written by manaboutvan on 06/06/2014
I owned a 05 Merc van for light building work and like most guys got sucked in by good looks but never again!! Endless problems. Yes it really does chew up the outer edge of front tyres very very fast,both electric windows failed and expensive to fix,alternator had to be replaced twice within 3yrs, engine bonnet release never worked, rear suspension springs had to be replaced along with a clunking noise from the front suspension and lots of road noise.Gearbox like and old tractor clunked into 2nd gear, nice having the 6 speed box though. Paint quality very poor and rust started to show. Had major problems with keys not starting the vehicle took 3 weeks to get sorted with ignition sensors being pulled apart,keys re coded etc,more $$$ Plastic outside door protectors fell off I glued them back on, plastic headlight lenses crazed badly from sun, steering wheel outer broke down due to heat/sun.Cup holders broke very early on, radiator hose fell off while driving emptied out water, lucky I had tools onboard and refixed hose back tight. Way too much plastic even plastic front guards. Now good things,impressive fuel economy, plenty of torque,6 speed gear box, looks good and that's about all. Now have a Hyundai i load CDI very pleased much much better build quality and no problems.
written by 46McFadden on 04/05/2014
great engine ,but the body work is so rusty , you would think I lived by the sea, went to my local Mercedes dealer , because there is a ten year paint warranty , I had no joy , to keep the weight down they spray the van lightly. my van looks terrible when I turn up for a job , I will leave the van looking rusty , to show other people in the building trade to stay clear , such a good advertisement for Mercedes driving around in a rust bucket , very disappointed with the van and Mercedes dealership
written by Fishermanandy01 on 25/10/2012
Having owned a 110 cdi which was great, I must say im very disappointed. Poor suspension issues and always a knocking noise from somewhere,gear selection terrible and now losing power occasionally with rubbish fuel economy. From rust issues on the earlier models this still has not been addressed and as mentioned tracking is always an issue.
written by STASELL on 03/08/2012
I am owner of Vito 111 Extra long 2007, shame for Mercedes so far in my experience on Vito put me of on Mercedes VANS and CARS, the Vito worse van ever I had. I ask many people who’s have Vito they told me same thing, electric ways very bad every day different light coming on in dash cost way dear to fix and body get rust everywhere making nose, I advise every one don’t spend your money to buy Mercedes Vito VAN or other merc VAN not worthy. Just go get transit van or any other I am sure much better you make right dissection better then Mercedes don’t go for name, I am very regret to bought the Vito spend over £10000 :( contact me if you have any question [email protected]
written by stevenneary on 11/09/2011
I have had my vito for 2 years now and in that time have had my vito back to mercedes about 6 times. I had a problem with the engine management system they fixed that. I had a problem with the tracking I told them again and again and they said it was okay even after I went through 2 pairs of wheels costing £170 a pair in the end I tike it to a local garage. They said the tracking was well out so they fixed it. Brakes are always going. I've gone through 2 sets of Mercedes Vito 111CDI Brake Disc (rear) and like I said the van is 2 years old.
written by on 26/04/2010
took van back at 3000 mile noise from front tyres
tod nothing wrong
took back at 6000 mile tyre on front both left and right outsides are bald
merc told me go away
never again
written by larrydog on 04/03/2010
Owned a 109 short wheel-base vito from new, First new vehical I've ever owned so looked after it well, washed it every week, serveced at mb dealership, only does light work and currently has only 52,000 miles on the clock. What a waste of time rust everywhere!!! Mb warrenty stands for nothing. Plus all the other suspension problems, and this van is only used as a florist delivery van, not exactly working it hard. I think it will be VW next time for me.
written by mattb88 on 09/02/2010
I have owned my vito 111 long for four and a half years. 3 months out of warranty and the 2nd gear synchro went (mb din't want to know). It has 3 holes rusted through in the roof where the mb roof rack is fitted which let in water. There is rust on the underside of the bonnet, stone chips turn to rust in days and then spread under the paint. Rust from the inside on the tailgate around the handle and the middle of the pannel. Rust on the bottom of doors, seams inside and out. 3 shocks have gone recently, 2 rear springs, the front tyres scrub and last about 10k (tracking and camber are fine. Steering wheel vibration (balance is fine). turbo inter-cooler cracked (£450) . Van is not fit for purpose and i am discussing options with MB which include legal action. Its only done 55k with light loads. Should be worth about 5.5k but offered £1800 px and it would never sell privately..
