DelicaUSA Woes
This blog post describes my experience with DelicaUSA.
BottomLine Up Front: I do not recommend a long-distance purchase from DelicaUSA, aka Mendel’s Garage, aka ZmotorZ, as I did not find their words to be trustworthy. If you purchase from them, do it in person and with an independent third-party vehicle inspection. Their word does not appear to be trustworthy. DelicaUSA is free to defend themselves in the comments should they choose. Below is my experience…
A Long Story Short: I have, at least temporarily, owned two different vehicles purchased from DelicaUSA. The initial purchase left me stranded roadside due to a patched radiator hose failing. (See image below) The second vehicle was a replacement for the first.
The Long Version: I began working with Michael on purchasing an L300 in April 2022. I sent the seller, “Mendelsgarage,” a question regarding an online auction via eBay; it was auction #115285867611. At the time of this writing, Mendelsgarage had a feedback score of 100% with 480 items sold and 5,464 feedbacks. Pretty good score, huh!? Looking at the feedback to items sold ratio, they obviously buy a lot from eBay. I’d later find out that some items that they sell on their DelicaUSA Store come from eBay.
The question that I asked in my initial communication with DelicaUSA / Mendel’s Garage / ZmotorZ concerned timing belts and if there were non-functioning items. I asked…
“Concerning the Delica (PD6W0001784)
The description mentioned that the timing belts on the Delicas are often replaced. Has the belt been replaced on this vehicle? Is there anything on the vehicle not working. For example, 4x4 system, wipers, A/C, etc. Do you have a recommended supplier for parts?”
The response I got was to give him a call, which I did. We chatted. Michael seemed nice and sounded like he genuinely wanted to provide a good vehicle. After chatting with him and seeing his feedback score on eBay, my confidence was boosted, tho I was still leary of buying a vehicle long distance, especially an older vehicle.
Ten days later, 15 APR 2022, I was still trying to decide what I wanted to do and began fishing for more information. I sent Michael a text asking for info concerning his inventory as his website seemed out of date as items had been listed as “Sale Pending” for quite some time. I never got a response to this text.
Finally, 28 July 2022, I was ready to make an offer on a vehicle, or so I thought. I was still a bit skittish and never actually put a deposit down until 20 OCT 2022. The fact that the item descriptions were blank on DelicaUSA’s website was a bit concerning to me, but I pushed these concerns aside due to the feedback score via eBay, my chats with Michael, and the public list of things that they said they routinely did to each vehicle on their website, tho this would later come back to haunt me. There were two Delicas that I was interested in seeing, one was an L300 and one was an L400. Michael had been trying to convince me to get the L400 due to the mountainous landscape in Colorado as he thought the L400 would handle the mountain passes better. I knew he was likely right, but I really liked the styling of the L300 better. I thought, if I was going to buy an older van that was likely going to be a constant project, I’d rather get the stylish one.
It was 20 OCT 2022, the deposit was placed, and we made plans to meet on 28 Oct 2022 when he’d have the L300 I was interested in ready as I’d be driving it from PA to CO. On 23 Oct, I asked some EGT questions concerning installation and emissions. He mentioned not having any in stock. Later, on 25 OCT 2022, I asked about the spare tire, diesel additives, if a jack was provided, and the condition of the brake lines. Typical pre-trip questions/concerns. I never got a reply. On the morning of 27 OCT 2022, I sent a text stating that I was getting on a plane. He said his tech was finishing up the Delica.
The Purchase: On Friday, 28 OCT 2022, I showed up as planned. The only problem was that Michael wasn’t there to meet me as planned. Instead, his painter, who I could barely communicate with, met me. His native language was Russian and his English was not so good. That definitely added a bit of a stressor for me. Here I was with 101 questions concerning the Delica and I couldn’t communicate effectively. He wasn’t familiar with the mechanical aspects of the vehicle, so we drove down the street to the mechanic’s shop. Again, his native language was also Russian, tho his English was a smidge better than the painter’s.
The mechanic and I walked around the vehicle. We went for a drive and tried to discuss the 41-point inspection list that he provided of the things he’d done to the vehicle. I was surprised to see a separate list from the mechanic as there was a 100-Point Maintenance &Inspection Procedure Checklist already on the website. (Here is a screenshot of this list just in case the website is down or anything.) Either way, I rolled with it as the list, and what the mechanic said, seemed good.
