2012 Smart FORTWO

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Excellent Reliability

Quick Summary

The 2012 Smart FORTWO has 11 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.1x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (18% of all complaints), specifically: i was driving on the freeway (5 lane) in my 2012 smart fortwo passion coupe in the middle lane at 65-70 mph. all of the sudden my accelerator was no longer functional. i looked down and saw that my speedometer and gear indicator were also non-functional. i was able to coast (despite heavy traffic) t.

2 crash reports 3 injuries

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.1x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

2 complaints

18%

• I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (5 LANE) IN MY 2012 SMART FORTWO PASSION COUPE IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT 65-70 MPH. ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY ACCELERATOR WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT MY SPEEDOMETER AND GEAR INDICATOR WERE ALSO NON-FUNCTIONAL. I WAS ABLE TO COAST (DESPITE HEAVY TRAFFIC) T
• TRANSMISSION WILL GO INTO THREE BARS AND NOT SHIFT ON HIGHWAYS AND PARKWAYS, USUALLY ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE UNDER POWER TO SIDE OF ROAD SOMETIMES GOES INTO NEUTRAL AND HAVE TO COAST TO SIDE. OCCURS WITH ELEVATED AMBIENT MOISTURE. STARTED AT 32,000 MILES. KNOWN ISSUE, TRANSMISSION HAS A LIMP MODE FOR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (5 LANE) IN MY 2012 SMART FORTWO PASSION COUPE IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT 65-70 MPH. ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY ACCELERATOR WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT MY SPEEDOMETER AND GEAR INDICATOR WERE ALSO NON-FUNCTIONAL. I WAS ABLE TO COAST (DESPITE HEAVY TRAFFIC) T”

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

2 complaints

18%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SMART FORTWO. WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BACK INJURIES, WHICH REQUIRED MED
• VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AND PUSHED INTO ANOTHER CAR ON INTERSTATE. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SMART FORTWO. WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BACK INJURIES, WHICH REQUIRED MED”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SEATS/RESTRAINTS

2 complaints

18%

• DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILS TO BUCKLE. NOTHING LODGED IN BUCKLE, BUT MECHANISM APPEARS TO BE BROKEN.
• The driver side seat belt mount, which in this case is a steel cable, has mostly broken and frayed rendering it unsafe to drive. In the event of an accident, it would certainly break completely. I only noticed it yesterday while cleaning, the breakage would've happened while driving it. I've contact

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILS TO BUCKLE. NOTHING LODGED IN BUCKLE, BUT MECHANISM APPEARS TO BE BROKEN.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

1 complaints

• I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (5 LANE) IN MY 2012 SMART FORTWO PASSION COUPE IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT 65-70 MPH. ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY ACCELERATOR WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT MY SPEEDOMETER AND GEAR INDICATOR WERE ALSO NON-FUNCTIONAL. I WAS ABLE TO COAST (DESPITE HEAVY TRAFFIC) T

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

1 complaints

• I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (5 LANE) IN MY 2012 SMART FORTWO PASSION COUPE IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT 65-70 MPH. ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY ACCELERATOR WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT MY SPEEDOMETER AND GEAR INDICATOR WERE ALSO NON-FUNCTIONAL. I WAS ABLE TO COAST (DESPITE HEAVY TRAFFIC) T

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

SEATS/RESTRAINTS(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 11 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (5 LANE) IN MY 2012 SMART FORTWO PASSION COUPE IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT 65-70 MPH. ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY ACCELERATOR WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT MY SPEEDOMETER AND GEAR INDICATOR WERE ALSO NON-FUNCTIONAL. I WAS ABLE TO COAST (DESPITE HEAVY TRAFFIC) T
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
AIR BAGS: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SMART FORTWO. WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BACK INJURIES, WHICH REQUIRED MED
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
SEATS/RESTRAINTS: DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILS TO BUCKLE. NOTHING LODGED IN BUCKLE, BUT MECHANISM APPEARS TO BE BROKEN.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (5 LANE) IN MY 2012 SMART FORTWO PASSION COUPE IN THE MIDDLE LANE AT 65-70 MPH. ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY ACCELERATOR WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT MY SPEEDOMETER AND GEAR INDICATOR WERE ALSO NON-FUNCTIONAL. I WAS ABLE TO COAST (DESPITE HEAVY TRAFFIC) T
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)