1997 Mercedes-Benz Vito 110 TDI 2.3

Summary:

The car of the year - for a masochist

Faults:

Everything:

Oil leaks.

Water leaks.

Double alternator failure.

Broken pulleys.

Broken doors.

Broken ashtray.

Broken steering system.

Blocked gear.

Disintegrating tyres, etc...

General Comments:

In short: every month another surprise and it is always the first time this failure occurs following my MB garage. MB already gave me a new engine, a new water system, two new turbo systems and new tyres in the first months. Bit by bit they became more reticent to accept responsibilty.

They were only ready to change this Spanish built "monday-in-the-middle-of-the-holiday-season" car if I was ready to pay for the higher price + half of the value of the old (1 year old) car. All the options were lost in this proposal. Apparently the problems with this 1997 model are very well known to MB but no solution is offered.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 14th December, 2000

23rd Jan 2001, 17:48

You have my sympathy. We bought a new Merc V-Class. It was an auto model though it was delivered with a clutch pedal fitted!

We had a total of thirty plus faults in the first fifteen months of ownership.

The dealer and Mercedes were as unhelpful as they could have been and didn`t really seem the slightest bit bothered. We will never buy another Merc and every opportunity I have I tell people about our terrible experience. To my delight I have persuaded at least ten people not to buy from Mercedes-Benz. I will keep up this effort till the day I die. They treated us terribly.

1997 Mercedes-Benz Vito 110D 2.3 turbo diesel

Summary:

One sentence? I could write a (horror-) book about it...

Faults:

Engine (44,000 kms).

Aircon.

Driver's seat.

Auto-transmission.

Brakes.

Several small items (lights, switches etc...)

General Comments:

I had to wait 7 months to get it (although they promised 3 at first).

The time when MB-cars where known as "just fill it up and ride it" have long been gone...).

It's impossible to ride from one service interval to the other without something going wrong.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 18th September, 2000

15th Mar 2001, 22:39

I've now been waiting since October for my new 110CDI. Having been given 11 different delivery dates I am now starting to lose faith even before I receive it. As you can guess I am still waiting... Thanks a lot MB!!!

4th Aug 2001, 21:13

I am on the verge of purchasing a secondhand Vito, as yours it is of 1997 and the 110 turbo diesel model with air con and 115000 kms on the clock. But now that I have read this I hesitate, especially as I have noticed that the van already seems to have been on sale for an abnormally long time (over three months).