LDV Maxus road tests and consumer car reviews

LDV Maxus 120 SWB 2006

Originally a leased van, but bought from lease company for 3K when LDV went bust. I had been the only driver and van had less than 60K miles. Early problems with windscreen leak and rubber mat going in hole at 20K miles, which was sorted under warranty. The Northampton dealer went bust and I ended up dealing with Brian Curries in Milton Keynes - a big mistake as they caused more problems than they repaired and always had the van for weeks. We are a mobile 24hr Locksmiths so the van carries a lot of gear along with big safes too. Now we service the van ourselves, we are really happy and advise 3K oil and filter changes. We have just replaced the clutch at 78K as the clutch arm cracked (complete clutch kit and arm £130). The glow plugs are just about to be changed as cold weather is causing sluggish starting. We had all usual problems with the alarm and central locking; Waxoyl the linkage to the solenoid in the side loading door and make sure the contacts are clean, this sorts it out. We love our Maxus, it’s far better than my mate’s Transits.

LDV Maxus 2011

I work for a ex-LDV dealership and I drive a Renault Master. Enough said.

LDV Maxus 2006

I bought a Maxus van three years ago from Hampshire Van Sales Direct, Portsmouth. An excellent van, which has given me no trouble at all. The after sales has been first class and without doubt this is the best vaule for money van you can get. I highly recommend this van and Hampshire Van Sales Direct. I will by another one from the same place next year.

Responses to this review

Hi, I’m thinking of buying a Maxus, but just wanted to ask someone that owns one how do you find the van on diesel? Are the 2.5 engines thirsty? - Marcus Smith from Cheshire

LDV Maxus 2005

I bought this van second-hand and apart from the seats, which are not comfy on long runs, I have had 2.5 years of trouble free motoring.

LDV Maxus 2008

Wrote my LDV off, what a belting van, 3years old and not a problem . Went straight out and bought another, 2008 37000 miles and it flew through MoT. What more do you want from a cheap reliable workhorse? Would highly recommend to any one.

LDV Maxus 2005

I bought it just over 2 years ago used, the only thing I find is the seats, when on a long run they are not as comfy as other vans, otherwise to me it has been a great van. I have had no problems as yet.

LDV Maxus 120 2005

I have had mine for about three years now, what a brill van, use it for my work as we are mobile mechanics. Yes they are cheap, but ours has been very good, we have put a clutch and timing belt kit on it and front disc pads, but three years we have had it, and it keeps going. We work on them all French, German, Fords, they all make us laugh. Expensive junk. LDV any day. Only one problem, a buzzer goes off now and again, but van still drives and goes ok. Thanks LDV. And it was built in Britain.

LDV Maxus 2006

I picked my LDV up the other day and drove it home 160 miles and I was quite surprised how much LDV has improved. I’ve just come from a 2002 transit and i’ll tell you somthing, it’s 100 times better and for the money you can get two Maxus for price of one Transit, the same year. Transits and Renaults have problems with the clutch aswell, at the end of the day it’s wear and tear on parts and the way people thrash them, but the LDV for the money difference.. what can I say? Shame really that LDV went bust.

Responses to this review

LDV still exists, but are now Chinese-owned and haven’t really resumed operations yet, but they do sell vehicles on their website (I assume from before LDV went under) http://ldv.co.uk - Alex from London

LDV Maxus 2006

I bought this Maxus from Hampshire Van Sales Direct, Portsmouth. An excellent van, drives very well and very good on fuel. Has now been converted to a Campervan, I love it! Drive down to Huelva, Spain often and can’t fault this van.

LDV Maxus 2006

Bought it two months ago, to date had it in and out of garage wiper switch and now it will not start. We think it’s heater plugs but it’s no good, although bought with a warranty each time I take it back they say things are not warranty items. Apart from that it is a good van.

