W639 Viano / Vito rust survey

[BTB 500]

If you have owned a W639 Vito or Viano, please vote!

It would be handy to qualify with details such as the age of your vehicle (early ones were not galvanised), where and when the rust appeared, whether you had owned the vehicle from new, whether there had been any previous repairs (accident damage etc.), and if you made a warranty claim how successful you were.

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I've owned one 639 that had rust along the side trim and along the door edges, it was an 04 plate 109 CDi.

I've traded about half a dozen 639's ranging from 53 plates to an 06 plate and they all had rust, the worse of which was an 05 plate 115 which had rust oozing out of every pore except for the front wings. Which are plastic. The roof also leaked. And it needed a reconditioned gearbox because it jumped out of first gear.

I will never *never* trade another one again unless it's free.

 

[mobeyone]

10 plate, registered may and not a spot of rust anywhere.

 

[zenman63]

Well I have had 3 new shape vitos
111 on 04 went rusty, 80k when I sold it
115 on 55 plate was fine, But had a new tail gate under warranty as it went rusty around the wiper, No rust anywhere other than that.
Dealer was fantastic, no problems with an exchange and a first class job, they would not repair it had a new panel, old one was sent back to who ever in MK.
My 120 on an 07 plate has no rust anywhere, it has been stripped down and all the door handles painted body colour, where the door handle moves on the body it rubs through the paint, mine with 30k was down to the primer in places.
On the tailgate handle there is a metal tab that seems to bend if your not careful and this cracks the paint and can also be a source of rust.
I had the odd stone chip on the bonnet and it just shows grey primer but No rust.
It is also full in all the cavities with wax, inside the doors all round.

 

[BIG UN]

My 639 is on a 06 plate covering 63k miles & there isn't a mark anywhere on it, I've had the bonnet resprayed due to stone chips, but there wasn't many & no rust at all. It was cause it just bug'd me that i had it done!!
I've had, like Zenman had most of the panels off & floor up at one time or another and i've yet to see anything.. And to date very happy.

 

[BTB 500]

As an aside, I've got a similar poll running on another forum I'm a member of. Only 7 responses so far, but all saying no rust at all.

Incidentally I see Nick Mercedes has voted 'Yes' here - correct me if I'm wrong Nick, but I'm sure you said in another thread that you haven't owned a 639?

 

[nick mercedes]

As an aside, I've got a similar poll running on another forum I'm a member of. Only 7 responses so far, but all saying no rust at all.

Incidentally I see Nick Mercedes has voted 'Yes' here - correct me if I'm wrong Nick, but I'm sure you said in another thread that you haven't owned a 639?

Zenman has owned 2 rusty ones, yet voted no...

BTW I saw a rotten 55 plate Vito on the M1 this morning, the area around the tailgate lock was terrible.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

This is a 2005 639 Vito with rust;

 

[BTB 500]

So discounting Nick's spurious vote, we have 3 reports of rust so far. t567wab's van is an '04 I think (ungalvanised), ringway we know about (rust bubble on tailgate), and in SPX's comments the '04 was definitely ungalvanised and the '05 could have been.

My other survey has 15 votes so far.

An '04 (ungalvanised) with serious rust - tailgate was replaced under warranty.
An '05: "the only rust that's appeared is where there has been some slight bodywork damage ie stone Chips"
One other 'Yes' vote (no details given)

And 12 who said no rust at all.

 

[ringway]

Either that's some roof aerial or it's fitted with Periscopetronic.

 

[nick mercedes]

So discounting Nick's spurious vote, we have 3 reports of rust so far. t567wab's van is an '04 I think (ungalvanised), ringway we know about (rust bubble on tailgate), and in SPX's comments the '04 was definitely ungalvanised and the '05 could have been.

Hold on, matey had a rusty 04 and an 05 that needed a tailgate due to rust, so that 5 rust reports vs 4 no rusts.

Plus the galvanised thing should not matter, these vans come with a long and extensive rust warrenty, they should all have been repaired at MB's expense.

I can't help thinking that Mercedes car owners with rusty cars have more of a chance of having their warrenties honoured than rusty Mercedes van owners, who seem to be ignored.

 

[BTB 500]

5 rust reports vs 4 no rusts.

However it clearly disproves your statement (repeated ad nauseam ) that *all* 639s rust.

And the other survey so far has 12 / 15 with no rust at all.

Plus the galvanised thing should not matter

Tell that to W210 owners.

It matters to people who are potentially buying a vehicle, if galvanised ones appear to have a hugely reduced chance of corrosion.

