2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 1500 Cargo Van CARGO VAN RWD

THE VEHICLE IS A WINNEBAGO REVEL RV BUILD ON A MERCEDES 4X4 SPRINTER. WHILE DRIVING, THE POWER STEERING HOSE DISCONNECTED FROM THE RADIATOR, DUMPED ALL THE POWER STEERING FLUID AND CAUSED ME TO LOSE STEERING. I WAS IN MOTION, DRIVING UP A WINDING GRAVEL MOUNTAIN ROAD WITH VERY SHARP CURVES. I WAS ABLE TO STOP AS I WAS TRAVELING AT LOW SPEED. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MERCEDES SPRINTER, WELL-KNOWN TO THE WINNEBAGO REVEL 4X4 FACEBOOK GROUP. THE HIGH-PRESSURE HOSE IS TOO SHORT AND THE SPRING CLAMP INSUFFICIENT TO HOLD THE HOSE ON TO THE RADIATOR FITTING.

THE 2019 SPRINTER HAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE ACTIVE LANE KEEPING ASSIST FEATURE ("ALKA") A FEW WEEKS AGO I DROVE THE VAN FROM SAN DIEGO TO MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN (BISHOP, CA. I DIDN'T FEEL THE CROSSWIND WAS A DANGER BUT I HAD TWO HANDS ON THE WHEEL TO BE PREPARED JUST IN CASE AS I HAD EXPERIENCE ISSUES WITH THE ACTIVE LANE KEEPING ASSIST FEATURE IN THE PAST AND IT CAN NOT BE PERMANENTLY DISABLED. A BURST OF WIND HIT ME AND IT PUSHED ME ONTO THE RIGHT SOLID WHITE LINE. I HAD A FAIR AMOUNT OF TARMAC OUTSIDE THE LINE TO MY RIGHT SO I WASN'T THAT CONCERNED WITH MY TIRES BEING ON TOP OF THE LINE BUT THE VAN HAD OTHER IDEAS FOR ME. ALKA KICKED IN SUPER HARD AND CORRECTED ME BACK TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. IT SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME AS THE ALKA HIT A LOT HARDER THAN I HAD EVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE PULLING ME BACK TOWARDS THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC GOING THE OTHER WAY! I RECALL MY INITIAL REACTION AS THINKING I HAD IMPACTED AN ANIMAL OR SOMETHING IT "HIT" SO HARD. I WENT INTO PANIC MODE AS I THOUGHT ALKA WAS GOING TO PUSH ME INTO A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC SO I INSTINCTIVELY COUNTER STEERED RIGHT TO CORRECT AWAY FROM ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE NET RESULT WAS A VIOLENT RIGHT (WIND), LEFT (ALKA), RIGHT (DRIVER) COMBO THAT HAD ME THINKING FOR A SECOND I AS ABOUT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VAN AND FLIP IT. AN EXPERIENCE MY PILOT FRIENDS WOULD CALL HAVING A PUCKER FACTOR. I MANAGED TO CONTROL IT BUT IF I'M BEING HONEST, JUST BARELY. I PULLED OVER AND TOOK A LITTLE BREAK FROM DRIVING BEFORE MAKING SURE ALKA WAS TOTALLY OFF AND CONTINUING ON. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED FROM THE SPRINTER SOURCE INTERNET FORUM FROM OTHER DRIVERS THAT THEY ALSO HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR ISSUES AND THAT NUMEROUS OWNERS OF MY EXACT VAN AGREE THAT THIS SYSTEM HAS SERIOUS FLAWS THAT MAY CAUSE A SERIOUS CRASH AS IT CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE AND OVERREACTING. THANK YOU FOR LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE.

WHEN I WAS PARKED ON A CITY STREET I ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER IN MY 2019 SPRINTER AFTER PRESSING THE IGNITION BUTTON THAT IS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE LEVER. THIS PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT ME KNOWING, WITHOUT A BEEP OR ANY SIGNAL THAT IT WAS NOT IN PARK ANY LONGER. I ENDED UP ROLLING THE VEHICLE BACKWARDS INTO ANOTHER PARKED CAR WHEN I LET MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE REVIEWED. BODY DAMAGE WAS CAUSED ON BOTH VEHICLES, AND SINCE THE INCIDENT I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THE LEVER DESIGN WHICH SEEMS TO BE UNIQUE TO MERCEDES WHICH HAS CAUSED DEATHS IN NEW YORK. JAKE FISHER, THE DIRECTOR OF AUTO TESTING AT CONSUMER REPORTS WAS CONNECTED TO THE ACCIDENT AND HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE INEFFICIENCY AND SAFETY OF THE DESIGN. HTTPS://WWW.NYDAILYNEWS.COM/NEW-YORK/DONOHUE-SUV-GEARSHIFT-DESIGN-EYED-METRO-NORTH-TRAGEDY-ARTICLE-1.2125193

CLAMP ON THE POWER STEER HOSE CAME OFF. THE SPRING CLAMP DID NOT HOLD AND THE HOSE IS STRETCHED TOO TIGHT. WE LIVE IN FAIRBANKS, AK AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS -30 DEGREES. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 5000 MILES. WE WERE ABLE TO PUT ANOTHER CLAMP ON, WITH ONLY GETTING MINOR FROSTBITE ON FINGERS. WE WERE LUCKY THIS HAPPENED IN TOWN. THIS VEHICLE IS BEING PROMOTED AS A VEHICLE TO ACCESS MORE REMOTE LOCATIONS. THIS COULD LEAVE PEOPLE IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THIS HAS HAPPENED FREQUENTLY ON THIS VEHICLE ACCORDING TO SOCIAL MEDIA SITES. WE WERE LUCKILY PARKED IN A WALMART PARKING LOT, AND WHEN WE STARTED TO DRIVE OUT, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN. AS WE HAD BEEN WARNED OF THIS HAPPENING, WE KNEW WHAT TO LOOK FOR. THERE WAS A POOL OF POWER STEERING FLUID BENEATH THE ENGINE. SHOULDNT THIS BE A RECALL ISSUE?

LANE DEPARTURE ASSIST OPTION - DANGEROUS AND DEADLY DESIGN IN CROSS WINDS, PASSING OR BEING PASSED BY OTHER TALL VEHICLES, ETCHING OUT OF ROAD TRAFFIC LANE MARKINGS IN CONSTRUCTION AREAS, AND ATTEMPTING ANY SWERVING EMERGENCY EVASIVE ACTION - THE VEHICLE BRAKES SUDDENLY LOCK UP AND THE STEERING BECOMES UNRESPONSIVE, THIS CAUSES ABRUPT RAPID DECELERATION AND LITTLE TO NO STEERING CONTROL. I ALMOST CAUSED A 6 VEHICLE PILE UP ON THE INTERSTATE THE FIRST TIME I DROVE MY NEW 2019 SPRINTER. AS IF THE ABOVE IS NOT HORRIBLE ENOUGH AND COUNTER TO ANY NORMAL DRIVING CORRECTION MANEUVER, THE BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT EVEN COME ON... INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. MERCEDES KNOWS ABOUT THE ISSUE, BUT HAS TAKEN NO ACTION.