It took a while, but the Mercedes Sprinter has become one of the most popular vans in the US. After a somewhat under-the-radar launch two decades ago now, commercial operators and #vanlife hipsters alike have both taken to the function-over-form design approach of the ubervan, and the same company that sells $250,000 Maybach limos and 600-horsepower AMG station wagons has carved out a profitable niche as one of the key players in the commercial van market.

If you put aside the luxury reputation of Mercedes in the US, their success in this sector is not too surprising. The legendary OM617 and OM606 diesel engines are known to take spartanly equipped E-Class sedans beyond a million miles when pressed into taxi duty in developing nations. Seeing the durability of their passenger cars, it was the Shah of Iran who suggested they try to build a military truck, which you may recognize today as the “G-Wagen” driven around Los Angeles by various Kardashians.

The Sprinter combines that famous durability with smart design like externally mounted tailgate hinges that allow the doors to swing open all the way around to provide a larger cargo opening, or the ability to mount air conditioning or refrigeration equipment on the roof so they can operate independently of the engine. The available “dually” rear axle gives you four rear wheels to better manage heavy loads, but unlike a pickup truck, the wheels are mounted further inboard, so the van doesn’t have to be any wider. There are multiple roof height and wheelbase options available; a high roof allows people to stand up inside the van and provides more cargo space in the same footprint, and a low roof nets you less aerodynamic drag for better fuel economy and easier access to either downtown parking garages or anything you may store on the roof.

Today, the Sprinter name is as recognizable as any of the many brand logos that have appeared on its grill, but that was not always the case. It was first sold here in 2001 as a replacement for the 1970s-vintage Dodge Ram Van, which had long since given up on competing with the Chevy Express and Ford Econoline. Seeing as this was deep in the DaimlerChrysler days, importing a commercial van from the new parent company seemed like an easier solution than developing something new in-house, as long as you give it more blue-collar branding. It was also sold through Freightliner dealerships (another company owned by Daimler Benz), though without the marketing budget of a consumer brand behind it, the customer audience was pretty small.

The 2001 Dodge Sprinter was… not really a hit. Because of the “chicken tax”, anything sold in the U.S. as a “Commercial Vehicle” is subject to a 25% import tariff. To get around this, Mercedes would build a Sprinter Van at their factory in Dusseldorf, then remove the engine and transmission and ship them separately to a facility in South Carolina as car parts instead of a complete vehicle to get around the tax. At that facility, the powertrain and body shell would be reunited before being shipped off to dealers. All this extra work, along with the cost of shipping it across the ocean, made the price considerably higher than domestic competition, which also benefitted from the public perception that a van based on a full-size pickup platform must be more durable than something from Europe.

Slowly but surely, the fuel economy and more practical design of the Sprinter started winning over commercial customers. The space-to-footprint ratio makes it appealing as a delivery vehicle in urban centers, available roof-mounted auxiliary generators make it appealing as an ambulance or for tradesmen, and an available 4WD option helped it get in early on the adventurous appeal of camper vans. The most lasting legacy of the Sprinter van is the competition left in its wake. Despite being a veteran of the punk rock scene, the Ford Econoline has been replaced by the Transit, which shares a similar European “low-floor” design aesthetic with the Sprinter. The Chevy Express and GMC Savana are still around at least until the next round of crash safety legislation, but they are continually losing market share not only to the Sprinter, Transit and Fiat-based Ram ProMaster, but also smaller vans like the Dodge Caravan C/V and Nissan NV200. The success of the Sprinter has also persuaded Mercedes to bring over the smaller Metris van to sell alongside it.

Diagnosing your Sprinter turbocharger can be a little complex, particularly because there are multiple potential sources of boost leaks on the earlier models that would trigger the same check engine light codes as a leak from the turbo itself. 2.7L models have a resonator on the turbocharger’s intake side to keep noise down, but like all plastic parts, they deteriorate over time. Earlier 3.0L models tend to leak from the boost hoses, but any new hoses you would buy today are an updated design less prone to this issue. On 2.7L models, the turbo hangs off the passenger side of the engine and is relatively easy to access and check for shaft play, but on the newer V6 models, it’s in the valley between the two cylinder heads, right under the cowl, so it’s a good bit harder to access. The V6 was also in thousands of Mercedes SUVs, so there are a lot more resources to diagnose trouble on it, and mainstream German car specialists (as opposed to commercial-specific diesel techs) will be familiar with it.

