Reliability Report · Multi-Source Data

Smart Forfour Reliability

The Smart Forfour (current generation) scores 66/100 on our composite reliability index — average territory — drawn from DVSA data.

Composite Score
66
/ 100
Average
Sources: DVSA · latest 2024
Market Snapshot
Documented issues0
Listings in catalogue0
Found a listing?
Get a personalized risk + price verdict in 30 seconds.

Reliability by Source

Each independent organization measures reliability differently. TÜV reports inspection defect rates by age band. ADAC reports pan-European breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles. NHTSA aggregates US consumer complaints. DVSA MOT data is the UK fleet's annual safety inspection — every car 3+ years old. Lower variance across sources = higher confidence in the composite.

DVSA MOT (UK Inspections)
Model years 2004–2021 · 2024 report · n=31227
31,227 UK MOT tests · overall 21.3% fail rate vs UK fleet baseline
View source ↗
66
/ 100
DVSA MOT (UK Inspections)
Model years 2003–2020 · 2023 report · n=21773
21,773 UK MOT tests · overall 19.9% fail rate vs UK fleet baseline
View source ↗
66
/ 100

UK MOT Reliability Detail

Based on 31,227 MOT tests in the UK during the 2024reporting period. Score for each age band reflects this model's fail rate vs the UK-fleet baseline fail rate at the same age — a generation-aware metric.

Age 35 yrs
59
13.9% fail vs 10.9% fleet
2,759 tests
Age 69 yrs
66
21.0% fail vs 19.2% fleet
26,744 tests
Age 1520 yrs
71
38.0% fail vs 38.8% fleet
1,724 tests

Most Common MOT Failure Categories

#1
Condition
2,031
23.4%
#2
Tread depth
1,738
20.1%
#3
Catalyst emissions
1,727
19.9%
#4
Wipers
1,611
18.6%
#5
Ball joint
1,561
18.0%

Categories ranked across all MOT tests of this model in the UK during the 2024period. "Condition" covers cosmetic / wear issues; suspension and braking dominate the rest.

Compare Against Alternatives

See how the Smart Forfour stacks up against direct rivals — same segment, similar price band, side-by-side risk + reliability.

Open the comparison tool →