Vivaro MOT.

[Cato]

The Vivaro has just turned 90,000 miles and 8 years old after buying it new in 2014, and for the first time it's failed the MOT. Nothing dramatic, NSF shock leaking and a link bush. A piar of new front struts and bushes both sides with the MOT will be £400 - ish. First time it's had anything beyond service items which I reckon is pretty good going TBH.

I asked them to have a look at the air con while it was in and the condenser has rotted out (no surprise). I'm in two minds whether to get it done or not as I rarely use it even in the hot weather. I find jumping in and out of a motor with air con makes you feel worse than just opening the window and acclimatising. That said, if it's on there I'd rather have it working.

 

[mtt.tr]

I really liked my 09 vivaro had some faults first few months past that it was brilliant.

My only issues really were power steering transfer pipes £20 but a crap job.

Track rods ends and anti roll linkage.

Some respects I miss it

 

[Cato]

I really liked my 09 vivaro had some faults first few months past that it was brilliant.

My only issues really were power steering transfer pipes £20 but a crap job.

Track rods ends and anti roll linkage.

Some respects I miss it

It was the first (and only) time I bought a brand new vehicle. Looking at vans I went for the Vivaro as they don't rot and the Transit/VW/Merc options were at least £10k more for the same spec and couldn't do anything the Vivaro wouldn't. I know some people like VW and some Transit stripey sporty vans, for me it's a tool with a purpose. So paying over the odds doesn't make sense, especially when they're no less likely to throw a wobbly but cost a fortune to fix.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Can't you change the struts yourself and save probably a couple hundred pounds ?

 

[Cato]

Can't you change the struts yourself and save probably a couple hundred pounds ?

Yes, but I haven't anywhere to work on it (too high for the unit door) my time's needed on other things at the moment, and it will cost less to pay them than I'd lose taking the time out to do it. Not to mention the VAT reclaim and the bill being deductible.

Part of the reason for buying a new (then) vehicle was that the time and space required for faffing about with a work vehicle just doesn't make sense.

 

[roofman]

These vans get a bad rap but i have one for work and the Renault trafic (same vans) for getting out with the wife at weekends...love them both and as long as you keep on top of consumables they love you back...My Trafic has 187,000 and i have not long replaced the turbo and clutch and it runs like new, i have had it re-mapped and it gives me up to 40mpg at constant 65mph with a big increase in power too.

 

[Cato]

These vans get a bad rap but i have one for work and the Renault trafic (same vans) for getting out with the wife at weekends...love them both and as long as you keep on top of consumables they love you back...My Trafic has 187,000 and i have not long replaced the turbo and clutch and it runs like new, i have had it re-mapped and it gives me up to 40mpg at constant 65mph with a big increase in power too.

I think like most mass produced machinery. If you randomly select 10, one will be an ultra reliable flying machine, eight will be fine, and one will be a bag of ****e. But the only one which will get talked about will be the last one.

I keep thinking about having mine re-mapped, but I also keep not doing anything about it.

 

[roofman]

I think like most mass produced machinery. If you randomly select 10, one will be an ultra reliable flying machine, eight will be fine, and one will be a bag of ****e. But the only one which will get talked about will be the last one.

I keep thinking about having mine re-mapped, but I also keep not doing anything about it.

Do it..better millage and that increase in boost changes the feel of the van..bad point is a small increase in black smoke as the fuel pressure is turned up i opened up my post turbo cat,emptied it of catalyst and welded it back up because i like listing to the turbo whine when it comes on boost

 

[pedrobedro]

These vans get a bad rap but i have one for work and the Renault trafic (same vans) for getting out with the wife at weekends...love them both and as long as you keep on top of consumables they love you back...My Trafic has 187,000 and i have not long replaced the turbo and clutch and it runs like new, i have had it re-mapped and it gives me up to 40mpg at constant 65mph with a big increase in power too.

The bike shop had a Nissan version as it was £2k less than the Vivaro at the time. Only thing that went wrong with that was the crank position sensor. It would still start but needed some easy start till it was fixed.

 

[roofman]

The bike shop had a Nissan version as it was £2k less than the Vivaro at the time. Only thing that went wrong with that was the crank position sensor. It would still start but needed some easy start till it was fixed.

Yea the Primastar..i have always found the Nissan badged ones a bit dearer

 

[Cato]

Just as a follow up, the bill including the MOT fee and VAT was £418:00 for a pair of front shocks/struts and a pair of link arms. I reckon that's pretty good value myself, they even gave it a wash.

One other thing of note, the smoke test at 90,000 miles was 0.03 (limit 0.51). It's almost as if regular servicing and not abusing a vehicle is a good thing.

 

[sparkysy]

I run an 07 plate vivaro I bought second hand for £500, awesome van! mine is on 228.000 has been regularly serviced and not in bad Nick. It's had the usual failures in the last 4 years, gearbox and clutch, alternator, glow plugs, injectors. But all the parts were cheap and easily available, it's comfortable to drive and goes well even with 2.1 tonne in it.
Ok to get to things on them for replacement ain't that great but what vehicle is these days!
Sy

 

[m_c]

The original Vivaro/Trafic were generally OK vans if you weren't hard on them. Biggest issue as fleet vehicles were door handles, as they were typically French and not really designed to be abused. Other than that, track rod ends, anti-roll bar droplinks, and ball joints were the usual failures.

The 2014 update were just cheap and cheerful. The only thing they're good for is keeping my bonus up. I'm not even going to bother listing the common faults, but it's not unusual for a basic service to end up in a full days work. Even the galvanising is rubbish, I've seen Vivaros with more rust underneath than similar age Transits.

Latest PSA/Stellantis thing appears to be reasonably reliable so far, but we've not seen that many in yet.

 

[Cato]

I went for the last of the old shape for 3 reasons :-

1 The last of a model tend to have most of the issues sorted.

2 The new look that manufacturers went with is ugly IMHO.

3 There was a good discount to clear the stock.

Interesting you say the new model rusts. The best thing the Vivaro had going for it was the rust protection.

 

[Rrobson]

Good going. We had a couple of movanos at work and very rarely had bother with them. There were two batches, some from 2002 and some from 2007 and they were both better than the transits that replaced them…

 

[Ton-up]

I have a company supplied '08 Vivaro as a work van/mobile tool box. Its only done 70,000 as I mainly do local journeys. Its been totally reliable considering the abuse it gets. Servicing, a new battery, couple of bushes and a rear caliper last year is about all.
And it was only £12,500 + vat when new.
The company keep saying about replacing it but I keep resisting, I don't like how most new vans are so low roofed, especially the new Vivaro.

 

[bourbon]

our blacksmith had two as his work vans, Farrier. the forge and big propane bottle in the back, neat little stand for the anvil slides out the back door with a leg to touch the ground. They rust out due to him driving in and out of livery yards every day. Horse wee isn't the most van friendly liquid around.

 

[sparkysy]

I do a lot of agricultural work and have lost two previous vans due to corrosion caused by animal urine, I'm sure it rots untreated metal faster than saltwater.
So far apart from one scuff at the bottom of the sliding door the vivaro is still looking good underneath! Keeping my fingers crossed!!
Sy