The Sprinter van is an incredible tool that has revolutionized work vehicles in the US, and with so many of them in service today, Turbochargers Direct has a full catalog of turbochargers for them in stock and ready to ship right away. Use this buyer’s guide to locate the correct turbo for your van and ensure you receive the correct part right away to minimize your downtime and keep your van in service.

2002-2003 2.7L Inline 5-Cyl

Also fits some 2004 models (only if equipped with Vacuum Actuator)

Engine Code OM612

Garrett GT2256V

Mercedes OEM: 6120960399

Mopar OEM: 5104006AB

Turbochargers Direct: TUR-101437

These models use something called a “turbo resonator” which is designed to reduce intake noise from the turbocharger. Unfortunately, this is a plastic piece in a high-temperature area, on work vans that are now 15 years or older, so it’s pretty common for them to fail and cause a boost leak which may trigger a check engine light, or even send the vehicle into limp mode if it’s bad enough.

New Factory Turbochargers: New Factory Turbochargers Replacement Turbo For 2002 2003 Sprinter 2.7L OM612 TUR-101437-FTN

New Garrett: New Genuine OEM Garrett Turbocharger For 2002 2003 Sprinter 2.7L OM612 TUR-101437-GTN

2004 - 2006 2.7L Inline 5-Cyl

Electronic Actuator

Engine Code OM647

Garrett GT2256VK

Mercedes OEM: 6470900280

Mopar OEM: 5142494AA

Turbochargers Direct: TUR-100054

These models also use a “turbo resonator” designed to reduce intake noise from the turbocharger. 

New Factory Turbochargers: New Factory Turbochargers Replacement Turbo For 2004 2005 2006 Sprinter 2.7L TUR-100054-FTN

New Garrett: New Genuine OEM Garrett Turbocharger For 2004 2005 2006 Sprinter 2.7L TUR-100054-GTN

2007 - 2009 3.0L V6

Electronic Actuator

Engine Code OM642

Garrett GTB2056VK

Mercedes OEM: 642907080

Mopar OEM: 68068195AA

Turbochargers Direct: TUR-100031

These models have lower boost hoses (most frequently the turbo-to-intercooler hose, but the intercooler-to-intake hose as well to a lesser degree) that can develop leaks over time, either right at the turbo outlet or the inside of the bend. They leak more under load, so they’re harder to diagnose in the service bay, but a smoke test or looking for oil leaks may help. Mercedes has fixed this issue for the 2010 refresh, and the updated hoses can be backdated to these models as well. Consider replacing them along with the turbo!

New Factory Turbochargers: New Factory Turbochargers Replacement Turbo For 2007 2008 2009 Sprinter 3.0L TUR-100031-FTN

New Garrett: New Genuine OEM Garrett Turbocharger For 2007 2008 2009 Sprinter 3.0L TUR-100031-GTN

2010 - 2021 3.0L BlueTec Diesel V6

Electronic Actuator

Engine Code OM642

Garrett GTB2056VK

Mercedes OEM: 6420901680 or 6420905380

Mopar OEM: 68089008AA or 68004663AA

Turbochargers Direct: TUR-100022

These models use the same basic engine as the 2007-2009 models, but with some emissions revisions. The biggest change is the addition of a urea injection system (Mercedes calls this system “BlueTec” and badges the vehicles accordingly), but this operates entirely in your vehicle’s exhaust so you don’t have to worry about it affecting any other systems. Clean and inspect EGR parts as part of normal maintenance, and these will be just as reliable as the pre-emissions models.

New Factory Turbochargers: New Factory Turbochargers Replacement Turbo For 2010 And Up Sprinter 3.0L TUR-100022-FTN

New Garrett: New Genuine OEM Garrett Turbocharger For 2010 And Up Sprinter 3.0L TUR-100022-GTN

2014 - 2017 2.1L 4-Cyl

Compound Twin / Bi-Turbo

Engine Code OM651

BorgWarner R2S-KP39, Model No. 10009880074

Mercedes OEM 6510906380

Turbochargers Direct: TUR-100159

This engine has been available in Europe and other markets since 2006, but was only first sold in the US for model year 2014. As always, if you have a non-US vehicle, please confirm any OEM part numbers off your original turbo before ordering to ensure compatibility.

Buy here: New Genuine OEM BorgWarner Turbocharger For 2014-2017 Sprinter 2500 3500 2.1L

2019-2021 2.0L Gas 4-Cyl

Engine Code M274

IHI

Mercedes OEM 2740903500

This is a new addition to the Sprinter Family, and we'll have the turbo in stock soon.