Smart Fortwo problems, reliability and years to avoid
If you are considering buying a used Smart Fortwo, these are the common problems worth knowing about first. Our garage database tracks 3 known faults for this model, 2 of them rated high severity. Every one below is a repair bill a seller has good reason not to mention.
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Is the Smart Fortwo reliable?
The Smart Fortwo has 3 known faults in our database, 2 of them rated high severity. The most serious are brakes (on the fortwo the brake pipes run behind plastic covers) and engine (engine wear and turbo failure causing extreme oil consumption). None of them makes the car a bad buy on its own; the risk is a seller who knows and says nothing.
That is a count of the faults we hold, not a reliability score. Popular cars get written about more, and a newer generation has had less time to show its faults.
Which Smart Fortwo years should you avoid?
No year is a write-off on its own. What matters is which serious faults a given year and engine can have, and whether the car in front of you has had them fixed.
Years and engines with a serious known fault
2001 to 2007, All engines: on the fortwo the brake pipes run behind plastic covers
1998 to 2007, 599cc / 698cc Petrol: engine wear and turbo failure causing extreme oil consumption
Each one is set out in full below, with the symptoms, the typical mileage and a rough repair cost.
Generation 1 of 13 known faults · 7 owner reports · 8 good notes
Smart Fortwo (2001 to 2007) problems
Engine/EmissionsHigh severity📝 Editorial
Engine wear and turbo failure causing extreme oil consumption, requiring full engine rebuild by 60k miles
Rough guide
£800-1500
Typical symptoms
burning large amounts of oil
blue smoke from exhaust
burnt exhaust valves causing misfires
Affected vehicles
Engines:
599cc / 698cc Petrol
Typical mileage:
40000-70000 miles
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
Engine/EmissionsMedium severity📝 Editorial
The exhaust manifold on the first-generation fortwo can crack. A replacement was put at £380 for the part plus roughly £300 of labour, which is fine under warranty but a large bill for an older car.
Typical symptoms
ticking or blowing from the engine that rises with revs
smell of exhaust fumes
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All engines
Typical mileage:
unknown miles
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
BrakesHigh severity📝 Editorial
On the fortwo the brake pipes run behind plastic covers, where they can rust through until they leak. Because the covers hide them, the corrosion can go unnoticed at an MOT.
Typical symptoms
brake pedal going soft or sinking
brake fluid level dropping
fluid traces under the car
Affected vehicles
Engines:
All engines
Typical mileage:
unknown miles
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
What owners report
7 single reports, unconfirmed
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
Electrics · April 2018A 2014 Smart 451 experienced persistent wiper issues, requiring fuse, stalk, and SAM unit replacements, with the car remaining unfixed for five weeks.
Electrics · March 2018Wipers on a 2014 Smart 451 failed in cold weather, followed by the radio continuing to play when switched off; a new wiper motor was needed.
Interior · January 2016The leather seat squabs in a 2014 Smart Brabus repeatedly sagged, despite being replaced three times.
Exhaust · September 2014An aftermarket exhaust system on a Smart Fortwo rubbed against the turbo watercooling pipe, causing it to wear through.
Gearbox and clutch · July 2014The automated manual activator failed on a 2007 Smart ForTwo Pure at 38,000 miles.
Engine · June 2013An auxiliary belt failed on a Smart ForTwo, causing damage to the engine.
Electrics · August 2012A Smart ForTwo CDI experienced faults with its exhaust gas temperature sensor and air conditioning system.
What owners like
8 notes
February 2010The Smart Fortwo diesel model demonstrated excellent environmental performance, achieving significantly reduced CO2 emissions of just 86g/km.
September 2009The CDI engine received an increase of 9bhp, boosting power to 54bhp and torque to 130Nm, while maintaining low CO2 emissions.
The Smart ForTwo achieved high rankings in customer satisfaction and reliability surveys during 2003, with few breakdowns or problems reported.
The refreshed Smart Fortwo featured a smoother, chunkier appearance, increased length, slightly larger engines, and a new 5-speed autoclutch transmission.
The Smart Fortwo offers significantly improved comfort compared to its predecessor, featuring excellent seats.
The electronic stability control system, ESP, is included as standard across the entire Smart Fortwo range.
The Smart Fortwo achieved a 4-star Euro NCAP rating for adult protection and 2 stars for pedestrian protection.
