Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 176,558 tests

Pass rate climbs 12.9 points across the cohorts — newer Vito examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 135,282

Pass

71.6%

Fail

21.7%

PRS

5.8%

Avg mileage at test

152,463 mi

2018–2020 cohort 33,429

Pass

79.8%

Fail

14.8%

PRS

4.4%

Avg mileage at test

90,016 mi

2021+ cohort 7,847

Pass

84.5%

Fail

10.9%

PRS

3.5%

Avg mileage at test

58,720 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 3

Mercedes Benz Vito · UK market

Mercedes Benz Vito 1996-2003 — 1996–2003

Mercedes Benz Vito 2003-2014 — 2003–2014

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Mercedes Benz Vito: mixed MOT record across 117,162 tests

The Mercedes Benz Vito is a diesel-powered van sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 117,162 tests puts this van on a 71.9% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 133,419 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by fractured or weakened suspension spring.

The Vito's pass rate warrants caution in the used market. Factor in likely first-test remedial work on the common failure items and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the specific items this van trips on most.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 26–36

Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

26–36

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

8,057 occurrences · 4.6% of tests
02

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

4,414 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
03

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

4,281 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
04

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

4,263 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
05

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

3,069 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
06

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

3,047 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
07

Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

2,616 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
08

Parking brake inoperative on one side

2,573 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
09

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

2,415 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
10

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value

2,338 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures

£168–£515

If every one of this Vito's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 12.9-point gap between bands means the year you buy Mercedes Benz Vito has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

84.5%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 84.5% — a 12.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 58,720 miles — roughly 94K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, blade defective — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

71.6%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 71.6% pass rate against a fleet average of 84.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and efficiency below requirements. Average mileage on test for this band is 152,463 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (84.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (71.6% pass). That's a 12.9-point spread across 135,282 older tests and 7,847 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Denso

Denso W14E Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16EX-U Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16FSR Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W9LM-US Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Recall history

1 UK recall on record.

The Vito has 1 official UK vehicle recall covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Vito?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Vito and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.