2018 Smart Fortwo — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2018 Smart Fortwo passed 90.8% of its 18,330 recorded MOT tests. City cars of a similar age fail at 9.7%, so the 2018 Fortwo sits squarely on the average. Failures cluster in visibility, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — visibility (4.4%) and tyres (4.4%) 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 586 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 21.8% versus 7.0%.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 3.5pp more often than electric ones (9.5% vs 5.9%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 20.2% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 6.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 4.4% | 806 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.4% | 807 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 2.9% | 526 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.5% | 458 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.9% | 170 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.8% | 143 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 586 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 448 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 369 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 332 |
| 5 | Washers | 312 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 143 |
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 | 20.2% | 3,695 |
| 2 | Brakes | 11.5% | 2,113 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.9% | 1,079 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.0% | 556 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.9% | 348 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.6% | 300 |
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 | 12,950 | 7.0% |
| 30-60k | 4,506 | 13.8% |
| 60-90k | 720 | 18.2% |
| 90-120k | 133 | 21.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 16,968 | 9.5% |
| Electric | 1,362 | 5.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,574 | 6.7% |
| 2022 | 3,703 | 8.5% |
| 2023 | 3,693 | 9.2% |
| 2024 | 3,624 | 10.3% |
| 2025 | 3,736 | 11.3% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Fortwo
On a 2018 Fortwo, visibility is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 4.4% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- 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.
- Tyres (4.4% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (2.9% 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 2018 Smart Fortwos pass their MOT?
90.8% of the 18,330 2018 Smart Fortwo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Smart Fortwo?
Visibility, recorded in 4.4% of tests, followed by tyres (4.4%).
Does the 2018 Fortwo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.0% in the 0-30k band to 21.8% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 18,330 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.