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1,641 tests in 2025

Smart Eq Fortwo reliability and MOT pass rate

94.6% passed first time. The 5.4% fail rate is 17.2 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 4 years old with 11,135 miles.

MOT pass rates / Smart

Pass rate

94.6%

22.6% of all cars failed; 5.4% of these did.

Fixed on the day

2.6%

Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.

Median at test

11,135 mi

4 years old.

Fail rate by age

Age at testTestsFail rate
3-5 years1,6295.4%
6-9 years0—
10-13 years0—
14+ years0—

What the Eq Fortwo fails on

Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.

  1. Tyres28 dangerous44.3%
  2. Visibility36.4%
  3. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment15.9%
  4. Brakes4 dangerous14.8%
  5. Suspension10.2%
  6. Identification of the vehicle3.4%
  7. Noise, emissions and leaks2.3%
  8. Body, chassis, structure1.1%

The exact defects that fail it

Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Eq Fortwo in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.

  1. 1Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively27 tests
  2. 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords14 tests
  3. 3Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure8 tests
  4. 4Size/type: of different sizes are fitted on the same axle.6 tests
  5. 5Condition: has ply or cords exposed5 tests
  6. 6Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn5 tests
  7. 7Condition: has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure5 tests
  8. 8Headlamp aim: too low4 tests

What wears out first

Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Eq Fortwo collects 1.92 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.

  1. 1Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure144 tests
  2. 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened121 tests
  3. 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm54 tests
  4. 4Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords41 tests
  5. 5Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre25 tests
  6. 6Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn15 tests
  7. 7Registration plates: inscription illegible12 tests
  8. 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick10 tests

Questions

What is the Smart Eq Fortwo MOT pass rate?

94.6% of the 1,641 Smart Eq Fortwo first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 5.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.

What does a Smart Eq Fortwo usually fail on?

The single most common failure is "Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively", recorded on 27 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure". By section, tyres appears in 44.3% of failures, visibility appears in 36.4% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 15.9% of failures.

Does age change the odds?

Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 5.4%; at 3-5 years it was 5.4%. The median Smart Eq Fortwo tested in 2025 was 4 years old with 11,135 miles.

First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Eq Fortwo trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.

Other Smart models

Checking a particular Eq Fortwo?

The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.

Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.