I purchased the vehicle and began my drive toward Colorado with stops to see family scheduled along the way. By 6 NOV 2022, I was on the side of the road with an overheated Delica.
Broken Down: During the entire road-trip, I was very nervous about overheating the Delica. So many of the issues that I read about involving the van revolved around the vehicle overheating. I was constantly looking at the temperature gauge, so much so that it became an annoying habit. Well, turns out, that gauge is pretty slow to react. Upon entering the small town of Vici, Oklahoma, I looked back to see a cloud of steam behind me. I instantly pulled over onto the side of the road in what luckily was a gravel lot across from a gas station. While pulling over, the vehicle died and there I sat. I instantly opened all of the doors and raised the seats in an attempt to help the engine cool off.
After a brief inspection, I discovered a leak in a coolant line that ran to the rear heater core.
Not-So-Handy patch work
After scrounging around the small town, I managed to do a roadside repair to the leak. The funny thing, other than the color of the initial black hose, my orange roadside repair (not pictured) looked just like DelicaUSA’s permanent fix they supplied prior to a cross-country road-trip. Looking at the hose between the band-clamps, it was clearly old and likely just whatever was lying around.
Long story short, I slept in my vehicle that night on the side of the road. In the morning, I got towed to the nearest mechanic. He was unable to help me with the Delica, but did give me a ride to the next town over so that I could rent a Uhaul truck and trailer. I drove the Uhaul back to Vici, loaded the Delica up, and was on my way home to Colorado. Meanwhile, I had a lot of time to think.
I can understand the vehicle being old and having problems that an old vehicle has, but this repair on that heater hose was bothering me. This wasn’t some road-side limp-till-you-get-home repair. No, this was a repair given to me by a Dealer who knew I was traveling from PA to CO. This was a shabby patch-job that failed and now I’m towing my vehicle behind me while I’m driving through the night in a huge empty Uhaul.
Once I got home, I set up a professional vehicle inspection. What was found was disheartening. It was quickly apparent that the 100-Point inspection checklist and the 41-point checklist that the mechanic gave me weren’t completed as promised. Keep in mind, per DelicaUSA…
(Please ignore the poor grammar, I’m merely quoting them.)
“Every vehicle we import undergoes a through, 100-point maintenance and inspection procedure. In addition, each vehicle is kept for at least a weeks for driving tests to discover any issues. We make sure each vehicle is road ready, and that any potential problems are discovered and addressed before delivery to the customer.”
Below is an excerpt from a letter that I sent to DelicaUSA pointing out my concerns with their techs, and ultimately DelicaUSA, not abiding by their own inspection criteria.
The following is a list of items that I found to have not been done as you say they should have per your 100-Point Inspection Checklist. You will find the items listed as such - Bullet Point Inspection Item: Response To Inspection Item.
Safety Concerns (via inspection list):
Under Hood Inspection
Replace wiper blades: Blades were unusable and rusted into place. Wiper arms require replacement in order to change blades.
Brakes
Confirm vehicle does not pull left or right upon braking: Vehicle definitely pulled slightly left. Once on lift, the front left wheel would not spin manually without extreme force; Caliper is dragging
Tires, Brakes, & Suspension
Check that spare tire is present and at proper inflation: Spare was present and properly inflated, as your inspection list calls for, but definitely not in a drivable condition as Spare tire is cracked and severely worn on sidewalls and main tread is separating.
Inspect tires for damage: See item above
Fuel Pump: Dumps diesel onto ground when starting from cold. Slow leak after that.
General Concerns (via inspection list): This will be a bulleted list with the Inspection Item followed by my response/findings concerning the inspection item.
Standard Maintenance & Services Performed On All Vehicles
Replace Air Cleaner Filter: Extremely dirty and has oil vapor in it. Indications of blowby.
Drain/Replace front/rear Diff Fluid: Front diff fluid is black and full of metal
Drain/Replace transfer case fluid: Dirty fluid, Requires replacement
Flush & Replace Engine Coolant: Indications are that no flush was done.
