Mercedes-Benz Vito MOT pass rate & common failures
The Mercedes-Benz Vito appears in 525,443 MOT tests spanning model years 1991–2025, and 78.2% of them passed. That is 1.2 percentage points better than vans of a similar age, which fail at 23.0%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
Best and worst Vito years
Ranked across Vito years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 89.6% of 2022 examples pass against 64.7% of 2003 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (11.9%) and brakes (10.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are rbt (sp), headlamp aim and headlamp — rbt (sp) alone was recorded 24,312 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 24.3% versus 12.8%.
The diesel cars hold up better: 21.8% fail against 29.0% for petrol, a 7.2-point gap across 525,111 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 25.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Vito model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 509 | 64.8% | 35.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 1,112 | 64.9% | 35.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 1,042 | 68.0% | 32.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 929 | 66.4% | 33.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 2,027 | 66.9% | 33.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 3,631 | 66.7% | 33.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 4,214 | 64.7% | 35.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 7,796 | 68.2% | 31.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 15,918 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 26,552 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 31,163 | 72.8% | 27.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 30,702 | 74.2% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 28,476 | 75.2% | 24.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 28,820 | 75.7% | 24.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 24,204 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 29,920 | 76.9% | 23.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 31,355 | 78.3% | 21.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 30,052 | 79.2% | 20.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 31,883 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 38,522 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 54,175 | 83.1% | 16.9% | Brakes |
| 2018 | 37,988 | 83.5% | 16.6% | Brakes |
| 2019 | 43,101 | 84.4% | 15.6% | Brakes |
| 2020 | 11,014 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 7,383 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 2,625 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2023 | 263 | 92.0% | 8.0% | Tyres |
| 2024 | 36 | 97.2% | 2.8% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.9% | 62,388 |
| 2 | Brakes | 10.2% | 53,704 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.7% | 45,843 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.3% | 27,564 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.2% | 27,546 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.0% | 20,810 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.5% | 18,563 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.7% | 9,019 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rbt (sp) | 24,312 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 22,913 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 19,537 |
| 4 | Coil spring | 19,087 |
| 5 | Washers | 16,400 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 15,179 |
| 7 | Position lamp | 14,641 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 14,288 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 25.9% | 136,262 |
| 2 | Tyres | 23.0% | 120,628 |
| 3 | Suspension | 15.0% | 78,910 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 9.1% | 47,826 |
| 5 | Other defects | 8.9% | 46,955 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 8.3% | 43,866 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 16,986 | 12.8% |
| 30-60k | 57,070 | 15.6% |
| 60-90k | 82,023 | 19.1% |
| 90-120k | 89,710 | 22.3% |
| 120-150k | 84,366 | 24.1% |
| 150k+ | 192,381 | 24.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 523,178 | 21.8% |
| Petrol | 1,933 | 29.0% |
| Electric | 332 | 11.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 103,068 | 22.1% |
| 2022 | 109,424 | 22.0% |
| 2023 | 107,934 | 21.8% |
| 2024 | 104,671 | 21.6% |
| 2025 | 100,346 | 21.6% |
What to check before buying a Mercedes-Benz Vito
- Lighting & signalling (11.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (10.2% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Suspension (8.7% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz Vito?
78.2% of the 525,443 Mercedes-Benz Vito MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 21.8% fail rate, across model years 1991–2025.
What does the Mercedes-Benz Vito most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.9% of tests, then brakes (10.2%).
Which Vito years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 89.6% and 2003 the weakest at 64.7%, from 2,625 and 4,214 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Vito MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 24.3% for 150k+, a 11.5-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Vito more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 21.8% of the time against 29.0% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 525,443 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.