LDV Maxus lwb high roof 2008

Bought 2008 Maxus lwb high roof Oct 2009 had done 21000 miles, it’s now done 88000 miles had no problems at all ’TIL NOW! Had the engine management light on, loss of power etc. Been to main dealers on diagnostic machine can’t find any problems. Air intake in a stupid place near front wheel sucking water in to air filter, had a kit put on to stop the water getting to air filter, changed fuel filter, and had air flow intake sorted, goes well now, spoke to a lot of people with the same problems, all they have done when this happens is what I have done and their vans have been fine.

Responses to this review

Hi, I’m having a power loss problem with my 2008 Maxus. Please can you tell me how or who sorted the air intake problem? Thanks - Andy from England

LDV Maxus XHR 90ps 2007

I bought the van new, and so far have done just over 80,000, most of it with two bulk bags of gravel in the back. The air-flow sensor shorted out in the snow, but that was repaired under warranty, otherwise it’s a great van. Ok, the panels are thin, but it was £7k cheaper than a similar size, so I can live with that. If LDV hadn’t gone bust and was still honouring the warranty it would have got 5 stars. Oh yeah, the radio is c**p!

LDV Maxus 2007

I have had have mine for 2 years, it had 14k on the clock when I got it and it has now done 30k. This van has been a belter for me, it never misses a beat, and I was shocked to see all these bad reviews! So far so good for me.

LDV Maxus

Firstly. Star rating - I would like to put 0, that’s how bad my van has been. I’ve owned this van from new, paid far too much for it. It has had 3 new clutches, 2 new alternaters, alarm system ripped - out could not be fixed, 2 new suspention strutts. All this work was done under warrenty. 4 and 1/2 years later I still have the van but I am in need of a new engine - the turbo went and took the engine down with it. But after all this I still like driving my van, it had worked well over the years. The engine managed to live for 160,000 miles. Anyone out there who might want to get rid of their Maxus engine? I would be intersted in bringing mine back to life if any one can help... my email address is info@kidzdobounce.co.uk. Thank you, Mark.

LDV Maxus 2007

Bought this van and have had ongoing problems, from doors not locking correctly to engine faults. Clutch kept going, the materials are cheap and flimsy and the electronics a joke. Since buying one every garage I have been to has said they have all seen similar problems with it. Do not buy and a terrible liability for any business. This has cost me a lot in repairs and replacement of lost stock.

LDV Maxus 120 lwb hitop 2007

Big silver van, 36,000 miles, bought for £2800 plus vat. I sold my 59 plate Vito for 12.5k plus vat, almost 10k in the bank and a full size van. Great van, great bargain, powerful engine; I was a sherpa fan so I’ve returned. Well done LDV.

LDV Maxus 2006

I’ve had two of these vans from my company and what can I say? The 06 plate cost over £4500 in one to keep on the road, clutch, wheels bearing’s, brakes, steering rack. I’ve now got a 08 plate, which is not much better. The biggest problem is fuel starvation on it, get to 1/4 of tank and the eml comes on, in the end the engine cuts out, leave it 30 secs starts up, fill the tank and no prblems with it. With the latter, does any one know what the problem is? It’s been to LDV loads of times and comes back from them saying no problem?

Responses to this review

Hi, fuel pump in tank needs to be cleaned 100 percent - Kevin Ryan from County Down

I had the same problem, the air flow sensor needs sorting, the fuel pump cleaning and change fuel filter - Chris from Cumberland

LDV Maxus SWB high top 2007

As a business man this is the best value van I have ever purchased and driven. OK, we all know the pre 06 reg Maxus was not up to standard, 06 and on are great vans with a lot of the problems sorted out. People have pointed out bad brakes, steering, gearbox, and bad clutch and so on. Well walk in to any branch of a parcel delivery company (DHL) and jump in to few months old Merc or Tranny, after it’s been driven by 12 assorted drivers every week and you would say what a load of crap!!! The van’s condition is down to the drivers who treat them like crap, they even vent there anger out on them. My Maxus has had one driver, done 45,000 miles, received just the normal services and I have had it for 2 years. And remember the clutch trouble the Transit had (mass fly wheel or some thing) - I had 3 in mine!

