The corrosion on Mercedes’ vans always amazes me, you regularly see 2 year old sprinters for example with rust scabs coming through the paint on the outside, but generally underneath they are sound, but that van is very crunchy indeed
We had a fleet of Mercedes sprinters as soon as they turned 4 years old the rust started and it was also in patches all over the place and it spread quickly. Even Transits never rusted as quickly as Mercedes do.
I bought a 2001 ' Y ' Mk5 Escort 55 van at 50.5k miles which I bought from BT in 2005 for £3,500.In the early years , had access to a ramp and liberally sprayed Waxoyl everywhere annually and squirted motorcycle chain lube into the sills through the trim fixing screws .The body remains immaculate but got an advisory last year on sill rust starting to appear .It has been so utterly reliable over 17 years and cost very little to run & maintain ,I am loathe to give up on it and worried about a replacement being less so and too complicated and cannot afford the huge costs vans are now , even a high mileage one that most appear to be .It has now covered 114K miles .I feel I am going to get it inspected a few months before the MOT and probably give it another chance - what should I do ? .It is often admired too !!
I had a Seat Alhambra Y reg from new. After 10 years it had done half a million miles on the clock. Same engine and gear box, clutch at 300,000 turbo similar time. Just regular servicing and cam belt/ water pump replacement. Brilliant car 1.9 diesel.
A family member has a VW Sharan 1.9tdi 115bhp 10 reg, it was the very last one VW made before they changed to the new shape and went to the newer shitty 2.0tdi engine. The old 1.9tdi engines were so good, nothing like the crap that is made now, yes the new ones are more refined but everyone I know with a car with the old 1.9tdi PD engines have really high mileage but still drive so nice with the proper oil and service regiment, and the parts are so cheap for them too.
I have a 2010 1.8t mk1 Sharan, it has less than 100.000 miles, and I absolutely hate it. the most uncomfortable car I've ever had and the interior is Shit, the plastic noises are unbearable
A mate of mine had 2 of them, I they both turned into premature rust deposits the metal was appalling & they did require some expensive mechanical repairs. I know they get bad press sometimes & I’m sure people will have some horror stories but I’ve had 2 Renault trafic’s & currently running a crewcab Vauxhall Vivaro. Done well over 300000 miles between the 3 of them, they’ve been very reliable & never let me down. Also rust has never been a problem because I believe they’ve got galvanised bodies, you never seem to see a rusty one & the m8 that had the 2 Vito’s is now on his second trafic & his have been just as reliable. Keeping them well serviced (regular oil & filter changes) & running on premium diesel is key in my opinion.
As you say, they are not designed to last bodywise. Designed to do 200K plus miles in 6 years. And the chassis cabs then used for mobile homes and they rot out in the same way as they don't have the rust protection in them. Not to mention that Merc's of that era are well known for tin worm problems. At some point you usually have to admit that you are fighting a loosing battle...
all mercedes, cars and vans, in the early 2000's were rust buckets, as they stopped galvanizing the panels to save money. There was that many complaints, especially from car drivers about their cars going rusty after only 4 or 5 years, that mercedes went back to galvanizing and properly rust proofing in the late 2000's....they even offered a 30 year anti corrosion warranty to bring back the faith for owners in mercedes.
My dad has a 2008 Renault traffic. With. 20030 miles that still has the original clutch.apart from service items it’s only had a battery, an alternator,and last year new injectors. Everything else is original. And no rust at all on the body
In 1976 I bought new Leyland Marina van and it rusted just like your Vito! At 6 months old scabby rust from under paint in random places!!! But mechanically sound! Monika looking very nice!!!
Been there Alan saying goodbye to a faithful old friend, I don't think it will be scraped its a days work to a skilled welder, never mind get yours self a nice car something that the ladies will like, better go I think I have something in my eye.
All vans seem to be the same, I've just bought a 2002 Citroen Relay and the rust is the worst I have ever seen. Complete inner and outer sills, plus wheels arches etc. They need waxoyling from new, only way to keep them going. Your vito isn't too bad, done well for its mileage!
Scrap man !!!!! Your bloody crazy, put it on ebay, spares or repair , PREFERABLY with the mot failure sheet showing in the advert, honest description, you'll get a LOT more dosh that way mate, it IS your OWN personal van, isn't it ?
You got to grow up indeed. The same as I did four years ago when I scrapped the shitbox MK1 and moved into the palace MK 4. I forgot about the shitbox pretty soon and it felt like finally being mature at the age of 48. Go for it champ, you'll find a new and better car
My one through a rod at 400,000 miles and I still drove it from the recovery truck to the workshop And the stupid thing they don't have an oil pressure switch but it has got a light in the dash and if you don't believe me phone a main dealer and ask for a price of a switch and they will sell you an oil level sensor
Early to mid 2000s mercedes, surprised it lasted this long. The bonnet on my C class was covered in rust spots when I left it outside for a couple of weeks when I went on holiday. Lancia's had better metal.
