"How reliable is the 2008 Smart Fortwo?"

"Based on 175 NHTSA complaints, the 2008 Smart Fortwo has a median complaint mileage of 39000 miles. The most common issue is ENGINE."

"What are common problems with the 2008 Smart Fortwo?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2008 Smart Fortwo is ENGINE, accounting for a significant portion of the 175 total complaints filed."

2008 Smart Fortwo: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 175 complaints

175

Total Complaints

39,000mi

Median Mileage

ENGINE

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

23,500 25th Percentile

39,000 Median Mileage

66,680 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE

POWER TRAIN

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

SEAT BELTS

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

SERVICE BRAKES

AIR BAGS

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY WIFE'S 2008 SMART-FOR-TWO SINCE APPROXIMATELY 2-MONTH AFTER PURCHASE WITHOUT REAR-VIEW MIRROR. THE MOUNTING (METAL) TAB THAT WAS GLUED TO THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD HAD CAME LOOSE AND WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT FROM THE FACTORY IN WHAT..."

"MY CAR'S SHIFTER IS STUCK IN PARK. I CANNOT SHIFT TO N (NEUTRAL), D (DRIVE), OR R (REVERSE). THIS EFFECTIVELY RENDERS THE CAR INOPERABLE. *TR"

"THE FAILING PART IS IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER. THE SHIFT LEVER RELEASE BUTTON BEGINS TO GET RESISTIVE IN IT'S OPERATION AND THEN FAILS TO ACTUATE ALL TOGETHER. IN MY CASE THIS RESULTED IN THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAVING TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SHIFT LEVER ASSEMBLY. THE FAILURE OCC..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28