LDV Maxus LWB Hitop 2008

Collected from LDV Heathrow in June 2008. Metallic Silver with AC. Dealer said he’d put in an alarm and didn’t, but I requested the spare was slung underneath, some £250 worth of extra’s! I didn’t pay for the extra as they didn’t fit the alarm, they didn’t pursue it so neither did I. AC system didn’t work, they wanted the whole van back for two days! I paid a local AC firm to de-gas and re-gas (A MUST with r314a) and found it only had 250g instead of 840g. From new the drivers door didn’t fit, so it rubs on the front wing, now rusty. Leaks somewhere. Now found (read on): Radio is complete c**p or something is wrong with the aerial, probably related to the leak. It’s made from VERY thin metal so even my cat has managed to dent it. Recent very cold weather and a hot engine managed to cause a huge dent in the bonnet; if I didn’t see it for myself I would be looking for vandals now. New battery now required after 15,000 miles. The leak was eventually traced to a poorly fitted windscreen; Write ’top’ and ’bottom’ on the rubber, starting near the aerial completely remove the rubber seal surrounding the screen, it comes out easier than you think, with a good quality black silicone rubber (soft and runny, fill the channel around the screen about 1/3rd full. It may be necessary to dry out the channel with a combination of natural drying and tissues, before the silicone can set, push the rubber back in place. Mines never leaked since. Also note the Hi-top suffers with bad condensation on roof above the screen. I removed the parcel shelf, then glued some Air Conditioning insulation rubber across; this stuff ain’t cheap, but I’m in the trade anyway. All that said I think the van is value for money. Now our VW Sportline, she’s a babe, but the missus drives that!

LDV Maxus 95bhp 2006

Stay well clear of these vans. Had mine 2 years and problems from day 1: Water leaks in at foot well on passenger side, cracked cylinder head, 3 clutches replaced, altenator, battery, turbo hose spilt, drive shafts, ball joints and drop links and this is only the half of it. Also the replacement parts are very hard to get hold of, so I’ve had to purchase every part from an LDV dealer which I hate. Looking to change my van now before it cost me any more money, maybe a Sprinter or Renault Master? Any suggestions?

Responses to this review

I can assure a Renault Master will be no better. The tragedy is that NONE of the current crop of vans are any good - Guy Satchwell from Lothians

LDV Maxus 2008

What a pile of rubbish. I’ve owned this van from new, only done 28000 miles and have had 2 clutches fitted already. The garage told me they fit bigger clutch plates to cars, all my older vans haven’t cost me a penny in comparism. The body work panels are so thin a blade of grass dents them. Can anyone tell me whether anybody has taken over warranty for LDV?

LDV Maxus 2008

What a load of tosh this van is. Flimsy panels, worst reliability in a van that I have ever owned. No wonder the company has gone bust. I only had it 2 days and the clutch went, bring back my old Transit!

LDV Maxus 3.5T LWB 2005

Well where do we start with this van?...1) Engine management light on all the time spoke to LDV they say it happens but its not a problem. 2) Rear door is terrible, it breaks in the cold. 3) Side door out of alignment within days of ownership. 4) Brakes are terrible, non responsive. 5) Handbrake wouldn’t hold a Mini. 6) No height adjustment on drivers seat. 7) Passenger seats are not comfortable. 8) Bodywork is like a sardine tin. All in all, this has to be the worst van ever to sell in the UK and its a shame, the Russians have managed to cut back on all major parts; starter motor, alternator etc. My van had new engine on 40k due to oil pump failure now on 65k and having problems with the coolant system, some days no heat other days it works. The clutch was replaced after 30k and the slave cylinders gave up twice. Just walk past the LDV garage and buy a transit or a sprinter or anything other than an LDV!