Bought a Kia Rio cheap as the front bearing on both sides were shot. Did your trick and bought two complete hubs off eBay. Fitted them, kept the old hubs with the intention of having the local garage press me new bearings in when the eBay ones gave way. Ran the car for 30k miles before I had to scrap it. Fuel tank rotted through, all the scrappers had rotten tanks too and all the factors wanted £500. Hubs are still sat in my shed though.
Sad 😞 but don’t worry Alan you catch good one soon Good luck, Ps. Now vito’s is not the same like yours one go forever!!! To much headache 🤕 with dpf computers etc. i remember my Ford connect 1.8d she ( Bessie) go forever, engine before I exchange for new van had 275k on the clock and start from touch! Thank you for the great 👍 video
I bought an 05 vito and converted it to a camper. Spent everyweeked finding new area of rust the old owner had filled over. After a year of welding and body work i gave in and replaced it with 12 plate vito. Was best move ever new vito hasnt got a spot of rust on it.
Used car prices are unreal and doesn't seem they'll be coming down anytime soon. Good luck with hunting! Nice to see that you and Monica are having good time 😊
A roll of duct tape(Or aluminium tape if you're feeling flash)a thick coat of underseal and get Stevie Wonder to MOT it and run it for another year🤣🤣 My brother in law just paid €1,700 to have his 08 Transit ST welded up for another year,still cheaper than buying an unknown replacement. A mate recently purchased a Merc crew cap,with the 3.0 V6 turbodiesel, goes like shit off a shovel according to him,but very juicy though😂
My in-laws have one of these (but the bus version) at the farm. We condemned it a few years ago due to rust. Still use it to collect fire wood on the farm.
We left the UK 22 years ago, I dont miss the rust thats for sure, my last Vito was on its way out as was my Sprinter, bloody shame really, I put thousands on the Vito and loved every minute of it, stuff doesnt rust where we are now but I still miss a good Curry and proper roastie
They’re shocking. Have a 2009 120 imported from southern uk in 2016. Under back of it once a year tidying up for equivalent of MOT here in Ireland. This week working on corner of front sills behind bottom of front wings. Effing thing is rotting from the inside out. And it spends most of its time indoors. Someday drivetrain will overtake the body 🫣. Over £1k recently spent upgrading to auto climate to include finding ac condenser buggered from ally rust and intercooler leaking also. Such a shame, these parts of northern hemisphere just too much water in the air all year round. Only kept local market in mind when they made these in Vitoria. 😫
Running an old Mercedes is expensive business. I let go my 190e a few years ago after 18 years (plus 7 years by previous owner) and I could not have bothered with more ongoing repairs (bodywork still decent though). My one owner from new 95 Mk 7 Corolla had given me only around 5% of problems (all easy and not expensive to fix) to that of the 190e and I am still driving the Corolla daily.
Great video mate, enjoyed it, My brother had the earlier Vito and it rotted very quickly, I think he said they were made in Spain and didn't appear to have much paint, He p/x it for the later Volkswagen, I think similar to yours, had it for a while and then suffered diesel run away ! 😳 Luckily he was able to get it in sixth gear and stall it before it hand grenaded itself !
We have a 86 sierra mk1 xr4x4, it's only seen the welder for the first time this year, for a tiny amount on the rear sill....shocking amount of rust on the van, i heard Mercedes of the early and mid 00's was bad....
Hi Alan, that is a good lot of life you got out of it,and maybe some parts of it will live on for awhile,I bet you will miss it, let us know what you replacement will be,, And thanks for the excellent work you did replacing the front headlight on my car, Look forward to your next video. Kind regards.
Hi Alan.I had a similar rust bucket which was a ex taxi 1998 escort estate 1.8td which a bought really cheap with a broken cambelt.replaced the valves and belts then ran it for 100k miles with 380k miles on the clock.the engine never used any oil but like your van,I just got sick of welding patches and spending time to get it through the mot every year.
Got rid of my 2008 Vito with 400K on it pleased to see it go , got an Peugeot Expert auto oh what a difference pleasure to go anywhere in it definitely think automatic on the next one
I had from brand new a 2001 Vito which served me great but became a rust bucket which I repaired year on year. To be fair it was a fantastic van but I had the brakes fail on me which thank god was on the flat at 30mph when covid lock down was on so very little traffic on the roads. The last MOT fail estimate was £3000 to fix so I had to say goodbye. £500 scrap value which I thought wasn’t bad.
Get another Vito Alan , there must be a decent one out there somewhere at a reasonable price . After 16 years its a little emotional to part with the old rust bucket. Lots of happy memories anyway . Thought you were going to throw Monika over your back and gallop off into the sunset when she reappeared suddenly !!
