Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 16 safety complaints
about the 2011 Smart Fortwo with the US government. Of those, 2 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 2 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the engine,
named in 5 complaints, 31% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 29,600 miles,
the median across the 14
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers May 2012 to January 2023 · How this is counted
What is on file
16 complaints on file
16
Complaints
2
Describe a crash
1
Mention fire
2
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not
the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production
ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 5 · 31%
5 31%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 · 25%
4 25%
SEAT BELTS 4 · 25%
4 25%
POWER TRAIN 2 · 13%
2 13%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 13%
2 13%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 6%
1 6%
STRUCTURE 1 · 6%
1 6%
TIRES 1 · 6%
1 6%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 · 6%
1 6%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 · 6%
1 6%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 · 6%
1 6%
048
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 16.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2012 at 3.
4 3 2 1
122012132013152015162016172017182018232023
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2012 to 2023.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2011 Smart FORTWO, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
2 DR RWD
C 2 DR RWD
Overall
Not rated
Not rated
Frontal crash
Not rated
Not rated
Frontal, driver
Not rated
Not rated
Frontal, passenger
Not rated
Not rated
Side crash
Not rated
Not rated
Side barrier
Not rated
Not rated
Side pole
Not rated
Not rated
Rollover
Chance of rollover
21.2%
21.2%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Defect investigations
1 on file
An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A
preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering
analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.
Pedestrian alert sounds
DP22005
Closed defect petition · opened January 27, 2023 · closed August 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
the electrical system
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2 injured · crash · towed · 54,000 miles
THE CAR BROKE DOWN ON EXIT 231 B IN VIRGINIA. THE SMART HAD A GAS TANK DEFECT. I WAS NEARLY KILLED. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO TYSINGER MOTORS IN VIRGINIA MULTIPLE TIMES.
NHTSA complaint 10914887. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
fire · 51,000 miles
I WAS DRIVING EASTBOUND IN THE NUMBER 1 LANE OF CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY 24 ABOUT 1/4 MILE BEFORE THE TUNNEL ROAD EXIT. I HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE ARE OF THE CAR, LOOKED AT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED, AND EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. I PULLED OFF OF THE HIGHWAY AT THE TUNNEL ROAD EXIT AND STALLED ON THE OFF RAMP. I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE TWICE BY TURNING THE KEY. I SAW SMOKE IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR, EXITED THE VEHICLE, AND SAW FLAMES COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. I CALLED 911 AND GAVE THE DISPATCH OPERATOR MY LOCATION. BY THE TIME THE HIGHWAY PATROL AND LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, MY CAR WAS TOTALED. THE ATTACHED …
NHTSA complaint 10981144, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
crash · 2,500 miles
STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT BEHIND OTHER CAR. VEHICLE ROLLED FORWARD WHILE FOOT WAS ON BRAKE INTO OTHER STOPPED VEHICLE. *TR
NHTSA complaint 10458246. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
TIRES
175 55 r15 Tge tires wires startes to unravelling and chabgibg the ahape of tge tire.
NHTSA complaint 11500754. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SEAT BELTS
84,000 miles
THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT LATCH HAS FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 2 YEARS. THE MALE END CAN NOT BE INSERTED INTO THE FEMALE END.
NHTSA complaint 11143407. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
64,000 miles
THE METAL SEAT BELT CONNECTOR FRAYED IN TO TWO PIECES. REPLACED WITH OEM PART. IT FRAYED AGAIN. IT'S A 2011 DRIVEN BY A 75 YR.OLD SENIOR CITIZEN. MERCEDES ACCUSED OWNER OF MALICIOUSLY CUTTING CABLE. EXTREME SAFETY HAZZARD.
NHTSA complaint 11115029. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SEAT BELTS
SAFE BELT BUCKLE JAMMED OR CAN'T CLICK
NHTSA complaint 11020473. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, no campaign on file for this vehicle.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst