1999 Mercedes-Benz Vito 108 CDI review from Finland
"Looks and drives great, but fails miserably reliability-wise"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The handbrake never worked properly.
Uneven tire wear.
Rear wiper fluid pump doesn't work.
The ventilation fan is ineffective and noisy.
The Eberspächer diesel powered heater doesn't work.
An inner drive joint died, and the entire drive shaft had to be replaced.
Speedometer recently died. However, the odometer still works for some reason.
Rust here and there.
For some reason, one of the headlights points too far up.
General comments?
The Vito is the best looking van so far, and it's great to drive. It is not too slow either, considering it has the 86hp base engine. The performance is nothing to write home about, though.
It's painfully under-equipped. No power windows, no adjustable steering wheel. Not even central locking, something you would expect a 1999 Mercedes to have. Locking four doors with the key gets really old really fast.
The interior is nowhere near the standards of MB passenger cars. Cheap plastics everywhere.
The manual gearstick is... well.. weird, but works. I would choose the automatic version if I'd get to pick again.
Recommended reviews
| Good, but shouldn't rust at three years old! |
|
| Was a dog, now is mean to drive |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | Commonrail turbo diesel Manual |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 40000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 96000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Toyota Hi-lux |
| Date of Entry | 20th May, 2004 |