It now sits on the drive i refuse to waste any more money on it and have bought a VW transporter. Don't buy they are S*!T
written by on 20/11/2009
I have had the van just over two and half years. It that time it has eaten through 2 set of tyres plus it has gone through 2 sets of front shocks, various tie rods and anti roll bar bushes. The tracking has been redone 3 times. The van has traveled only 42000 miles in its entire life and I have driven just over 25000 with light loads. These vans have a problem with the steering racks plus they and inclined to rust. The electrics are also going to give you problems. Buyer beware
written by on 20/10/2009
Had this mercedes for 12 months.Rust is the big problem with this van.I thought mercedes had some kind of rust warranty?Selected reverse drove 4 feet and rear coil spring snapped!Had 4 rolls of loft insulation in the back.Have never carried anything heavy in the van.Asked mercedes about this there reply (no we ve not heard of this problem but we do sell a quite a few springs)parts sales person! says it all
written by on 05/06/2009
Have owend a Mercedes Benz vito van for past 5 years - only has 52,000 on the clock..
I have spent £12,000 in the past two years keeping it alive!
new steering rack, new computer unit, new alternator x2 (the 2nd one was damaged due a leaking diesel pump??) new diesel pump, new sensor here and there, new shocks at the front, new engine mounts the list goes on... and today something else flew off while i was driving and black smoke filled the cab... I have owned this from new and looked after it with regular servicing new tyres every year (because they seem to wear out very quickly) new bulbs every other month... I spoke to mercedes and complained, i also requested they meet me half way with the bills and they said sorry sir it's out of warranty not our problem....
written by Fat Frank on 16/03/2009
Bought a VITO new in Oct 04 and within first month rust appeared which the dealer did address after many phone calls.
The rust reappeared in the same places plus more rust inside the van on internal seams.
The van scrubs front tyres on outer edges. It has had a new steering rack at 70 k new rear suspension at 85 K .
I'm the only person who drives the van and it does not carry heavy loads.
Had a VW Transporter for 7yrs before with no such problems in 240 K miles of work
written by kalliope on 26/01/2009
The Vito Mercedes-Benz I think is the best van of all, because is so comfortable and so practical for a family with a lot of members! Thank you! It's a magic van and so beautiful too...
written by Gungeybaby on 12/01/2009
I have owned long wheel based 111 since june 2007,July 2007 electrical faults appearred,snce MB have repaired investigated
on 8 occasions including the last visit for two and a half weeks.,MB finance who currently own the vehicle { on hire purchase} claim to resolve any issue within 6 weeks!
The technicians didn't seem to know what they were doing, they plug in the diagnostics and stare at it blankly and I quote " we have found 36 faults with your vehicle but not the faults you have described"I have also had to replace the nearside trye for excessive wear to one-side for what is described as "roundabout syndrome",
What should a good product is let down by bad after-sales service.
written by mblundred on 28/07/2008
This 2005 Mercedes Vito is good to drive and looks considerably better than it's competitors.
But my first Mercedes has still been a big disapointment due to manufacturing and support.
It has only had a couple of mechanical failures, quite impresive for 125000 miles. But, rusting bodywork is unacceptable.
On a commercial vehicle, money is what counts. My local Mercedes service agent charges almost £100 per hour and each repair has had to be corrected at least once.
I refuse to pay that rate for these guys to learn.
After putting it in for a repair, it came back with the fuel tank breather hose kinked. This caused the fuel pump to fail.
Warrenty repaired it but the van couldn't work for 4 days.
I requested an explination from the agent and Mercedes customer support as to why the hose had been moved and both dismissed the issue without answering.
I am now looking for a replacement and it seems my custom will return to VW.
written by on 05/05/2008
My Mercedes Benz Vito is 4 years and 4 months old. 51.000 miles. It has not been used for heavy work. I am a printing press engineer. All it is used for is carrying tools and occasionally personal stuff. The most weight it has carried is a fridge freezer. Considering it has had 2 new shock accsorbers, 1 spring, radiator problems, fuel consumption is not good and has had serious rust problems, it is not good value. Merc don't want to know about ongoing rust problems. I will be changing as soon as possible.
written by on 11/01/2008
Nice van if it works. Don't give Mercedes your cash. The quality of their product has improved since a few years ago but it is still not good enough. This was the most expensive van I looked at and could have got a better built vehicle with another dealer for thousands less. I have wasted days of my working time driving the van to the other side of town to the dealer and sitting waiting for the repair or loading all of the materials/tools into the loan van and then back for my van ,unloading /loading.
written by ray convery on 23/07/2007
Mercedes would take no responsibility whatsoever. Each time I spoke to somebody different they kept informing me that the radio was not the original one but seemed to get flustered when I informed them that they installed the radio/sat nav system.
written by brucei17 on 24/03/2007
I have owned my Mercedes-Benz VITO 111CDI LWB Extra Long now for nearly 2 years and I cannot express my complete disappointment, distrust and disgust with not only the vehicle but also the complete lack of support from Mercedes.
Since new, I have had major suspension problems, from noises like twisting metal, to banging noises from the suspension. On full lock the van crabs to such an extent that you cannot use full lock.
The van wanders across the road and the steering wheel cannot be straight when driving in a straight line (been told its normal).
I have done 30000 miles and am on my 3rd set of tyres. All the suspension mods have been done and replaced. The van has been tracked 6 times, and undergone a full geometry check! However the tyres on the front of the van still wear on the edges drastically. The current set of tyres are only 3000 miles old and are near illegal.