LDV Maxus 2009

I’ve had this van nearly a year. Worked this van very hard, towing, thrashing the hell out of it to get to broken down lorrys and cars all over the UK. It’s very plain but useful and been 100 percent reliable. I had a new Vaxhaull Vivaro 20 cdti 57 plate, what a pile of rubbish. It had so many faults it took the dealer 1 year to sort them out, got rid off it when sorted. Maxus very good for the money

LDV Maxus 120 h/r lwb 2006

I am a courier and have just taken my Maxus through the 100,000 miles mark. I’ve just had a clutch fitted and had the timing belt changed as per the service requirements. It’s an excellent work horse with no real problems to report. Yes it’s basic the panels are thin, but hey you get what you pay for. Look after it, drive it with care and she’ll take care of you. RIP LDV, such a shame.

Responses to this review

Hi Carl, how much was the timing belt to be done please? - Russ Owen from England

Hello, It was £300.00 you can only get the parts from LDV, You must replace the pullys at the same time - Carl Henrikson from London

Hiya, did you pay £300 for timing belt including labour or was that extra? Thanks - Keith Jones from England

LDV Maxus 2008

I wish I had found this site earlier. I have to manage a small fleet of light commercials, the LDV being the newest addition. Within 20,000 miles it has had more problems than the rest of the fleet combined. Door locks failed, radiator fixing bolts vanished, rad hose split, fuses blowing, water ingress, rust, radio works when feels like it, power steering reservoir worked loose and fell off etc. etc. etc. The best yet is total clutch failure after 20,000 miles and on light duties. Thank goodness the rest of the fleet is not LDV. I would be redundant as the company would not make any deliveries.

LDV Maxus 2006

I have just bought this Maxus. I was told the fan belt needed tightening. I’ve had a new tentioner, idoler and another pully & belt fitted but it is still squelling - so I had a new clutch pully fitted but still no joy. Can anybody help?

Responses to this review

Get a water pump - Thomas Stewart from England

Get a mouse trap - Graham Amos from Warwickshire

LDV Maxus 3.5 95 2005

I’ve only had this van for about a month and have spent a bit of money on it already but as I can’t say how it was treated before I got it I’ve no problems with spending on it. It drives really well and I find it much more comfortable than my previous Transit van. I drive a 100 mile round trip 6 days a week to work and it’s a total pleasure to drive. I love it and best of all its British.

LDV Maxus lwb 2006

Just bought the Maxus lwb 2006 model. After reading some of the views on here; have I done the right thing? But saying that, it seems to drive fine with no problems so far, not sure how much warranty is left on the van. I bought from auction with no service print-out with 19000 miles on the clock. Does anybody know how I can get any info regarding warranty? Thanks. I had the van at the right price in comparison with the transit OF THE SAME AGE saved about £3000.. and the last transit I had no end of problems, for example - NEW FUEL PUMP £900 POWER STEERING TENSIONER £300 NEW MIRRORS £80 SENSORS LOST COUNT, MISTED HEADLIGHTS £120 - rust... loads of... all makes of vehicles have their problems, you just have to live with them.

LDV Maxus swb 2006

We bought this van and have had a few problems; cab door hinges weak, had have a new battery at the start of it’s life, but it is British we should support LDV - they are cheap and basic but still a better than anything the French or Italian van makers can produce.

LDV Maxus 3.5t 95 2008

Can honestly say that for the money this is the best van we have had. OK, Sprinters are nicer to look at but they wont earn me another £10K per van!! Previously had a Citroen Relay which were c**p & had poor dealer service. Our local dealer here was quick to service & cheap.

LDV Maxus 2008

We have had this van since new, it was purchased from Birmingham and on the short drive from there to Reading it broke down. As soon as this happened I should have got rid, anyway the van is just over 1 year old now and goes back to LDV every month for them to reset the computer and put on new pedal. We have had 5 new pedals. So, last month, it went back from where we got it for them to say it’s the pedal, so it gets changed again. Always goes wrong between the 9th and 14th off each month. Its the 13th of April today and my van is waiting to be recovered, new pedal and a reset of the computer here we come. DO NOT BUY A LDV MAXUS!!!

