The Mercedes-Benz eVito was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) investigation period, which ran from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This investigation uncovered significant issues with
discretionary commission arrangements that affected millions of motor finance customers across the UK.
How the Mercedes-Benz eVito was Typically Financed
The Mercedes-Benz eVito, a popular electric van model known for its efficiency and reliability, was often purchased through PCP or HP agreements during the FCA investigation period. Typical financing amounts ranged from £20,000 to £45,000, with terms lasting 36 to 60 months. Common lenders providing finance for this vehicle included
Black Horse,
Lombard,
Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions.
Under PCP agreements, customers would make monthly payments over the term of the contract while also agreeing to a balloon payment at the end. This final amount represents the estimated value of the van when the agreement ends, which can be settled by returning the eVito or opting for a new finance deal.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA launched an investigation into motor finance practices after receiving numerous complaints from consumers about unfair and misleading sales tactics employed by dealerships and lenders. One major issue was discretionary commission arrangements, where lenders paid car dealers additional commissions based on the total amount financed or other factors unrelated to customer service quality.
This practice led to a significant mis-selling problem affecting 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) across various makes and models from April 2007 to November 2024. The FCA estimated that these arrangements resulted in an average consumer cost of £829 per agreement, totalling approximately £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026).
How to Check Your Agreement Look for terms such as "DCA" (Discretionary Commission Arrangement) or similar phrases.
Relevant dates are crucial; agreements made between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024 fall under the FCA's investigation period. If your agreement matches these criteria, the FCA scheme covers eligible agreements
claims management company.
If you suspect that your Mercedes-Benz eVito finance deal was affected by the FCA’s motor finance investigation, contacting your original lender is the first step. Common lenders for this vehicle include Black Horse, Lombard, Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions.
To initiate a complaint, gather all relevant documentation such as loan agreements, payment receipts, and any correspondence with your lender or dealership. Clearly state in your complaint that you believe there was mis-selling due to discretionary commission arrangements during the FCA investigation period (6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024).
You do not need a claims management company; all complaints can be submitted directly and at no cost to the consumer.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), 2024
- Office for National Statistics Census 2021
Based on 375,769 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Mercedes-Benz C has a pass rate of 81.1%. This is close to the national average of 79.6%, meaning the C performs about average in MOT testing.
The C pass rate is in line with the overall Mercedes-Benz average of 82.3%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 86,936 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 81.1%
- MOT failure rate: 18.9%
- Tests analysed: 375,769 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 86,936 miles
- Mercedes-Benz average pass rate: 82.3%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.