The dealer has paid for two sets of front tyres so far and all the tracking visits, however to date I have been without the van for 20+ days. Initially the dealer was useless and has taken a very heated me to get them to respond.
To date they have done all that Mercedes say can be done, but I am still left with a defective vehicle that quite frankly I am forced to avoid motorways etc.
This is not a disgruntled customer with nothing better to do, but just a hard working guy that expects a working, safe van. When you pay over 22k for a van, is this too much too ask?
written by Jon Starkey on 15/05/2005
I have had my Mercedes-Benz VITO 111CDI LWB Extra Long van for just over a year & done 20,000 miles. In this time the following has happened to it/been replaced on it:
It is on it's third set of front tyres due to excessive tire wear on the outside edge. Each set lasts about 9000 miles then its illegal.
The van has been re-tracked on three occasions, the first time took 4 1/2 hours & then had to be returned for stearing wheel re-alignment.
It is on its third set of wheel trims due to them flying off randomly.
It is on its second ashtray, the first one pulled out of the dashboard complete with all the wireing.
It is on its second glovebox lid.
The rubber fitted floor carpet has split.
The door hinges and mountings have gone rusty twice. There is also rust coming through the paintwork on the rear doors.
The side loading door was so far out of alignment that when you closed it it hit the drivers door. This has been recitified by the dealer three times, paintwork re-done twice. It still is not sealing. The same side door also stuck & could not be opened.
There was no wheel nut removal tool in the tool kit (found this out when I got a puncture, waited three hour for Merc Recovery).
The Drivers side front strutt was replaced last week as it had failed and was very noisy. At the same time I told the Dealer there was a knocking coming from thr drivers side suspension, it could also be felt through the steering. This was not found my the dealer.
It has just had two gears & synchro replaced.
I have spent the last week being 'niggled' by the knocking that the Dealer COULD NOT find, so this saturday morning I got an MOT specialist to have a look. Within 30 seconds he found the very badly worn track rod end (drivers side) that was causing the knocking. I was told that it was an MOT failure (remember it is ONE YEAR OLD), very dangerous & should not be driven at all as the wheel could come off & cause an accident!
Mercedes Benz Dealer was not interested (they had adjusted the tracking only a few days before & had been told it knocked).
The Main Dealer knows very little about the vehicle, they are not interested & treat me like a fool.
Legal action is being commenced.
Written on: 26/05/2005
I used to own a vito 110, had an awful knocking on the front end, put it on full lock it felt like youv'e run over something.
Got myself a transporter T30 174 awesome bit of kit. recommended.
Written on: 08/03/2009
Hi my name is Jeff and I have a vito sport 7 months old 8,000 miles and just put 2 new tyres on the front same probs as you also knocking the front main dealer doesn,t want to know this van cost £21000,00 plus VAT
Written on: 06/03/2007
Thanks for the reviews and comments guys, I was dead set on a SWB 111 but not so sure know. Will have to think a bit longer.
Written on: 30/04/2006
Sorry to hear your problems...I've got the same, Had it for 18 months now, same probklems all the time, rust is also now appearing on hidden bodywork such as welding joints, etc. Thinking of my next move now...
Written on: 13/01/2006
I have had similar problems to those described, the poor after sales service upsets me the most. Things were much better when Mercedes car dealers looked after light commercials but MBUK know best!
<br>The tyre wear problem is caused by the tyres folding under when turning on a full lock. You can almost feel the rubber rolling off, which is due to poor steering geometry by design. I have improved mine by fitting springs from the people carrier which has lowered the suspension and increased the camber. Overall, good looking van but very disappointing to own.
Written on: 02/12/2005
Yes I had the track rod end bush changed, and like your Vito it was shot basically. It was OK for 6 weeks then the infernal knocking returned.
Written on: 30/11/2005
Yep, got the same tyre wear problem as you at 9000 miles & 13 months old. The local tyre centre said it was not the tracking at fault and to contact the dealer. Dealer said it would cost me about £230 to diagnose the problem and the cost of rectifying the fault would also fall to me. NOT IMPRESED. Considering my next move.
Written on: 28/10/2005
I have to say that I am very surprised to hear that you have had so much trouble with your Vito 111 LWB and that your Dealer seems to know so little and doesn't want to help. Maybe you should come down to sunny Suffolk and purchase your next one as I have had no problems since Purchasing my New Vito late last year. I would definitely recommend the Vito and will buy another once my finance agreement ends. I have to say that my local Dealer was nothing but helpful throughout my purchase and when I have returned for servicing I have been given a first class experience!
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Lupussarcina's Response to stevenneary's Review
Written on: 29/03/2014
We have had ours for nearly 9yrs now and it has done 76,000 and we are still on the original brakes.
Our main problem with it is front springs 2 in 2010 and now 2 more 2014