2016 Smart Forfour — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 31,122 MOT tests, the 2016 Smart Forfour recorded an 83.3% pass rate. City cars of a similar age fail 13.7% of the time, so this is 3.0pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (6.7%) and visibility (5.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, wipers and catalyst emissions — tread depth alone was recorded 1,397 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 11.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 27.3% once past 120-150k — 2.4× the risk.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 27.2% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 12.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 19.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.7% | 2,077 |
| 2 | Visibility | 5.4% | 1,680 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 4.6% | 1,434 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.6% | 1,421 |
| 5 | Suspension | 4.5% | 1,409 |
| 6 | Brakes | 2.7% | 828 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 1,397 |
| 2 | Wipers | 1,329 |
| 3 | Catalyst emissions | 1,172 |
| 4 | Ball joint | 896 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 659 |
| 6 | Washers | 652 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 27.2% | 8,452 |
| 2 | Brakes | 16.9% | 5,262 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.7% | 1,762 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.5% | 1,696 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.8% | 879 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.5% | 772 |
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 | 10,664 | 11.4% |
| 30-60k | 15,760 | 18.2% |
| 60-90k | 4,021 | 23.7% |
| 90-120k | 561 | 22.6% |
| 120-150k | 88 | 27.3% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,950 | 12.5% |
| 2022 | 6,206 | 15.4% |
| 2023 | 6,258 | 17.0% |
| 2024 | 6,329 | 18.9% |
| 2025 | 6,379 | 19.4% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Forfour
On a 2016 Forfour, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 6.7% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (6.7% 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.
- Visibility (5.4% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Lighting & signalling (4.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
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 2016 Smart Forfours pass their MOT?
83.3% of the 31,122 2016 Smart Forfour MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 16.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Smart Forfour?
Tyres, recorded in 6.7% of tests, followed by visibility (5.4%).
Does the 2016 Forfour get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.4% in the 0-30k band to 27.3% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 31,122 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.