Smart Fortwo Coupe MOT pass rate & common failures
The Smart Fortwo Coupe appears in 119,480 MOT tests spanning model years 1999–2021, and 77.4% of them passed. That is 2.5 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 25.1%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Fortwo Coupe years
Ranked across Fortwo Coupe years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 82.5% of 2012 examples pass against 71.4% of 2005 ones.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 13.2% of all tests — 3.4 points clear of suspension, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, coil spring and service brake performance — headlamp aim alone was recorded 6,926 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 16.3% in the 0-30k band and 28.0% in the 150k+ band, a 11.8-point spread.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 1.6pp more often than petrol ones (24.0% vs 22.4%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 26.1% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Fortwo Coupe model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 76 | 79.0% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 204 | 70.1% | 29.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 515 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 984 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 3,492 | 74.2% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 3,676 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 4,731 | 74.4% | 25.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 11,067 | 75.7% | 24.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 20,281 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 25,539 | 77.1% | 22.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 24,354 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 15,208 | 80.2% | 19.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 8,857 | 82.5% | 17.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 164 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 54 | 79.6% | 20.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 57 | 84.2% | 15.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 113 | 89.4% | 10.6% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 43 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Seat belts & restraints |
| 2018 | 32 | 93.8% | 6.3% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 13.2% | 15,825 |
| 2 | Suspension | 9.8% | 11,755 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.6% | 9,093 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.7% | 5,576 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.7% | 5,574 |
| 6 | Tyres | 4.4% | 5,228 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.9% | 3,450 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.6% | 743 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 6,926 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 6,679 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 5,359 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 5,178 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 4,582 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 3,968 |
| 7 | Washers | 3,496 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 2,983 |
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 | 26.1% | 31,131 |
| 2 | Tyres | 23.6% | 28,204 |
| 3 | Suspension | 16.1% | 19,290 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 7.2% | 8,627 |
| 5 | Other defects | 6.9% | 8,283 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 6.3% | 7,511 |
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 | 10,134 | 16.3% |
| 30-60k | 46,801 | 21.3% |
| 60-90k | 43,901 | 24.1% |
| 90-120k | 14,835 | 25.6% |
| 120-150k | 2,910 | 25.2% |
| 150k+ | 724 | 28.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 101,690 | 22.4% |
| Diesel | 17,732 | 24.0% |
| Electric | 54 | 16.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 25,823 | 22.7% |
| 2022 | 25,127 | 22.2% |
| 2023 | 24,225 | 22.7% |
| 2024 | 22,821 | 22.8% |
| 2025 | 21,484 | 22.7% |
What to check before buying a Smart Fortwo Coupe
- Lighting & signalling (13.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (9.8% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (7.6% 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.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Smart Fortwo Coupe?
77.4% of the 119,480 Smart Fortwo Coupe MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 22.6% fail rate, across model years 1999–2021.
What does the Smart Fortwo Coupe most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 13.2% of tests, then suspension (9.8%).
Which Fortwo Coupe years are best and worst for MOT results?
2012 has the best pass rate at 82.5% and 2005 the weakest at 71.4%, from 8,857 and 3,676 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Fortwo Coupe MOT results?
Fail rates run at 16.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.0% for 150k+, a 11.8-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Fortwo Coupe more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 22.4% of the time against 24.0% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 119,480 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.