2015 Smart Fortwo — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Smart Fortwo passed 86.6% of its 12,466 recorded MOT tests. That is 2.1 percentage points better than city cars of a similar age, which fail at 15.6%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.3%) and tyres (4.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, catalyst emissions and stop lamp — wipers alone was recorded 350 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 9.4% in the 0-30k band and 29.3% in the 120-150k band, a 19.9-point spread — more than double.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 10.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 16.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.3% | 656 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.9% | 606 |
| 3 | Visibility | 4.3% | 538 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.2% | 398 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.0% | 376 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.0% | 372 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 350 |
| 2 | Catalyst emissions | 342 |
| 3 | Stop lamp | 322 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 294 |
| 5 | Washers | 259 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 256 |
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 | 22.1% | 2,757 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.4% | 1,916 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.0% | 871 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.1% | 635 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.6% | 454 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 3.2% | 394 |
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 | 4,781 | 9.4% |
| 30-60k | 5,790 | 14.3% |
| 60-90k | 1,540 | 19.7% |
| 90-120k | 302 | 26.5% |
| 120-150k | 41 | 29.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 12,372 | 13.4% |
| Electric | 94 | 12.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,433 | 10.7% |
| 2022 | 2,453 | 11.0% |
| 2023 | 2,501 | 13.9% |
| 2024 | 2,514 | 15.3% |
| 2025 | 2,565 | 16.1% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Fortwo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 5.3% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (5.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.9% 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 (4.3% 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.
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 2015 Smart Fortwos pass their MOT?
86.6% of the 12,466 2015 Smart Fortwo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Smart Fortwo?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.3% of tests, followed by tyres (4.9%).
Does the 2015 Fortwo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.4% in the 0-30k band to 29.3% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 12,466 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.