NHTSA safety record
Every complaint, recall and defect investigation on file for a Smart, model years 2011 to 2016.
4
Vehicles
75
Complaints
7
Recalls
7
Fires
0
Deaths
4Smart year and model combinations have enough on file to be worth a page here, and between them their owners have filed 75 safety complaints with NHTSA. More of those name the engine than any other system: 23 of them. The single most complained-about is the 2013 Fortwo, with 25.
NHTSA holds 7 recall campaigns naming Smart vehicles, across every model year the agency records rather than only the ones shown here.
The systems named most often across every Smart complaint on file. One complaint can name more than one system, so these add up to more than the complaint total. "Unknown or other" is excluded: it is what the intake form records when an owner cannot place the failure.
The newest campaigns naming a Smart, by the date the manufacturer's defect report reached NHTSA. Each one covers a build range, which may be narrower than the model years listed.
20V107000 · February 24, 2020
If the high-voltage battery fails, the vehicle may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an electrical arc inside the battery increases the risk of a fire.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 1 vehicles
18V273000 · April 27, 2018
If the mat contacts hot exhaust system components, it can increase the risk of a fire.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 42,781 vehicles
17V448000 · July 16, 2017
As the parking brake lever travel increases, the holding force may decrease to a point where the vehicle is no longer safely secured in all parking situations, allowing the vehicle to unexpectedly move when parked on a slope, increasing the risk of a crash.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 5,061 vehicles
Pages 2016 Fortwo
17V447000 · July 14, 2017
Failure of the left front axle steering knuckle could affect vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 110 vehicles
17V179000 · March 16, 2017
If the headlight can be adjusted horizontally, the headlight may be adjusted outside of the designed specifications, reducing the driver's visibility and potentially blinding oncoming traffic, increasing the risk of a crash.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 2,213 vehicles
15V192000 · March 31, 2015
If the steering gear mounting bolts break, vehicle handling could be affected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 5,058 vehicles
08V390000 · August 7, 2008
SUCH DE LAMINATING CAN TAKE PLACE IN THE AREA OF THE BODY WHERE THE WINDSHIELD AND ROOF HAVE BEEN AFFIXED WITH ADHESIVE, WHICH COULD AFFECT THE ADHESION OF THOSE COMPONENTS TO THE VEHICLE BODY, INCREASING THE RISK OF SEPARATION. THIS COULD CAUSE A CRASH IF THE ROOF OR WINDSHIELD SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE IN MOTION.
SMART USA DISTRIBUTOR LLC · up to 43 vehicles
Every manufacturer's latest recalls, or check a single car with the VIN lookup.
4 vehicles across 1 model, newest model year first.
Built from NHTSA's complaint file published August 20, 2026, its recall campaign API and its defect investigation file. A complaint is one owner's unverified account, not a finding of fault. How this is counted. · All makes
Compiled and maintained by guarledes
Independent developer and analyst