Inspect frame suspension mounts: *Rear leaf spring pads are gone, metal on metal, rusty. Rear shock studs are extremely rusty, rear shocks are leaking. Require replacement, concerned about breaking the studs if the bushings are seized; Front sway bar links are worn, bushings are cracked, metal on metal. Front lower control arms are extremely rusty; Will complicate ball joint replacement when needed.
Inspect glow plugs operation: Roadside mechanic in Oklahoma said this was likely not done. *One plug is broken. In addition, plugs do not receive power with the key in the on position.
Test Drive Inspection
Transmission
Confirm transfer case switches smoothly from 2wd to 4wd and back again: 4wd will not switch into 4wd low.
Brakes (repeat)
Confirm vehicle does not pull left or right upon braking: Vehicle definitely pulled slightly left. Once on lift, the front left wheel would not spin manually without extreme force. Piston likely stuck.
Steering
Check for wheel bearing noise: No noise while driving, however wheel bearings are loose and clunk when the wheel is rocked by hand during physical inspection on a lift.
Confirm that steering wheel is centered in straight line driving: Steering Wheel is not straight when driving straight
Vehicle Component Inspection
Under Hood inspection
Replace Air Filter…: Found air filter to be extremely dirty with blowby indications
Check belts for cracks, wear, and proper tension: Multiple belts loose. *Water pump pulley bent.
Check for engine oil leaks: *Valve cover gasket is leaking, oil blowing out of breather hose, oil in air intake hose, oil in air filter, oil leaking from intake manifold. Someone recently resealed the valve cover gasket, looks like just pasted RTV and did not replace the gasket. Requires replacement.
Check for any broken or missing ducts, brackets, and engine covers: *Front fan condenser housing is rusting apart
Check for oil in the air cleaner: There is plenty of oil in the air cleaner
Power steering reservoir is at correct level: Fluid low
Engine Coolant, Air Conditioning, and Heating
Pressure test cooling system to check/correct leaks: Multiple leaks. *Heater hoses leaking, *Freeze plugs are leaking rusty coolant. Turbo leaking coolant. *Manifold gasket leaking coolant. *Exhaust flange leaking coolant. Radiator corroded. *Rear HVAC box is split down the middle and was repaired with duct tape and stuffed with a rag.
Check/correct coolant fan operation: *Half of fan shroud missing
Check hoses for cracks. Replace if needed: Multiple hoses cracked. *One coolant hose failed at a previous repair location.
Check for any indication of leakage at A/C connections: DelicaUSA Mechanic mentioned A/C sys was freshly charged just before I picked up the vehicle. Refrigerant leaked out before day one was complete.
Battery
Cables in good condition and properly secured: Cables were loose
Tires, Brakes, & Suspension
Check that spare tire is present and at proper inflation: Spare was present and properly inflated, as your inspection list calls for, but definitely not in a drivable condition as Spare tire is cracked and severely worn on sidewalls and main tread is separating.
Inspect tires for damage: See above item
Brakes: *Brake fluid residue on rear cylinder/bleeders; doesn't look fresh.
Brakes: LF caliper is dragging, safety concern. *Rotors and brakes are rusty. *RF backing plate has rusted apart, requires replacement
Brakes: Rear brakes out of adjustment
Suspension: *See “Standard Maintenance: Inspect frame suspension mounts”
Drive Train
*Inspect transmission for leaks: Leaks found. None communicated to me at the time of purchase. Leaking at OD sensor, Transmission cooler line has been improperly repaired, require replace soft line, Transmission fluid is a brown color
Check for engine oil leaks (under vehicle): Leaks found. None communicated to me at purchase.
Frame & Underbody
Check exhaust system and rubber hangers: *Exhaust system has multiple holes throughout.
Motor/Transmission Mounts: Three out of four transmission mounts seemed to have been replaced. The fourth was torn and cracked.
Floor pans rusted out. Holes in floor pans.*
Body Electronics
Door locks operate from the master switch… : Sliding door does not lock when driver’s door is locked. Passenger door does function when the driver's door is locked.
Rear defogger grid lines do not show any damage: Lines do show damage.
