Reliability Report · Multi-Source Data

Smart Fortwo Reliability

The Smart Fortwo (current generation) scores 80/100 on our composite reliability index — good territory — drawn from DVSA data.

Composite Score
80
/ 100
Good
Sources: DVSA · latest 2024
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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 2010–2021 · 2024 report · n=34392
34,392 UK MOT tests · overall 14.3% fail rate vs UK fleet baseline
View source ↗
82
/ 100
DVSA MOT (UK Inspections)
Model years 2009–2020 · 2023 report · n=21600
21,600 UK MOT tests · overall 13.9% fail rate vs UK fleet baseline
View source ↗
78
/ 100

UK MOT Reliability Detail

Based on 34,392 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
81
8.0% fail vs 10.9% fleet
3,157 tests
Age 69 yrs
80
14.3% fail vs 19.2% fleet
24,568 tests
Age 1014 yrs
89
17.2% fail vs 32.1% fleet
6,667 tests

Most Common MOT Failure Categories

#1
Wipers
1,682
25.7%
#2
Condition
1,596
24.3%
#3
Tread depth
1,227
18.7%
#4
Catalyst emissions
1,077
16.4%
#5
Windscreen
975
14.9%

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 Fortwo stacks up against direct rivals — same segment, similar price band, side-by-side risk + reliability.

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