Mercedes-Benz Drops “Built in the USA” Sprinter Van Ads After TINA.org Warning

Mercedes-Benz has dropped “built in the USA” claims from its marketing for the 2019 Sprinter van after an inquiry by the nonprofit Truth in Advertising (TINA.org), the group reported on April 9, 2019.

What TINA.org found

• Mercedes-Benz ran a national campaign promoting the 2019 Sprinter as “built in the USA” at its new $500 million plant in South Carolina. The claim appeared on TV, radio, Mercedes’ website, social media and internet ads.
• In a sample of 2,390 2019 Sprinters listed for sale online by USA Mercedes-Benz dealers, TINA.org found about 90% were imported from Germany.
• TINA.org said the remaining vans appeared to be only assembled in South Carolina and contained significant foreign parts.

The FTC treats “built in the USA” the same as “made in the USA.” Both require a product to be “all or virtually all” made in the USA.

What changed

TINA.org sent a warning letter on March 22, 2019, saying it would notify the FTC unless Mercedes took corrective action. About two weeks later, the company pulled a TV commercial titled “If I Built a Van,” removed the claim from a national radio ad and took the claims off its website and social media.

Mercedes told TINA.org it was “modifying the current marketing campaign to focus on the jobs and capital invested in the United States.” Based on those changes, TINA.org decided not to file an FTC complaint at the time.

Production of the new Sprinter at the North Charleston plant later expanded; see our January 2021 post.

FAQ

Why did TINA.org challenge the ads?

It found about 90% of 2019 Sprinters listed by USA dealers were imported from Germany, and those assembled in South Carolina had significant foreign parts.

Is “built in the USA” different from “made in the USA”?

No. The FTC treats the two claims as the same.

Did TINA.org file an FTC complaint?

No. Mercedes removed the claims, so TINA.org decided not to escalate at the time.