 

[zenman63]

I can't help thinking no one listens, 04 and 05 vans rust full stop.
If you see an 06 with rust it's an 05 van with a late reg or crashed and repaired or neglected stone chips.

 

[nick mercedes]

However it clearly disproves your statement (repeated ad nauseam ) that *all* 639s rust.

Sooner or later they all rust.

Tell that to W210 owners.

It matters to people who are potentially buying a vehicle, if galvanised ones appear to have a hugely reduced chance of corrosion.

Paul's van is galvanised, yet it's got a rusty tailgate, and endless W169 and W245 have rusty doors and rusty tailgates.

 

[Spin_bowler]

Surely this is just another thread that's going to go the same way as the last one. Pretty tedious to be honest. It's obvious you're both a bit one-eyed when it comes to your views on Vitos and rust and it's unlikely you're going to agree anytime soon.

Why not just leave it?

I know I don't have to read but I did and that's what I think.

 

[BTB 500]

Surely this is just another thread that's going to go the same way as the last one. Pretty tedious to be honest. It's obvious you're both a bit one-eyed when it comes to your views on Vitos and rust and it's unlikely you're going to agree anytime soon.

Why not just leave it?

I know I don't have to read but I did and that's what I think.

The whole point of this thread and poll was to get a factual view (with some hard stats) from W639 owners.

If someone who had never owned one posted abusive rubbish about E320 Coupes every time they were mentioned on this Forum would that not bother you at all?

 

[Spin_bowler]

The whole point of this thread and poll was to get a factual view (with some hard stats) from W639 owners.

If someone who had never owned one posted abusive rubbish about E320 Coupes every time they were mentioned on this Forum would that not bother you at all?

No, it genuinely wouldn't.

Mind you, I don't have the investment I mine that you do in yours so I can see where you're coming from.

My point is that you're unlikely to prove anything factual in a poll on an MB enthusiast website where those with 639's are going to share similar viewpoints to you and care for their vans as you do yours

Someone with a rusty 639 (if there is such a thing) is probably someone who doesn't care whether he drives that or a Transit so is unlikely to be along to vote in your poll anytime soon.

I think anyone taking a neutral view on this debate can see that Nick is being mischievous and you're getting taken in hook, line and sinker.

There'll be no conclusion.

 

[nick mercedes]

posted abusive rubbish

How is it abusive, or rubbish for that matter.

A long standing member has brought a Vito, which has started to rust at only 3 years old, and MB have refused to cover it under the rust warrenty.

The issue is that MB are still making vehicles that rust, and they seem unwilling to do anything about it, despite offering long rust warrenties.

 

[st4]

I love these threads

 

[BTB 500]

How is it abusive, or rubbish for that matter.

From a quick search, here just a few of your comments about 639 Vitos to people asking about them here (bearing in mind of course that you've never actually owned one)

They're not very good vans, but if your heart is set on one, make sure what ever one you buy is not too rusty - no matter what year they seem to rust. From 05 onwards they pretended to galvainse them, but for some reason they still end up with big rusty holes on almost any part of the van

All Vitos and Sprinters rust, they don't seem to need to be mistreated or damaged, they're just badly made.

All Vitos fall to bits and have paint/rust issues.

Almost *all* Vitos have rust above the moulding on the tailgate, rust at the bottom of the tailgate, rust on all door bottoms, rust on the quarters, rust in the seams of the roof and rust on the rear slam doors around the lock and around the number plate light.

639s rust just as badly as the 638s and at 100k miles they're worn out, they really are not very well made, and the rust problems are like something from the 1970s...

the vast majority of Vitos/Vianos and Sprinters have very serious rust problems

The differance wirh Vitos is that they rust and breakdown alot...

Note all the rusty late model Vitos and Sprinters you see as you drive around, and then ask yourself if you'd really like to spend £15k on possibly the most unreliable and badly built van on the market...

Vitos really are flawed vans, both the old shape you are shopping for and the new shapes ones. Both suffer from extreme rust problems, and engine reliability/build quality is laughable.

MB didn't seem to learn from the 638 Vito, and the 639 shares it's dubious build quality, mechanical issues and nightmare problems with rust.

Given that Vitos are possibly the most unreliable and badly built van on the UK market, how long will taxi drivers put up with them?

Almost all Vitos are rusty

Vitos are about worn out by the time they're 3 years old

Vitos rust everywhere.

All 639s are riddled with rust - no.
639s are worn out after 3 years - no.
639s are worn out after 100k miles - no.
639s break down all the time - no.

Etc.