Mercedes recalls Vito and Viano

MERCEDES-BENZ has recalled 3689 Vito vans and Viano people-movers over a alternator wiring harness that might have been incorrectly routed and could come into contact with other components.

The recall notice on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) website says the defect might cause a short circuit “in extremely unfavourable circumstances”.

The recall affects vehicles powered by the OM646 four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and built between June 2007 and October 2010.

Mercedes-Benz Australia manager corporate communications Jerry Stamoulis told GoAuto he was unaware of any local instances of wiring harness failure.

Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by letter and advised to consult their local dealer to have the harness inspected and, if required, repaired at no charge.

The Vito commercial van and its seven- and eight-seat Viano people-mover derivation received substantial updates for the 2011 model year, with the trimmed Vito range gaining Euro 5-compliant diesel engines, a new six-speed manual and more safety gear.

The 2010 Vito is in runout at Mercedes-Benz dealerships, with the company offering $5000 cash back on selected models purchased and delivered before June 30, 2011.

The Viano update, which was headlined by the addition of a potent new V6 turbo-diesel as the standard powertrain, also brought more standard features and a slight price increase.

Separate recalls were also issued last year on small numbers of Vitos and Vianos due to fix a window and air-conditioning fan.