Interior/Exterior Lighting
A/C on indicator light: Light doesn’t function
Dome Light: Door switches require adjustment or light stays on. (Front) Light does not function with sliding door (Rear)
Condition Inspection
Body dents and dings: Numerous
Paint scratches and scuffs. Rust was clearly painted over with little to no prep seemingly done. Underside was sprayed with a Rhino-liner type product and clearly done over untreated rust. (Was this an attempt to cover up rust?)
Mechanic’s 41 point Inspection List
Air Filter “Inspected”: Air filter currently shows to be extremely dirty with evidence of blow by.
Check radiator / hoses for leaks “Inspected”: Multiple leaks. One leak ultimately caused an overtemp condition.
Exhaust Leaks “Inspected”: There are holes throughout the exhaust system upstream of the muffler.
Front Brakes “Inspected”: Rusty, coated in Rhino Liner, LF caliper stuck
Rear Brakes “Inspected”: Require adjustment
Tires “Inspected”: Spare is unusable
Check undercarriage rust “Inspected”: Rust is practically everywhere! *Floorpan has multiple large holes in it, *Brake rotors are rusty, *brake backing plate has fully rusted apart, no major component can be changed, engine included, without risk of breaking bolts due to rust. *Shock struts and *lower control arms are extremely rusty.
Bearing noise “Inspected”: Bearings clunk when inspected with weight off of vehicle
Air Conditioner: Inoperable. Compressor was changed out though the entire system leaked out.
Glow Plugs “Inspected”: *Rearmost plug broken. Plugs do not receive power when the key is moved to on position.
Windshield Wipers “Inspected”: Blades rusted into wiper arms. Blades severely damaged and useless.
Engine Oil/Antifreeze leaks “Inspected”: Multiple as stated above in this document.
Battery / Connectors “Inspected”: Cables loose
Other Concerns
Radiator Support Bracket: Item is rusted out and must be replaced during engine swap. Item is not a bolt-on item as it is welded in place. Parts will likely need to be fabricated.
Fuel Pump: *Dumps diesel onto ground when starting from cold. Slow leak after that.
* Indicated to DelicaUSA that pictures were available. They never asked for them.
Vehicle #2
At this point, I offered up two solutions to DelicaUSA via the letter I wrote them. They chose a third option which was to come to get the vehicle and repair it themselves.
They did indeed send a truck out to get the vehicle. Long story short, they told me that they put in another engine. That engine was bad as well. Michael offered me the option of waiting until he found another engine or choosing between another L300 he had or an L400. I chose the other L300. He said…
“...this one looks completely rust free.”
Michael sent me a few images of the L300 and mentioned that the vehicle looked completely rust-free. From the images he sent me, it did indeed look pretty decent as far as rust went. I asked if there was anything inoperable on the vehicle such as A/C, rear heat, glow plugs, or other. He said, “I will triple-check everything before sending it out.”
The vehicle shipped. The website said the vehicle was a 1992. The shipping docs said it was a 1993. The title said it was a 1994. After inquiring, as well as searching the VIN on EPC, the vehicle was indeed a ‘94, maybe. I say maybe as I believe that date to be the date the vehicle was first registered vs built. Who knows?
After looking over the vehicle, it was apparent that it wasn’t in as good of shape as Micheal mentioned nor did all of the components work. My main two concerns were the engine itself and the A/C. I also had some rear heat concerns that I eventually fixed myself.
Before I complain:
Before I complain, in all fairness, Michael could be getting duped by his mechanic. “How so?” you ask. Well, my main two complaints on the second vehicle are the engine’s internal condition and the A/C not operating. Michael could have possibly been kept in the dark with issues in these two areas. Let’s consider the A/C first…
Now, my current complaints:
The A/C compressor on my first vehicle was brand new. This one looks like it was found on the bottom of the ocean. Regardless, the first vehicle’s A/C didn’t work passed the first day. Setting that aside, the second vehicle’s compressor currently does not engage when the A/C unit is turned on. There could be many reasons for this, with one of those reasons being refrigerant levels. Things could have appeared as if the A/C was “fully functional,” as Michael said it was when it left the lot, if the mechanic filled the system just prior to shipping. This is what he did on my first vehicle. He charged the system the morning I was there; I remember him saying so. At the time, I was not so skeptical of him and thought it was a nice gesture. Now, I think he is just making it appear as if these A/C units are functional if the system does have leaks because the next day there was no refrigerant and the A/C was no longer blowing cold. Meanwhile, the only way to know the difference is to have it leak-checked in person while you are there or to do it via a third party/yourself. With the last two options, you are likely to get what I got, "At the time [v]an left our lot A/C was fully functional.”