LDV Maxus 2005

Having always owned a van I have to say the Maxus is by far the best, I bought 2nd hand from an LDV dealer and apart from having the weak door mounts replaced to the later type under warranty.. no problems. used all day every day. Good British built van.

LDV Maxus 2007

Just want to point out the comments made about the instruments are a design classic in a Mini. Strange how things are marketed...

LDV Maxus SWB 2007

I bought this van from new and straight away had a list of problems including central locking not working, rear door locks breaking, side door lock breaking several times, not starting - flat battery several times, hole in floor mat within 8 months, rusty roof, leaking roof. This van is that bad that I used it for 9 months then parked it up and bought a new van when I took it in for a part exchange the dealer offered me £1500 - it was 9 months old with 12,000 miles on the clock. Do I need to say more? USELESS!

Responses to this review

The rear and side loading doors are not locking, usually due to dirty contacts on the door switches. These should be bright and shiny, side door is worse than rears as it doesn’t have a raised pip. Further battery problem due to radiator fans running on and on when engine off/cold. Not yet resolved as intermittent, but I will change relay and sensor switch. The van is okay for the money - Paul King from London

LDV Maxus 1 2005

Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish. Brakes are useless - body work, there’s a dent in every panel but at least its British...

LDV Maxus 135 refridgerated box 2008

This is the second Maxus on the fleet. We also have a 05 swb 120 van. We have found them to be very reliable, cheap to service and very good value for money. The cab has all the things you want electric windows, mirrors etc... but best of all it is still built in this country and it deserves our support! Its a shame some people look at the badge rather than the van.

LDV Maxus swb 95ps 2008

We are on our second Maxus vehicle for our business and I was shocked to read reports above. We have had Citroen’s, Ford, and Vauxhall in the past and for us the Maxus is perfect. Great engine, reliability, and service from the dealership. The load area for the class is brilliant, and ok furnishing is basic but for the price its unbeatable. Brilliant British made van, thank god for the Maxus!

LDV Maxus 2006

This is the worst van available in the UK today. The gearbox blew after 23000 miles - new replacement fitted by dealer lasted less than 3 weeks - starter motor jammed causing electrical fire under bonnet and paper thin bodywork. Only a mug would by another one.

LDV Maxus Concept Conversion Minibus 2007

Very good vehicle, I got used to instrument panel in wrong place, very quiet on motorways, floor under driver gives way so needs new floor or mat covering it, other than that good vehicle.

LDV Maxus lwb panel van 120 p/s 2007

I have had my Maxus van for over 12 months now and to date I have had no problems with it. It is the most reliable van I have ever owned! I use Thomas Hardie in Trafford Park - great as it is open 24 hours for service. Joanne always keeps me well informed with any offers or warranty recalls. A great van and a great dealership.

LDV Maxus 2007

Worst van I have driven. 1. Badly under-steers (wouldn’t like to drive in winter) 2. Poor response on brakes. 3. Seats like park benches, gave me backpains after 30 minutes drive. 4. No height adjustment on drivers seat. 5. Instrument panel in wrong place, need to take eyes off road to make out symbols. 6. No small mirrors to help with blind spot view.

LDV Maxus 350 120PS 2005

Never buy one, get a bike, you will be on the road longer. 25 years of vans this one was a big mistake cant wait to get rid!!!!!!!!!!!!

LDV Maxus 2.5 CDI 2.8t lwb h/r 95

The maxus I drive is a company vehicle and it does its job well. The only down side to this van is the instrument arrangement as these are set into the middle of the dash which, as a three seater cabin, means you have to keep looking to the left to check anything, although you do get used to it. Nice little van.