2012 Smart Cabriolet — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 267 MOT tests, the 2012 Smart Cabriolet recorded an 80.5% pass rate. That is 2.3 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 21.8%. Failures cluster in brakes, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (9.0%) and lighting & signalling (9.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are service brake performance, headlamp aim and tread depth — service brake performance alone was recorded 15 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 27.8% versus 10.3%.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 24.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 14.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 27.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 9.0% | 24 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 9.0% | 24 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.2% | 14 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.9% | 13 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.4% | 9 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.9% | 5 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Service brake performance | 15 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 11 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 11 |
| 4 | Rigid brake pipes | 9 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 8 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 8 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 24.3% | 65 |
| 2 | Tyres | 24.3% | 65 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.5% | 28 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.4% | 25 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.5% | 20 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.8% | 10 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 39 | 10.3% |
| 30-60k | 92 | 19.6% |
| 60-90k | 98 | 20.4% |
| 90-120k | 36 | 27.8% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50 | 14.0% |
| 2022 | 55 | 16.4% |
| 2023 | 55 | 20.0% |
| 2024 | 52 | 19.2% |
| 2025 | 55 | 27.3% |
What to check before buying a 2012 Cabriolet
On a 2012 Cabriolet, brakes is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 9.0% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Brakes (9.0% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Lighting & signalling (9.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.2% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2012 Smart Cabriolets pass their MOT?
80.5% of the 267 2012 Smart Cabriolet MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 19.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Smart Cabriolet?
Brakes, recorded in 9.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (9.0%).
Does the 2012 Cabriolet get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.3% in the 0-30k band to 27.8% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 267 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.