The achilles heel of early noughties mercs was rust. Great engine and gearbox. Shite water based paintwork mate was the problem. If the bodys had of been galvanised. Bought a 93 astra van in 1995, ex royal mail, rusted to bits in less than 5 years. I had a 2002 c220cdi, pit 275,000 miles on her, needed a turbo and a couple of injectors, had to paint the back arches twice.
All i want to know is how has this gone through all its life and every single MOT is clean and that rust has not happened in just 12 months . you are a mechanic you should know better . wonder who has been testing this van .
Have to agree, probably the best vans money can buy for the engineering but once they start rotting they do it very quickly. The best merc I had was a 1982 307 2.4Diesel, non turbo, lwb with over 300000 on the clock it was still going strong right up to 2000, the engine & running gear would have carried on for another 300k miles but underneath was literally falling apart.
It's done you well but time to let it go. The rust is extensive underneath. Nothing is built to last nowadays... You got 16yrs out of the van. Should get a bit for spares.
I thought ford transits were bad but they are amazing compared with ma scabies vans, you need a tub for all the trim that falls off then a bucket for the rusty bits
i don't think Mercedes have solved the rust problem on newer vans, i have a few vans and i have a Mercedes sprinter as a spare van what's done 6000 miles only and is 70 plate and it worries me with rust, my mate as a 17 plate mercedes sprinter and it had bodywork done because it started having rust spot on it in strange places and he as looked after it washing it at least once a week,
Because there is a market for vans I have seen vehicles such as these purchased as spares - the rot is repaired with expanding foam and underseal - sold to unsuspecting punter
Wow ! And I thought my ‘92 Jeep Cherokee was bad . Half my rocker panels are gone and the lower body panels are full of holes as well . It’s gotten to the point I’m ashamed to,take it for inspection each year . So why do I keep it ? Foolish pride . It still runs fairly well , at least . The four wheel drive is still very functional and effective . The transmission , the once popular AW4 auto trans still works well when other Jeep automatic transmissions weren’t as well built . The transfer case , an np242 , is one of the better ones as far as gear selection in four wheel drive mode . The 4.0 liter H.O. still is,strong . Swap the whole powertrain and drivetrain into another Jeep ? I like the idea but I’ve got two Jeep projects already . So I’ll just keep in on service .. the unibody frame is fairly strong for now . Maybe I’ll patch it as you’ve done , but how long will I wait ? Sorry to see your old friend go , but it’s out of your hands . Nice fix on the driveshaft . Luck with rainbows that it didn’t vibrate but you showed the benze boys they can’t get your money ! Thanks for the star appearance Monica ❤️ that was fun ✌🏻
Sprinters and Vitos are probably the worst thing for rust since the '70s. Can't believe how bad some of them were. A few years ago I parked my 28 year old Fiat van next to an 11 year old Sprinter. Mine had a lot less rust, and it spent almost a decade up in Scotland. I'm sure the Sprinter is more robust mechanically, but what good is that when the bodywork won't last. Get a Mondeo. You know them and they're dirt cheap because nobody wants them.
That’s Vitos for you. Mechanically bombproof and go forever until the body hangs off the thing. For a ‘prestige’ marque, MB are woeful. Sprinters are no better. Negligible corrosion protection and rust popping up in the most unlikely of spots such as the middle of panels. MB really do need slating for this. It’s bad enough on a commercial but if you are doing a camper conversion on one of these you are shelling out potentially £50k+ and deserve better.
I worked for rust Proofing Company for over 6 years only ever saw one or two of these vans and they were already knackered so they got turned away it was probably about as rotten as it is now within the first 2 years
Interesting vid Alan and its true to say that Mercedes dont make the quality vehicles like they used to. But as you point out, you have had your money's worth out of it.
Mercs around circa 2000 all have rust problems. I had heard the problem was the influence of the green party in Germany forcing firms to.use "green" solutions, paint etc.
Unreal they have been like this for years, only thing holding it together is hope's and dreams 😂shame that Mercedes are ok with. they are a good looking van all the same
Underneath looks like a British car of the 1950s and 1960s - and later!. I gad a VW Transporter 1986 Turbo Diesel for 20 years. I had a replacement engine at 100,000 but it was worn out after 75,000 so I sold the van at 20 years, The body was very good nothing like your van. I recommend a VW - or better a Japanese van. My TD engine was a disappointment.
I thought it was quite ironic showing all those cars at their end whilst playing ‘Everything has a beginning’ by Jo Cummins….😜. Maybe the beginning of the end :-(. Poor old motors
Your Merc, good mechanicals but seriously poor metal. Transits are bad also. Great to drive, but awful with rot. I have had several Transits and despite efforts to rustproof them, they have all suffered. I have bought many Fords over the years, cars and minibuses, but would take a lot of persuasion to buy another one. It's a shame because the mechanicals on the vans are good. My last purchase was a Skoda, the first 'foreign' vehicle I have ever owned.
