Used car guide

2004 Smart Roadster 80 Auto(rhd): common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2004 Smart Roadster 80 Auto(rhd)s, from 436 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

Small sample: only 436 of these were MOT tested in 2025, so treat the percentages as rough. The known faults below don't depend on it.

436MOT tests in 2025
68%pass first time (all 2004 cars: 58%)
3,600typical miles a year
2.6×the usual rate for individual direction indicators

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2004 Smart Roadster 80 Auto(rhd)s than on all cars registered in 2004.

  • Individual direction indicators2.6× usual
    Smart Roadster 80 Auto(rhd)
    8.9% All 2004 cars
    3.4%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.4%, against 1.5% of all 2004 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

Better than most

Tread depth: 8.7% here, against 18.7% of all 2004 cars.

By area

The share of 2004 Smart Roadster 80 Auto(rhd) MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Brakes
    38% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    35% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Suspension
    33% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Tyres
    18% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    13% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    8% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2005202Brakes 36%
2003139Brakes 40%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2004 Smart Roadster 80 Auto(rhd)s registered in 2004. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score