2015 Mercedes-Benz Vito 1.6L Diesel · AF65 ETE

A pattern of brake and suspension wear alongside several test failures defines the mechanical picture for this Mercedes-Benz Vito, with the 2025-09-19 pass still carrying active advisories for front suspension play and an edge-worn front tyre. The same vehicle failed the previous test on 2025-09-17 with a fractured offside front coil spring and dangerously thin rear brake pads, plus pitted rear brake discs on both sides that had already been flagged the year before. Going further back, a 2024 headlamp aim failure (with brake pads already noted as wearing thin), a 2022 deep-cut nearside rear tyre, and recurring tyre and brake disc advisories in 2023 confirm that this is not a one-off episode but a sustained record of consumable and chassis component wear. The 2025 pass therefore reflects rectification of the dangerous items rather than a fundamental improvement in condition. At 76,902 miles over approximately 11 years, this Vito is averaging close to 7,000 miles annually, which is broadly typical for a working van of this age and avoids the usual red flags associated with either ultra-low garage-queen mileage or extreme high-mileage commercial use. There are no long lay-up gaps in the MOT record and no sudden mileage jumps, with annual tests from 2021 onwards showing consistent presentation. That said, the workload appears to have been steady rather than gentle, and the volume of brake, tyre, and suspension items flagged over four consecutive years is consistent with a vehicle that is in active rotation rather than one that has been standing unused and slowly deteriorating. For a prospective buyer, the priority areas for physical inspection are the front suspension and braking components. The recorded slight play in the nearside front lower suspension arm ball joint should be evaluated by rocking each front wheel with the steering loaded and listening for clonks or feeling for free movement; a fractured offside front coil spring was a major failure only days before the pass, so both front springs need a close visual check for cracks or reduced ride height. On the test drive, expect any knock or harshness over bumps to be transmitted through the front end, and listen for a metallic rattle under hard compression that would indicate a further spring issue. Any wandering or uneven braking response should also be taken seriously given the history of rear pad and disc wear. The rear braking system warrants particular scrutiny because rear brake pads have now appeared as both a dangerous failure and a wearing-thin advisory across three consecutive tests, with rear discs also showing pitted or scored surfaces on multiple occasions. A test drive from cold should be conducted to check for any binding, judder under pedal pressure, or pulling to one side, all of which would suggest seized caliper slides or uneven pad transfer on a vehicle with this pattern. The nearside rear inner tyre sidewall should be inspected for cuts in excess of the legal threshold as previously recorded, and both front tyres checked for uneven edge wear, which on a laden van typically points to alignment, ball joint, or suspension bush deterioration rather than simple rotation. Finally, the headlamp aim should be confirmed on a flat surface, as a beam that sits too low remains a straightforward pass-or-fail item at the next test.