Smart MCC Fortwo MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Smart MCC Fortwo took 46,436 MOT tests in Britain and passed 73% of them first time, close to the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 46,436
- First-time pass rate
- 73%
- All cars
- 71%
What the Fortwo fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Lights and electrics11.1% (all cars 11.3%)
- Suspension7.1% (all cars 9.0%)
- Brakes6.8% (all cars 6.8%)
- Visibility5.6% (all cars 4.8%)
- Tyres5.1% (all cars 6.4%)
- Exhaust and emissions4.2% (all cars 3.1%)
- Body and structure2.3% (all cars 3.5%)
- Seat belts and airbags0.4% (all cars 1.0%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Coil spring: fractured or broken 3.6%
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 2.6%
- Stop lamp: not working 2.6%
- Position lamp: not working 2.3%
- Service brake performance: excessively binding 2.3%
- Headlamp: not working on dipped beam 2.1%
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction 2.0%
- Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 2.0%
Most common advisories
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 12.9%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 10.9%
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 8.0%
- Brake pads: wearing thin 5.4%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 5.0%
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 3.1%
- Service brake performance: binding but not excessively 2.5%
- Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread 2.3%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 694 | 59% |
| 2005 | 769 | 55% |
| 2006 | 935 | 61% |
| 2007 | 2,024 | 61% |
| 2008 | 4,127 | 62% |
| 2009 | 5,018 | 64% |
| 2010 | 4,712 | 65% |
| 2011 | 3,169 | 68% |
| 2012 | 1,890 | 72% |
| 2013 | 927 | 76% |
| 2014 | 3,752 | 78% |
| 2015 | 2,192 | 78% |
| 2016 | 5,731 | 81% |
| 2017 | 4,825 | 83% |
| 2018 | 3,390 | 86% |
| 2019 | 1,912 | 89% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 4 years | 18,517 miles |
| 5 years | 24,139 miles |
| 6 years | 28,905 miles |
| 7 years | 34,034 miles |
| 8 years | 38,464 miles |
| 9 years | 42,997 miles |
| 10 years | 45,711 miles |
| 11 years | 52,962 miles |
| 12 years | 59,544 miles |
| 13 years | 63,106 miles |
| 14 years | 64,555 miles |
| 15 years | 66,085 miles |
| 16 years | 66,683 miles |
| 17 years | 64,373 miles |
| 18 years | 68,827 miles |
| 19 years | 68,907 miles |
| 20 years | 74,096 miles |
Check a particular Fortwo
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other Smart MCC models
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.