRANSMISSION INTO FIRST-GEAR ! AND, NO MERCEDES DEALERS ARE EQUIPPED TO FIX THESE SENSORS OTHER THAN DESIGNATED MB 'SPRINTER' DEALERS, WHICH ARE NOT AS NUMEROUS AS THEIR MB CAR COUNTERPARTS. BOTTOM LINE HERE; WHEN IS MB GOING TO FIX ALL THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS GOING INTO MB SPRINTERS AND IN THE MEANTIME, WHAT IS DOT/NHTSA DOING TO AFFECT THIS ACTION THAT IS SADLY OVERDUE? AND, THAT'S BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS HURT OUT THERE ! FOR EXAMPLE, SEE THESE OTHER REPORTS; HTTPS://WWW.VEHIE.COM/COMPLAINTS/MERCEDES-BENZ?VEHIE_MODEL=SPRINTER MINE IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT NOR A SINGLE UNIQUE VEHICLE TO THIS ISSUE !

THIS REGARDS THE MERCEDES BENZ SPRINTER 3500 MODEL CHASSIS, NOT THE WINNEBAGO COACH. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS HAVE FAILED AND THIS TIME DROVE THE CRUISE CONTROL PAST SET LIMIT OF 60 MPH TO > 70 MPH WITHOUT ANY DRIVER INTERACTION. THESE SENSOR FAILURES DEMONSTRATE A CLEAR SAFETY DEFECT AND LIKELY MB PRODUCING DEFECTIVE PARTS. ALL SUCH SPRINTER VEHICLES WITH THESE SENSORS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED TO HAVE THEIR WHEEL SPEED SENSORS REPLACED. THIS NOT A MAINTENANCE ISSUE BUT HAS NOW BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY FROM THIS LAST INCIDENT WE EXPERIENCED AS NOTED ABOVE. WE NOTED MULTIPLE CONSUMER BLOG ENTRIES OF SIMILAR INCIDENCES WITH THIS VERY CHASSIS AND PARTICULARLY POWERING MOTOR HOMES THAT ARE HAVING IDENTICAL ISSUES, EVEN TO THE POINT OF PLACING THE VEHICLE INTO 'LIMP MODE' WHICH COULD DESTROY THE TRANSMISSION, SEEING THIS MODE DROPS THE TRANS INTO FIRST-GEAR UNTIL THE DRIVER CAN PULL OFF TO STOP. AGAIN, HAPPENED TO US ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY DURING THE FIRST FAILURE ENCOUNTERED WITH THESE SENSORS WHICH THEN AFFECTS CRUISE CONTROL, THEN DISABLES THE ABS FEATURE OF CHASSIS ALSO.*DT CONSUMER STATED THERE HAS BEEN MULTIPLE FAILURES.*JB