How reliable is the Smart Roadster compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Smart Roadster, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 68.8% across 1,140 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 do testers most often warn about on a Smart Roadster?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 28.1% of all Smart Roadster tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 82,501 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.

Model reliability file

Smart Roadster MOT pass rate & common failures

From 1,140 recorded MOT tests of the Smart Roadster, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 1,140 MOT tests, 68.8% of Smart Roadster tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Smart Roadster fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, which appears in 16.2% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 82,501 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

68.8%unadjusted, not comparable1,140 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Roadster. 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 1,140 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning16.2%
47 occurrencesLamp not working explained
2.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded14.8%
43 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
3.Audible warning inoperative11.7%
34 occurrencesHorn not working, or of the wrong type explained
4.An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning11.3%
33 occurrencesLamp not working explained
5.Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements9.6%
28 occurrencesLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained
6.A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED7.9%
23 occurrencesHeadlamp not working explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.6%
22 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction7.2%
21 occurrencesAirbag warning lamp on, or airbag missing explained
9.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.5%
19 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
10.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning6.2%
18 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded28.1%
319 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged16.9%
192 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.0%
136 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users11.8%
134 tests
5.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened11.3%
128 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
6.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements9.8%
111 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
7.Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements7.7%
87 testsLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained
8.A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched7.0%
80 testsBrake hose deteriorated, damaged or chafing explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Smart Roadster

The 17 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.

What gets tested

The Roadster fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 82,501
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol99.9%

Trim names grouped into this model (2)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

ROADSTER 80 AUTO(RHD)
ROADSTER COUPE 80 AUTO(RHD)

Check a specific Smart Roadster

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Smart models

Smart Fortwo — 68.1% unadjusted
Smart EQ Forfour — 85.3% unadjusted
Smart EQ Fortwo — 91.8% unadjusted
Smart Forfour — 53.5% unadjusted
All Smart models

Common questions

How reliable is the Smart Roadster compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Smart Roadster, 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 68.8% across 1,140 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 Roadster?: The item recorded most often is "A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning", which appears in 16.2% of failed Smart Roadster 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 Roadster?: The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 28.1% of all Smart Roadster tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Smart Roadster usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 82,501 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.

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.