Smart Fortwo MOT pass rate & common failures

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

We are not publishing a ranking for the Fortwo. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 4,370 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Smart Fortwo tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1. 1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened24.3%

   262 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained

2. 2.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake15.6%

   168 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained

3. 3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements12.3%

   133 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

4. 4.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning10.6%

   115 occurrencesLamp not working explained

5. 5.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded9.1%

   98 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained

6. 6.A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED7.5%

   81 occurrencesHeadlamp not working explained

7. 7.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning7.0%

   76 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained

8. 8.A tyre seriously damaged6.3%

   68 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

9. 9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen6.1%

   66 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

10. 10.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction5.6%

    60 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Smart Fortwo tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1. 1.A tyre seriously damaged20.1%

   876 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

2. 2.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded17.5%

   764 testsBrake pipe corroded explained

3. 3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements17.1%

   743 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

4. 4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm5.8%

   251 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained

5. 5.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users5.8%

   251 tests

6. 6.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured4.4%

   193 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

7. 7.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake3.9%

   170 testsBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained

8. 8.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened3.7%

   163 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Smart Fortwo

The 14 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

• Headlamp aim incorrect5.2%
• Suspension arm bush worn5.1%
• Exhaust leaking or insecure4.8%
• Emissions above the permitted limit4.6%
• Tyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating4.3%
• Lamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity2.7%
• Registration plate missing, insecure or illegible2.6%
• Parking brake efficiency too low2.5%
• Road wheel damaged, distorted or cracked1.8%
• Suspension joint dust cover missing or split1.6%
• Shock absorber defective1.4%
• Suspension mounting corroded or insecure1.3%
• Brake hose deteriorated, damaged or chafing0.3%
• Wheel bearing has excessive play or is rough0.2%

What gets tested

The Fortwo fleet

Average mileage recorded at test

60,760

Across examples of every age, so this is a description of the fleet rather than an annual figure.

Fuel mix of tested cars

Petrol84.3%

Diesel15.7%

Compare within the range

Other Smart models

• Smart EQ Forfour — 85.3% unadjusted
• Smart EQ Fortwo — 91.8% unadjusted
• Smart Roadster — 68.8% unadjusted
• Smart Forfour — 53.5% unadjusted
• All Smart models →

Common questions

How reliable is the Smart Fortwo compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Smart Fortwo, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 68.1% across 4,370 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Smart Fortwo?

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 24.3% of failed Smart Fortwo tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Smart Fortwo?

The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 20.1% of all Smart Fortwo tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Smart Fortwo usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 60,760 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Smart Fortwo models petrol or diesel?

Of the Smart Fortwo cars tested, 84% are petrol, 16% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.

Further reading

Make sense of the numbers

• How to judge reliability from evidence rather than reputation
• What counts as high or low mileage for a car’s age
• The most common MOT failures and how to avoid them
• What to check before buying a used Smart