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Smart · NHTSA safety record

2013 Smart Fortwo

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

25

Complaints

0

Crashes

3

Fires

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2013 Smart Fortwo have filed 25 safety complaints with NHTSA between March 2013 and December 2024. The most complained-about system is the seat belts, named in 7 of them (28%). The typical failure was reported at 13,000 miles, the median across the 21 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

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.

Defect investigations (1)

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.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 25.

SEAT BELTS 7 28%
ENGINE 6 24%
POWER TRAIN 5 20%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 12%
SEATS 2 8%
STRUCTURE 2 8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 8%
AIR BAGS 1 4%
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY 1 4%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 4%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 4%
TIRES 1 4%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2013 at 5.

2013 2024
2013 to 2024

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 6,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SMART FORTWO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A BURNING ODOR AND OBSERVED SMOKE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY CASING MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT CHARGING AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.

NHTSA complaint 10766514. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire · 33,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SMART FOR TWO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED WHITE SMOKE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TOWED TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF SAN FRANSICO DEALER LOCATED AT 500 8TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CAWHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COOLANT DAMAGED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER REFUSED TO DO THE REPAIR DUE TO NEGLIGENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED A TEN PERCENT DISCOUNT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 33,000. *LN UPDATED

NHTSA complaint 11033202, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

fire · 15,000 miles

ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 16TH WHEN TRYING TO START MY 2013 SMART FORTWO BRABUS, THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD STARTED FLICKING, SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT FROM THE AC VENTS, THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE AND EXPLODED, FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED TO BE AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY ON A CITY STREET AT THE TIME. HERE IS A LINK TO AN ARTICLE IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER: AND I'VE ATTACHED A PICTURE OF THE FIRE DEPT. REPORT.

NHTSA complaint 11074117. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS
Seat belt anchor to vehicle on driver side of vehicle frayed and broke away with normal routine use.

NHTSA complaint 11628640. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS
The drivers side seatbelt connecting floor (I think it's the belt force limiter) has a cable that has broken off. This is the 2nd time this has happened to my SmartCar. It is a design flaw because the cable runs against the metal of the seat cutting thru the cable. It isn't usually noticed until it breaks off making the seatbelt complete become broken from the floor. Additionally, SmartCars including this one have a known issue where AirBags become I op (light on) due to connection issue under seat. So now I have no restraints in my car.

NHTSA complaint 11469109. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Software for power control module is not correspond to the series level Software configuration. Basically it doesn't want to take charge due to the Software issues from manufacturer.

NHTSA complaint 11439125. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

70,000 miles

THE GEAR CANNOT GO REVERSE. IT STUCK AT NEUTRAL. I CAN DRIVE FORWARD, NEUTRAL BUT NOT GO REVERSE.

NHTSA complaint 11416476. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

1 miles

REGARDING LIGHTNING: WATER/HUMIDITY HAD ACCESS TO THE SAM UNIT AND THE RIGHT-SIDE SIGNALS/STOP LIGHT STOPPED WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN IT SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. REGARDING BODY/OTHER: SOME OF THE CONVERTIBLE-ROOF STEEL FRAME/BARS GOT BENT WHEN CLOSING THE TOP AND THE BENT BARS WOULD PREVENT THE TOP FROM CLOSING UNLESS YOU FORCED THE STEEL/METAL BARS.

NHTSA complaint 11376789. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

14,300 miles

DRIVER SEATBELT WILL NOT STAY IN TENSION RING. AT TIMES STUCK IN PARK & WHEN UNSTUCK WILL NOT ENGAGE ANY GEAR AND STOPPING AT RED LIGHT WHILE IN DRIVE SOON AFTER STARTING CAR IT WILL NOT MOVE WHEN ACCELERATOR IS ENGAGED. IN ALL CASES ENGINE MUST BE TURNED OFF THEN TURN TO POWER ON ONLY FOR 10 TO TWENTY MINUTES DURING WHICH EVENTUALLY CLICKING/CLUNKING SOUNDS ARE HEARD. AFTER HEARING THESE SOUNDS START AND SHIFT. REPEAT SOMETIMES TWICE BEFORE TRANSMISSION UNLOCKS. YOU MUST LEAVE ONE HOUR EARLY TO WORK OR APPOINTMENTS ANTICIPATING TRANSMISSION LOCKUP AND RESET PROCESS. USING THE YELLOW LEVER UNDER SHIFT CONSOLE WILL UNLOCK SHIFTER BUT WILL NOT AIDE WITH GEARS ENGAGING. USING GOOGLE SEARCH I

NHTSA complaint 11354621, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Smart Fortwo

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2016 21 1 —
2014 13 0 —
2011 16 0 —

Every Smart on this site — 4 vehicles, 7 recall campaigns and 0 open investigation s.

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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

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.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst