Is the Mercedes-Benz Vito reliable?

On MOT evidence the Mercedes-Benz Vito is below average. It passes 71.0% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 161 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Mercedes-Benz Vito?

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 19.2% of failed Mercedes-Benz Vito tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Mercedes-Benz Vito?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 24.2% of all Mercedes-Benz Vito tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Mercedes-Benz Vito usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 143,222 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Which Mercedes-Benz Vito years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Mercedes-Benz Vito cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 77.0%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 57.6%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Mercedes-Benz Vito get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 77.0% of Mercedes-Benz Vito tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 57.6%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Model reliability file

Mercedes-Benz Vito MOT pass rate & common failures

From 85,285 recorded MOT tests of the Mercedes-Benz Vito, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Mercedes-Benz Vito passes 71.0% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is below average, ranking it 161 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 85,285 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, which appears in 19.2% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 143,222 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

71.0%national average72.3%unadjusted67.2%range covered99%rank161 of 262

The Vito is 1.3 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is below average. The unadjusted figure is 67.2%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Mercedes-Benz Vito tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened19.2%
4,310 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
2.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement15.2%
3,409 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn11.0%
2,458 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements9.7%
2,174 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction8.6%
1,923 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
6.Parking brake inoperative on one side7.9%
1,775 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
7.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning7.7%
1,727 occurrencesLamp not working explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.3%
1,647 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
9.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired7.3%
1,645 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
10.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.3%
1,639 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Mercedes-Benz Vito tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements24.2%
20,641 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.0%
10,251 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded11.6%
9,925 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
4.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users7.5%
6,428 tests
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.0%
6,007 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged5.6%
4,763 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn4.3%
3,683 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn4.1%
3,534 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Mercedes-Benz Vito

The 19 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

Known faults

Mercedes-Benz Vito common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a Vito, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

Vito common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

Vito pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Mercedes-Benz Vito passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202277%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201973%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201667%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201364%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier58%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer Vito outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Vito fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 143,222
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel99.6%

Trim names grouped into this model (27)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

VITO 109CDI
VITO 110 PROGRESSIVE CDI
VITO 110 PURE CDI
VITO 110CDI TOURER PRO
VITO 111 CDI
VITO 113
VITO 114 BLUETEC
VITO 114 CDI
VITO 114 PROGRESSIVE + CDI
VITO 114 PROGRESSIVE CDI
VITO 114 TOURER PRO
VITO 114CDI TOURER PRO
VITO 114CDI TOURER SELECT
VITO 116 BLUETEC
VITO 116 SELECT CDI AUTO
VITO 116 SPORT CDI AUTO
VITO 116CDI TOURER PRO AUTO
VITO 116CDI TOURER SELECT AUTO
VITO 116CDI TOURER SPORT AUTO
VITO 119 CDI
VITO 119 SELECT CDI AUTO
VITO 119 SPORT CDI AUTO
VITO 119CDI TOURER SPORT AUTO
VITO 122 CDI DUALINER A
VITO CREW VAN
VITO TOURER
VITO V350

Check a specific Mercedes-Benz Vito

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Mercedes-Benz models

Mercedes-Benz A-Class — 73.3% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz C-Class — 77.0% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz E-Class — 78.5% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz GLA — 82.3% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz GLC — 85.9% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz CLA — 78.6% adjusted
All Mercedes-Benz models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Fiat Panda — 65.2% adjusted, ranked 220
Land Rover Range Rover — 82.4% adjusted, ranked 33
Nissan X-Trail — 70.5% adjusted, ranked 167
Dacia Duster — 66.7% adjusted, ranked 208

Common questions

Is the Mercedes-Benz Vito reliable?: On MOT evidence the Mercedes-Benz Vito is below average. It passes 71.0% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 161 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Mercedes-Benz Vito?: The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 19.2% of failed Mercedes-Benz Vito tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Mercedes-Benz Vito?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 24.2% of all Mercedes-Benz Vito tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Mercedes-Benz Vito usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 143,222 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Which Mercedes-Benz Vito years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Mercedes-Benz Vito cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 77.0%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 57.6%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Mercedes-Benz Vito get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 77.0% of Mercedes-Benz Vito tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 57.6%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.