How to be Aware you are buying an Ex Taxi (Viano in my case)

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m80

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 26, 2015
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Location
Derbyshire, High Peak
Car
Viano ex long, 651 2014. S211 646 2009 (till the Gov't drones blow 'em off the road)
The Viano lends itself to taxi use, especially the long, ex long, with more than 4 rear captain seats. And that's what I'm after (but not as a taxi).

My first check is the MOT history,
apparently the private hire licence requirements vary by authority.
To confuse the history some more irregular MOT's can often be due to a change of ownership, and the selling dealer providing a new certificate where it wasn't yet due.

I've seen MOT's at 1 year, 2 years and often seen MOT's each 6 months following the initial MOT. This 'says' to me the vehicle has been used as a taxi.
This isn't always so as my first Traveliner was bought from a Taxi company and had ideal MOT periods starting at 3 years old.

I've seen 6 monthly MOT's that show mileage increases of 6K miles. If I'm right and that was taxi use the vehicle hasn't made any money for them.
Clocking isn't difficult and I believe there are plug in units that adjust the mileage as the vehicle is driven. That makes more sense than clocking before each MOT.
Where I perceive the vehicle was a taxi I adjust my mileage calculation to 40k miles p.a., believing that to be a more realistic taxi usage.

Knowing the true high mileage of a vehicle isn't always off putting, like my first Traveliner that I bought at 294k miles. But at least I didn't pay an inflated price for the same showing perhaps 120k miles, but still with potential mileage issues ahead.

So the issue is,
I find an attractive proposition, the vehicle looks good on inspection, the mileage looks good, the MOT history doesn't show irregularities,
how can I tell further if the true mileage has been corrupted?
Is there any other way to see if it has been a taxi, any local registration perhaps?

I use the iCarsoft V2, that can see mileage in the cluster (but should be same as visual anyway), it can see TCU mileage (there may be a clue there but even on my Vito that is reliably 125k miles it says 2,240 miles).
 
the vehicle looks good on inspection, the mileage looks good, the MOT history doesn't show irregularities

if all the above apply why does it matter if it was a taxi?
 
if all the above apply why does it matter if it was a taxi?

Cos if it's been doing 40k miles for the last 10 years but showing 120k miles I am paying a high price for something that I would pass on anyway.

Of course the choice is to search honest high mileage vehicles, buy at a vastly lesser price and use the saving to offset future problems.
I'm actually looking for better reliability though.
 
As an aside ... Vianos (V Class now) seem to be used more for chauffeur driven hire ... executive shuttles etc. You see loads of them in London, and they always look pretty immaculate. The Vito Traveliner is the lower end of the market (minibus) and you'd need to be more careful IMHO, then of course there's the actual Vito Taxi which has been around since 2008!
 
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I'm sure that mercedes stores all the mileage info in a few places, not only on the dash but think the keys, if original may tell you if they were read? I know someone who bought one a few years ago and needed a key recoding. The guy who came out to sort it told him there were 5 keys already registered to the vehicle, even though he didn't have them.... (careless previous owner?? 🤔) so even That can be defeated?
 

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