2004 Mercedes-Benz Vito 111CDI 2.2 turbo diesel

Summary:

Great looking and good to drive, but sadly falls short of the quality that is expected of Mercedes

Faults:

Accelerator pedal broke off (made from plastic, hmm)

Rear window wiper packed up (dealer fitted new switch, but still hasn't cured problem)

ESP failure warning light comes on after about 20 minutes. of driving (dealer seems unable to fix)

Floor covering has worn through already where my heel pivots to operate the accelerator pedal.

Premature & unusual wear patterns on tyres, back & front, the fronts were shot at 20,000 miles, the rears 30,000.

Airconditioning has packed up 3 times, have given up having it repaired.

Gearshift gaiter badly split through wear.

Centre arm rest ratchet broken after very short time.

Side sliding door hinges keep coming loose so that they don't shut properly.

Gearbox jumps out of first occasionally.

Corrosion on tailgate already (1 year)

General Comments:

The engine is quite torquey & is getting better with the miles.

The 110bhp engine gives the van a surprising turn of speed at times, however Mercedes have electronically limited the torque in the first two gears (so that the wheels don't spin up so easily, but the van already has traction control) ; this means you struggle to get a quick getaway on say roundabouts or junctions.

The engine too noisy at low speeds, but is reasonably quiet at motorway speeds.

The handling is very good for a van & it has a very tight turning circle.

The mirrors are the worst I've experienced on a van; they're huge, but there's no convex insert that you get on other vans & consequently you have to strain to check blindspots.

Who's idea was it to fit a foot-operated parking brake on a van with manual transmission?

With the bulkhead fitted the seat doesn't go far back enough -I'm 5'10" & feel cramped.

The dealer's technicians don't seem to have all the technical info they need to service Vito's satisfactorily.

The interior it has to be said does have a quality air about it.

There are a few nice touches such as a quick flick of the indicator stalk will initiate three flashes of the indicators for lane-changing & the window wipers revert to intermittent when you're stationary. Also the rear window wiper gives a swipe when you select reverse gear & the front wipers are on. The steering wheel is also adjustable for rake & reach.

The load space light is feeble.

Fuel economy is only average for a diesel.

The brakes take some getting used to as they feel spongey initially, but have good stopping power.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 25th June, 2005

8th Sep 2005, 15:40

Update at 43000 miles: Just had new brake pads fitted all round & a week later the pad wear light stays on all the time. The reversing lamps have stopped working. The steering wheel rim is showing signs of excessive wear & looks like the steering wheel you'd expect to see in a vehicle that's covered 100,000 miles, not 43,000. The electric windows are getting very noisy. The jumping out of first gear is getting worse. Minor service coming up soon, hopefully some of these problems will be sorted. My boss asked me today what van I would like next year when they change it. I'm leaning toward a VW Transporter

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2004 Mercedes-Benz Vito 109 CDI diesel

Summary:

Do not buy a Mercedes Vito

Faults:

Drivers door - Bolts come loose.

Dead battery most mornings.

Side door leaks.

Turbo system bracket snapped.

Driver's seat worn at 1000m.

Radio reception is crap.

Wheel covers always falling off.

Oil sensors went faulty.

Pollen filter was missing.

Passengers door dropped and wore the wing.

General Comments:

The can looks nice, but it was very unreliable. The dealers did not want to help.

They had 12 attempts at repairing van, but failed.

They replaced a part to stop the alarm draining the battery, but it did not have an alarm.

We have now rejected this van, and Mercedes have collected it and given us a full refund. Only 11 months old.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 19th February, 2005

23rd Apr 2005, 15:47

My father-in-law is having electrical problems too with his Vito 109. Its had a flat battery five times in 6 months despite having three new batteries and the problem allegedly being traced to the upper control panel. He wants to get his money back and go back to a Transit- his last one was 10 years old and never a problem in that time. How did you get a refund after 11 months?

Neal Hill.

5th Dec 2005, 12:42

It wouldn't be so bad if the dealers were helpful, but the're not & they're also bloody expensive. Van of the year 2005? Is someone having a laugh?

19th Jul 2009, 13:19

Do not think the build quality of Mercedes Vito's is very good, as mine has got rust appearing in several places and the dealer says that Mercedes are willing to repair the fault, but only if I pay 60% of the cost. This percentage relates to approx. £650.00, The vehicle is only 5 years old and it has supposedly got a 12 year paint and bodywork warranty. Other incidental parts have fallen off and I have got fed up of putting them back on, so now I don't. Gearbox has never worked properly supposed been fixed but has not, got fed up with that as well, you can only ask and try so long. Track rod end worn badly but missed in service, it was diagnosed by a one man band independent self employed mechanic.

1st Oct 2009, 15:08

Hi my 2005 Mercedes Vito 109 duiliner will not go over 70mph. I replaced the air flow valve under the oil reservoir and it went over 70mph for about 30 seconds, then went back into fault mode and will not go over 70mph again. Can anyone help me out as the main dealers are very expensive.