2013 Mercedes-Benz Vito 2.1L Diesel · DA63 SYP

The 2013 Mercedes-Benz Vito passed its most recent MOT on 3 July 2025 at 206,195 miles, but the maintenance picture is mixed. The vehicle has failed three of its last five annual tests, and several recurring faults suggest a pattern of deferred rather than proactive repair. The rear exhaust mounting was flagged as defective in both the June 2025 failure and the July 2025 pass, indicating the advisory was carried over rather than rectified before the retest. A damaged windscreen has appeared on every single record since at least June 2024, and the tester repeatedly noted it was not adversely affecting the driver's view, which implies cosmetic pitting or a small chip that the previous owner chose to live with. The nearside headlamp dipped beam failure and nearside stop lamp failure from the June 2025 test were resolved before the July retest, but the driver's door interior handle fault also noted on 24 June 2025 does not appear to have been explicitly confirmed as fixed. The overall trend is one of marginal compliance rather than consistent care. Mileage accumulation tells its own story. The Vito has covered approximately 206,195 miles over roughly thirteen years, averaging around 15,861 miles per year, which is high for a vehicle of this type and age. Between the July 2024 test at 198,569 miles and the June 2025 test at 206,190 miles, the vehicle added 7,621 miles in under eleven months, confirming sustained heavy use. The gap between the June 2023 pass at 188,630 miles and the June 2024 failure at 198,565 miles shows a similar rate of 9,935 miles over twelve months. This is a working van that has been driven hard, and the MOT record reflects a vehicle that has been kept just roadworthy enough to pass rather than maintained to a higher standard. A buyer should pay close attention to the braking system. The June 2024 failure recorded offside front brake pads below 1.5 mm, and the June 2025 failure flagged a nearside rear tyre below the 1.6 mm legal minimum alongside an offside rear tyre with no visible tread pattern. Combined with the nearside front tyre worn to the legal limit and worn on the edge noted in both 2025 tests, this points to uneven wear that could indicate tracking issues, worn suspension bushes, or a binding caliper not yet flagged as a failure. The nearside parking brake being inoperative on one side in June 2024 is another red flag, as parking brake faults on high-mileage vans often point to seized cables or uneven rear brake adjustment. The rear exhaust mounting defect appearing across two consecutive tests is worth inspecting in person, as a failing mount can place stress on the exhaust system and lead to more costly damage over time. The persistent windscreen damage, while repeatedly passed, should be examined to confirm it has not spread or begun to impair the driver's line of sight. Given the high annual mileage and the pattern of recurring tyre and brake advisories, a thorough inspection of the front suspension geometry, brake caliper slide pins, and rear brake mechanism would be prudent before purchase.