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Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz Vito / Clase V (W638).

2000–2003 · Diesel / Petrol · 2 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Mercedes-Benz Vito / Clase V (W638), real photo of this generation
Rudolf Stricker · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 2 of its engines.

  • Rust and engines on the Vito and V-Class W638Known weak points
    Period mentioned
    1996–2003
    Mileage mentioned
    What the sheet says: According to CarWiki, the panels were stamped with poorly finished edges that encourage corrosion; faults increase from about 80,000 km.

    Applies if: Weak points of this model from inspections, breakdown statistics and recalls; anything specific to one engine is stated in the sheet.

2.2 CDI

Diesel

  • OM646 injector seals (black death)Injection / intake
    Period mentioned
    2002–2010
    Mileage mentioned
    From 150,000 km

    Applies if: The Vito W638 2.2 CDI is the OM611, the OM646’s predecessor with the same type of injector washers.

2.0 / 2.3

Petrol

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Mercedes-Benz Vito / Clase V (W638)
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
2.2 CDIDiesel22 with conditions1
2.0 / 2.3PetrolFewest documented11 with conditions1

According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the 2.0 / 2.3 (Petrol).

By fuel type, the one with the fewest documented faults is: Petrol.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Mercedes-Benz dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Recall: parking brake self-releaseBrakes

How to check it: Check VIN; replace affected lever.

View full entry

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 2 checked

Injection / intake

  • Look out for: Puffing or “chuffing” at idle, a diesel smell under the engine cover and a hard black crust around the injectors; power loss from sooted intake flaps or turbo.

    Ask them to check: Remove the engine cover and look for black residue around the injectors, listen at idle and check the intake flaps.

Known weak points

  • Look out for: Very fast rust on the bonnet, wings and underside; head gaskets, alternator, oil and water pumps with leaks that overheat the engine; on CDIs, injectors, injection pump and glow plugs; a bell-housing seal that leaks oil and makes the clutch slip; driveshafts, ignition and noisy gearboxes; at inspection, rusty or cracked brake pipes and hoses.

    Ask them to check: Check rust and brake pipes thoroughly; check coolant and oil leaks.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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