2013 Smart Fortwo Brabus Xclusive A — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2013 Smart Fortwo Brabus Xclusive A passed 86.3% of its 349 recorded MOT tests. Against all cars of a similar age (20.1% fail rate), the 2013 Fortwo Brabus Xclusive A comes out 6.4pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.4%) and brakes (5.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are service brake performance, exhaust system and catalyst emissions — service brake performance alone was recorded 12 times.
A 60-90k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 16.0% versus 9.4%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 12.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 17.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.4% | 19 |
| 2 | Brakes | 5.4% | 19 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 4.9% | 17 |
| 4 | Tyres | 3.7% | 13 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.3% | 8 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.0% | 7 |
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 | 12 |
| 2 | Exhaust system | 10 |
| 3 | Catalyst emissions | 10 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 9 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 7 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 6 |
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 | 21.2% | 74 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.8% | 55 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.3% | 29 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.0% | 21 |
| 5 | Road wheels | 6.0% | 21 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.4% | 19 |
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 | 96 | 9.4% |
| 30-60k | 164 | 14.0% |
| 60-90k | 75 | 16.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 72 | 12.5% |
| 2022 | 66 | 9.1% |
| 2023 | 68 | 13.2% |
| 2024 | 69 | 15.9% |
| 2025 | 74 | 17.6% |
What to check before buying a 2013 Fortwo Brabus Xclusive A
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 5.4% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (5.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.4% 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.
- Emissions & environmental (4.9% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
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 2013 Smart Fortwo Brabus Xclusive As pass their MOT?
86.3% of the 349 2013 Smart Fortwo Brabus Xclusive A MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2013 Smart Fortwo Brabus Xclusive A?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.4% of tests, followed by brakes (5.4%).
Does the 2013 Fortwo Brabus Xclusive A get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.4% in the 0-30k band to 16.0% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 349 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.