Used car guide

2018 Smart Fortwo: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the Smart Fortwo first registered in 2018: we looked at the 3,365 MOTs these cars had during 2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

3,365MOTs of 2018 cars, done in 2025
83%pass first time (all 2018 cars: 81%)
4,200typical miles a year
2.7×the usual rate for number plates

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2018 Smart Fortwo?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2018 Smart Fortwo than on all cars registered in 2018.

  • Number plates2.7× usual
    Smart Fortwo
    4.6% All 2018 cars
    1.7%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.2%, against 0.2% of all 2018 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £5–£40 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the number plate lights work and the plates are clean and legal.

Common 2018 Smart Fortwo MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2018 Smart Fortwo MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    30% 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.

  • Brakes
    16% 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.

  • 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.

  • Lights and electrics
    7% 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
    6% 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.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    1% 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.

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2018 Smart Fortwo

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the number plates? (Flagged at MOT 2.7× as often on the 2018 Smart Fortwo as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Smart Fortwo?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the Smart Fortwo compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2024–Too new for MOT data
2023–Too new for MOT data
2022–Too few tests
2021–Too few tests
2020–Too few tests
20191,872Tyres 26%
20174,802Tyres 27%
20165,717Tyres 26%
20152,205Tyres 25%
20143,658Tyres 26%
2013889Tyres 29%
20121,781Brakes 33%
20112,998Brakes 30%
20104,241Brakes 32%
20094,613Brakes 36%
20083,749Brakes 35%
20071,771Brakes 34%
2006752Suspension 40%
2005575Suspension 40%
2004502Lights and electrics 38%
2003123Brakes 34%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2025, counting the MOTs of Smart Fortwo cars first registered in 2018. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score