NHTSA Complaint #11470956 — 2020 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 2500

There is a problem with the engine control parameters which occurs at higher altitudes. The vehicle will not produce adequate power. This is not simply normal power loss related to density altitude. This is a malfuntion where the vehicle does not respond to the throttle, and produces only about 2psi of turbo boost even upon extended application of full throttle. This problem occurs only on sprinter 4x4 models with the OM642 diesel motor. I experienced this problem for the first time yesterday when pulling onto a 2 lane highway at 7,000 feet in the sierra nevada. The vehicle began to move but as I turned uphill to cross the highway it produced no power and I was stuck straddling the center line on a blind curve. Extremely dangerous. Had to turn the vehicle off and restart it and it behaved normally until later in the day, on a steep remote 4x4 road. Unable to climb a small hill due to lack of power. Could not be resolved through any combination of turning off, waiting, warm-up periods, activating/de-activating traction control etc. Had to use winch to climb mild grade. This issue is well known to the Sprinter community and has been repeatedly reported to Mercedes Benz USA with no response or resolution. There are no warnings, messages, store error codes etc associated with this issue. Many descriptions of this behaviour can be found online: https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/106595/ https://windinmyface.com/Sprinter-Issues_Breakdowns-WillNotMove_RPMsDropEngineLugs.html https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/103019/#post-1130969 https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/94746/ There are many more. This is a known issue, relating to engine control software, that is very dangerous and the manufacturer has taken no steps to remedy. It is beyond time for regulatory intervention. Thank you.