2019 Smart Forfour — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2019 Smart Forfour passed 89.7% of its 8,738 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.6 percentage points worse than city cars of a similar age, which fail at 8.7%. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.2%) and visibility (4.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tread depth and headlamp aim — wipers alone was recorded 377 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.0% in the 0-30k band and 20.3% in the 60-90k band, a 12.2-point spread — more than double.
Fuel type barely separates them — electric fails 10.3% of the time against 10.3% for petrol.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 5.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 12.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.2% | 453 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.9% | 431 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 2.8% | 244 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.1% | 187 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.2% | 106 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 63 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 377 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 206 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 179 |
| 4 | Washers | 128 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 120 |
| 6 | Brake discs | 84 |
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 | 21.6% | 1,892 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.1% | 1,148 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.5% | 394 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.2% | 277 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.9% | 166 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.2% | 103 |
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 | 6,276 | 8.0% |
| 30-60k | 2,192 | 15.6% |
| 60-90k | 242 | 20.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 8,047 | 10.3% |
| Electric | 691 | 10.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 100 | 5.0% |
| 2022 | 2,139 | 6.4% |
| 2023 | 2,148 | 9.4% |
| 2024 | 2,155 | 12.7% |
| 2025 | 2,196 | 12.8% |
What to check before buying a 2019 Forfour
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.2% of tests. Start there.
- 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.
- Visibility (4.9% 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 (2.8% 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 2019 Smart Forfours pass their MOT?
89.7% of the 8,738 2019 Smart Forfour MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 Smart Forfour?
Tyres, recorded in 5.2% of tests, followed by visibility (4.9%).
Does the 2019 Forfour get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.0% in the 0-30k band to 20.3% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 8,738 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.