The Smart Fortwo features particularly good, well-shaped seats, providing comfort for long journeys.
Other years0 known faults · 4 owner reports · 8 good notes
Other Smart Fortwo years: owner reports
What owners report
4 single reports, unconfirmed
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
Electrics · July 2019A 2017 Smart ForTwo 900 Turbo displayed an intermittent "malfunction see owners manual" message after engine shutdown, which the dealer attributed to a known timing issue.
Fuel system · June 2019A 2015 Smart ForTwo Premium turbo had difficulty filling with fuel, an erratic fuel gauge, white smoke on acceleration, and intermittent hesitation during acceleration.
Gearbox and clutch · October 2018The manual transmission of a 2016 Smart ForTwo occasionally locked up, preventing it from engaging gear.
Electrics · September 2018The indicated range of a Smart Electric was consistently lower than the claimed 99 miles, showing no more than 72 miles in moderate temperatures.
What owners like
8 notes
The Smart ForTwo is ideal for city driving, making it easy to navigate multi-storey car parks and tight parking spaces.
The Smart ForTwo offers a surprisingly spacious cabin and boot for its size.
The 90PS engine performs well both in urban environments and on open roads.
The 2014 Smart ForTwo achieved a 4-star Euro NCAP safety rating, with good adult and child protection scores.
The Smart Fortwo Cabriolet's roof can be opened or closed while the car is in motion at any speed.
The Fortwo Cabriolet features removable roof bars, allowing for a more open-air driving experience in this 2016 to 2019 model.
The Smart Fortwo Cabriolet is nimble and provides an enjoyable driving experience, especially in urban areas.
The automatic transmission in the Smart Fortwo Cabriolet has been significantly improved.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
We track 7 specific phrases sellers use in adverts to soft-pedal these exact issues. Paste any Smart Fortwo advert and we check it in seconds.
A timing chain has no change interval, which is not the same as lasting for ever. Listen for it on a used Fortwo, and check the oil has been changed on time. These are the figures UK specialists work to.
Timing chainChain
599CC, 698CC, 1.0, 0.9
No fixed replacement interval
Smart Fortwo engines (both early and later models) utilize a timing chain. While the chains themselves are robust, the early 599cc and 698cc engines are prone to severe wear and oil consumption, often requiring a rebuild before 60,000 miles.
Always confirm against the vehicle handbook. Intervals vary by engine, and several manufacturers revised theirs after failures in service.
Repair costs are typical UK ranges, not quotes. Actual cost depends on condition and garage.Data last verified: November 2026
Smart Fortwo buying questions
What are the most common Smart Fortwo problems?
Three stand out. Brakes: on the fortwo the brake pipes run behind plastic covers, where they can rust through until they leak. Engine: engine wear and turbo failure causing extreme oil consumption (typically 40000 to 70000 miles). Engine: the exhaust manifold on the first-generation fortwo can crack. The full list above is grouped by generation, with typical mileage and a rough repair cost for each.
Which Smart Fortwo years should I avoid?
No Smart Fortwo year is a write-off, but the Smart Fortwo (2001 to 2007) carries the most serious faults: brakes and engine. Year matters less than whether the specific car has had the known fixes, so check the history for them.
What should I check when viewing a used Smart Fortwo?
Ask the seller about the brakes and engine faults on this page and whether they have been fixed, with invoices. On the test drive watch for brake pedal going soft or sinking, burning large amounts of oil and ticking or blowing from the engine that rises with revs. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories, then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against all 3 known faults before you travel. Check a Smart Fortwo advert →
What is the real MPG of a Smart Fortwo?
Owners report 53.3 mpg on average across the Smart Fortwo engines with data, about 78% of the official combined figure. The gap between official and real-world economy varies a lot by engine, so the Real MPG page lists every engine and generation separately, from 443 owner submissions. Smart Fortwo Real MPG by engine →
If you used to check the Honest John “Good & Bad” section before the site closed in 2026, this page is where that information now lives. We rebuilt the Smart Fortwo owner-report history from the archived Honest John dataset, added our own research, specialist and owner-club sources and DVSA recall data, and we keep it free. Each fault above is badged with its source. The same data feeds our free advert check, which reads a listing against every known fault for the exact engine and year.
Knowing what a Smart Fortwo goes wrong with is half of it. The rest is reading the advert and checking the car's history before you hand any money over.