Mercedes-Benz Vito: common faults & what to check

Which Mercedes-Benz Vito are you looking at?

5 generation variants documented. Pick the shape you recognise: the faults, the servicing and the timeline below all narrow to it. Free, no account needed.

Diesel

4 variants documented

2003–2015W6392003–2015W6392.1 dieselDieselDocumented issues10 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: Vauxford via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

2003–2015W6392003–2015W6393.0 V6 dieselDieselDocumented issues6 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: Vauxford via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

2014–nowW4472014–nowW4471.7 dieselDieselDocumented issues1 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: Vauxford via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

2014–nowW4472014–nowW4472.1 dieselDieselDocumented issues4 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: Vauxford via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Engine not documented

1 variant documented

1996–2004W6381996–2004W638Engine not documented for this generationEngine not documentedDocumented issues0 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: OSX via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Now narrow it to the engine

A 1.8 and a 2.4 of the same car do not fail the same way, so the faults below narrow to the engine as well as the year. Free, no account needed.

Start your free check on this Mercedes-Benz Vito

No plate needed. You get the risk score, the buyer's checklist and the guided inspection for the exact car you picked above — not the whole nameplate.

The checks worth doing on a Mercedes-Benz Vito before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

• Serious issue

  Cold-start the engine and listen for chain rattle in the first 10 seconds before oil pressure builds.

  See why

  OM611 timing chain wear and tensioner failure

  The pre-facelift W638 Vito's OM611 2.2 CDI diesel engine is notorious for timing chain stretch and hydraulic tensioner failure. Chain slack causes rattling on cold start and can lead to chain jump and catastrophic valve damage. A known design weakness in the early CDI units with insufficient lubrication to the upper chain guide.

  What you would notice

  • Rattling noise from front of engine on cold start, fading as oil pressure builds
  • Check engine light with camshaft/crankshaft correlation codes
  • Rough idle or misfires if chain has jumped a tooth
  • Engine will not start or starts and immediately stalls if chain has failed

  Typically $2,800–$5,500 to put right.

• Serious issue

  With the engine warm, open the bonnet and inspect the top of the engine carefully around all four injectors and the fuel return pipe connections.

  See why

  W639 OM646 2.2 CDI Injector Return Pipe and Seal External Fuel Leak

  The OM646 2.2-litre CDI diesel in the W639 Vito develops external fuel leaks at the injector return pipe banjo fittings and injector copper seat seals. Fuel escapes from the cylinder head area and can run onto hot exhaust components, creating a fire risk. The failure is caused by age-related seal deterioration and weakened or over-tightened banjo fittings. This is a well-documented failure pattern on higher-mileage W639 vans and is a safety-critical inspection item.

  What you would notice

  • Diesel smell from engine bay particularly after a hard run
  • Visible fuel weeping or dried fuel staining around injectors or return rail
  • Fuel visible running down the exhaust manifold
  • Smoke from engine bay after heat soak following shutdown

  Typically $400–$1,500 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Check coolant reservoir for oil contamination (brown slick on surface).

  See why

  OM646 EGR valve blockage and oil cooler coolant leak

  The W639 Vito's OM646 2.2 CDI engine suffers a dual failure pattern: carbon-clogged EGR valves that restrict flow and cause limp-home faults, combined with an oil cooler that develops internal cracks allowing coolant to mix with engine oil. Both faults are well-documented in fleet and workshop data across NZ and AU. The oil cooler leak is particularly serious as creamy contamination damages bearings if not caught early.

  What you would notice

  • Loss of power with engine management light and EGR-related fault codes
  • Creamy/mayonnaise residue on oil cap or dipstick indicating coolant in oil
  • Coolant level dropping with no visible external leak
  • White smoke from exhaust when coolant enters combustion via intake

  Typically $600–$2,200 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Open and close the sliding door several times and note any stiffness, grinding, or failure to latch.

  See why

  W639 Sliding Door Roller, Guide Rail, and Cable Failure

  The W639 Vito sliding door mechanism suffers from progressive wear of the lower, centre, and upper rollers along with the guide rail components. On electric-door variants, the cable connecting the motor to the door latch mechanism is made from relatively weak materials and stretches or snaps over time. Manual-door variants suffer from seized or corroded rollers and cracked plastic guide hinges. In both cases the door becomes heavy to operate, fails to latch properly, drops on its runners, or stops mid-travel. Replacement kits with improved materials are widely available from aftermarket suppliers.

  What you would notice

  • Sliding door stiff, heavy, or requiring excessive force to open or close
  • Door fails to latch securely or pops open while driving
  • Grinding or scraping noise during door travel
  • Electric sliding door stops mid-travel or reverses unexpectedly

  Typically $400–$1,500 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Arrange a genuine cold start - van not run that morning - and listen at the rear of the engine (bellhousing side) for a rattle.

  See why

  OM651 timing chain stretch and rattle (W447)

  The current W447 Vito/Valente's 1.7 and 2.1 OM651 diesels stretch the timing chain and wear the guides, often from around 120,000-150,000 km and sooner on hard urban delivery use. The chain sits at the back (transmission side) of the engine and rattles on cold start when worn; because it also drives the fuel pump, a slipped chain can cause major damage. A rattly cold start on a high-km van means budget for a chain kit.

  What you would notice

  • Rattle on cold start or after an oil change
  • Rough running or misfire
  • Camshaft/crankshaft correlation codes
  • Loss of power / limp mode

  Typically $2,500–$5,000 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Any black, hard, carbonised crust around an injector confirms copper seal failure and ongoing combustion gas escape.

  See why

  OM646 Injector Copper Seal Failure — Carbon Seizure

  The OM646 2.2CDI engine uses copper crush washers to seal diesel injectors in the cylinder head. When these seals degrade or are not replaced at injector service intervals, combustion gases escape past the injector base and carbonise on contact with cooler head metal, building up a hard expanding deposit around the injector body. This condition is widely termed Black Death in Mercedes specialist circles. The accumulated carbon can bond injectors solidly to the head, making extraction extremely difficult and expensive. Severely locked injectors risk breaking during removal, potentially requiring cylinder head replacement.

  What you would notice

  • Black carbonised crust visible around one or more injector bases at the cylinder head
  • Rough running or misfires on the affected cylinder
  • Diesel smoke visible from the engine bay near the valve cover area
  • Hard starting or poor cold-start performance

  Typically $600–$4,500 to put right.

What these repairs cost on other cars

Some of the Mercedes-Benz Vito’s documented faults are repairs other models share. Each page lists the documented NZ cost for every model it affects.

• Timing Chain Replacement Cost
• DPF Repair and Replacement Cost
• Diesel Injector Replacement Cost
• EGR Valve and Cooler Repair Cost

Other Mercedes-Benz models