“We prefer to get the vehicles, perform an inspection, complete our standard maintenance and then make sure the vehicle is 100% ready.”
In my opinion, they want the vehicle 100% ready unless it concerns the internals of the engine it appears. The engines, on both my first vehicle and its replacement, had terrible numbers during wet/dry leak-down tests. (I had these tests done professionally.) I understand that DelicaUSA wants to make a profit, but getting vehicles imported to them with engine issues and passing the buck to the unknowing customer is bad business. It is my opinion DelicaUSA should get these test results before importing and then determine if they want to continue importing the vehicle or not. Otherwise, they should fix the issue and simply add it to the price. The problem is, again, in my opinion, Michael doesn’t want to know the wet/dry leak-down numbers. That would only cost him money and drive the cost of his vans up and out of the competitive pricing range. Michael just wants to know that the vehicles appear to be running well. Basically, he isn’t truly interested in providing the customer with a quality product. He cares more about flipping vans, yet they say…
“... we’re more interested in long term relationships than quick profits. We want to be your importer for life, and we try to treat every customer like we treat our friends and family.”
My first small project with the Delica was to get the foglights working. Now, I do not blame DelicaUSA for my foglights not being functional. Now, if it were headlights or blinkers then maybe. Anyway, while sticking my head up under the dash, I noticed that the Master Cylinder had been leaking. Now, keep in mind, DelicaUSA has a mechanic and a parts store. They sell Master Cylinders. The one in my vehicle shows evidence of leaking and the floor under it was rusting out to the point that there were holes in the floor pan. Now, this is a pretty common occurrence as I have learned in my few weeks of owning a Delica. Meanwhile, DelicaUSA says they have, “over 20 years of experience in [the] car market.” Do you think they didn’t know about this rust? Do you think they simply pressed around on the floor and said, “Yep, it’s good.” Either way, neither option is what I’d expect from a dealer who says…
“we try to treat every customer like we treat our friends and family.”
Keep in mind, I asked about rust, specifically floor pan rust, and I asked about A/C issues before they sent me this vehicle. I was told the van was “really good” and that I’d get a list of repairs that were done. I got neither. I didn’t get the list of repairs nor did I get a van that was really good. Here is what I got…
Engine that required replacing upon arrival
Dirty air/oil filters (on their checklist)
Antifreeze/Coolant was 90% water (on their checklist)
Spare Tire unuseable (on their checklist)
Radio was still a non-working Japanese Tape Deck (they installed a US radio on previous van)
Holes rusted through floor pans after inquiring about rust and specifically inquiring about rust in floor pans (on their checklist)
Front Differential forward and aft insulators 95% gone (arguably on their checklist)
Alternator belt missing (on their checklist)
Paint overspray on all exterior panels/windows
If DelicaUSA can’t do the easy things like air/oil filters, what confidence should a customer have that DelicaUSA can be trusted to do the hard things like engine internals? Meanwhile, I didn’t ask them to help me fix the engine. (I did on the first van.) I didn’t ask them to help me with the rust. All I asked was for DelicaUSA to help me get my A/C system running. Meanwhile, it is a system that should have been working before the Delica left the lot. It is a system that I specifically asked if it was functional before they shipped me the vehicle. It is a system that required maintenance on both vehicles that I received from DelicaUSA.
They are no longer responding to my text messages, hence the turn to social media last week. I purposely didn’t call them out. I purposely gave them a week to think about how they wanted to deal with the A/C issues they handed me. (Meanwhile, I’ve got a brand new engine sitting in my garage waiting to be installed amongst other things.)
I write this not to deter anyone from buying from DelicaUSA. I write this in an effort to inform a potential buyer of my experience. We all make choices. I made a choice to trust DelicaUSA via a remote transaction, twice. I recommend you take more time than I did once you look your vehicle over at their dealership. Their two inspection checklists are, apparently, worthless.
