2014 Smart Fortwo — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 21,198 MOT tests, the 2014 Smart Fortwo recorded an 86.4% pass rate. That is 3.7 percentage points better than city cars of a similar age, which fail at 17.3%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 8.5% of all tests — 4.1 points clear of visibility, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are stop lamp, wipers and headlamp aim — stop lamp alone was recorded 703 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 9.2% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.8% once past 150k — 3.5× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — electric fails 12.2% of the time against 13.6% for petrol.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 22.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 11.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.5% | 1,806 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.4% | 926 |
| 3 | Brakes | 4.0% | 840 |
| 4 | Tyres | 3.8% | 810 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.9% | 617 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.1% | 444 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stop lamp | 703 |
| 2 | Wipers | 683 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 676 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 593 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 491 |
| 6 | Washers | 418 |
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 | 22.3% | 4,719 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.4% | 3,267 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.9% | 1,034 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.8% | 1,011 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.3% | 708 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.2% | 682 |
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 | 6,272 | 9.2% |
| 30-60k | 10,625 | 13.6% |
| 60-90k | 3,503 | 19.6% |
| 90-120k | 622 | 21.4% |
| 120-150k | 122 | 25.4% |
| 150k+ | 44 | 31.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 20,566 | 13.6% |
| Electric | 508 | 12.2% |
| Diesel | 124 | 16.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,206 | 11.7% |
| 2022 | 4,257 | 13.0% |
| 2023 | 4,272 | 13.4% |
| 2024 | 4,225 | 14.4% |
| 2025 | 4,238 | 15.6% |
What to check before buying a 2014 Fortwo
On a 2014 Fortwo, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 8.5% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (8.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (4.4% 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.
- Brakes (4.0% 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.
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 2014 Smart Fortwos pass their MOT?
86.4% of the 21,198 2014 Smart Fortwo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Smart Fortwo?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.5% of tests, followed by visibility (4.4%).
Does the 2014 Fortwo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.2% in the 0-30k band to 31.8% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 21,198 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.