2008 Smart Fortwo Coupe: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 23 complaints
23
Total Complaints
25,646mi
Median Mileage
Power Train
Top Issue
0
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

9,094 25th Percentile
25,646 Median Mileage
38,326 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Power Train
4
Body
3
Engine And Engine Cooling
2
Fuel System, Gasoline
2
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
2
Automatic Transmission
1
Unknown Or Other
1
Driveline
1
Clutch Assembly
1
Equipment
1

Severity Assessment

0
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"APPROXIMATELY FOUR NIGHTS AGO, AFTER EXITING THE HIGHWAY, MY SMART CAR LOST ALL POWER AND CAME TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN DRIVE AND I HAD NOT TOUCHED THE IGNITION, EVEN THE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE AND THE RADIO INSIDE THE CAR CUT OFF COMPLETELY. THERE WA..."
"I RECENTLY BOUGHT A SMART FOR TWO CAR FROM A PERSON IN ST. LOUIS, TECHNICALLY IT WAS "USED" BUT ON HAD LESS THAN 200 MILES ON IT. I THEN DROVE IT HOME TO INDIANA. ACCORDING TO THE OWNERS MANUAL, SUPPOSEDLY THERE IS A CARD IN THE GLOVE BOX THAT YOU SEND IN IF YOU BUY THE CAR USED, THAT WAY THE SMART..."
"GEAR SHIFTER STUCK IN PARK. UNABLE TO MOVE CAR. MANY OTHERS HAVING SAME PROBLEM. SEE: HTTP://WWW.SMARTCAROFAMERICA.COM/FORUMS/F25/GEAR-KNOB-BUTTON-STUCK-4454/ HTTP://WWW.SMARTCAROFAMERICA.COM/FORUMS/F25/DIY-GEAR-SHIFT-REMOVAL-LUBE-SHORT-VIDEO-5428/ THIS APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM. *TR"

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

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Power Train 4 complaints
25th: 18,197 mi Median: 30,163 mi 75th: 38,434 mi
Body 3 complaints
Median: 11,400 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 6 CA: 3 MA: 2 FL: 2 AZ: 2 AL: 1 UT: 1 IN: 1 NY: 1 IA: 1

Who Files Complaints?

8.7%
Original Owners
91.3%
Second+ Owners

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