6,092 tests in 2025
Smart Fortwo reliability and MOT pass rate
74.4% passed first time. The 25.6% fail rate is 3.0 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 14 years old with 60,052 miles.
Pass rate
74.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 25.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
60,052 mi
14 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 3,001 | 22.6% |
| 14+ years | 3,091 | 28.4% |
What the 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.
- Suspension20 dangerous37.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4 dangerous35.9%
- Brakes85 dangerous32.9%
- Tyres353 dangerous20.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous18.6%
- Body, chassis, structure3 dangerous12.7%
- Visibility1 dangerous12.1%
- Steering2 dangerous1.7%
Is the Fortwo getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.6 points to 23.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.8 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,864 | 10 | 21% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,818 | 11 | 23.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,367 | 12 | 23.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,490 | 13 | 23.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Fortwo at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Fortwo in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken331 tests
- 2Service brake performance: excessively binding233 tests
- 3Position lamp: not working159 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm132 tests
- 5Headlamp: not working on dipped beam122 tests
- 6Stop lamp: not working119 tests
- 7Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction118 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded100 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Fortwo collects 2.36 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.
- 1Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded841 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure743 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm705 tests
- 4Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine357 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick300 tests
- 6Service brake performance: excessively binding296 tests
- 7Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened257 tests
- 8Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened205 tests
Questions
What is the Smart Fortwo MOT pass rate?
74.4% of the 6,092 Smart Fortwo first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 25.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Smart Fortwo usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 331 failed tests, followed by "Service brake performance: excessively binding" and "Position lamp: not working". By section, suspension appears in 37.6% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 35.9% of failures, brakes appears in 32.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 28.4%. The median Smart Fortwo tested in 2025 was 14 years old with 60,052 miles.
Is the Smart Fortwo getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.6 points to 23.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.8 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 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
- Eq Fortwo 5.4%
- Eq Forfour 10.9%
- Roadster 25%
Checking a particular 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.