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SMART · vehicle model

SMART FORTWO

469 NHTSA complaints and 5 safety recalls across model years 2005–2019.

Complaints
469
Recalls
5
Model years
13

The SMARTFORTWO appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 469 consumer safety complaints and 5 recall campaigns across 13 model years (2005–2019). That averages roughly 36 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 1 investigation file tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

YearComplaints
20191
20181
201710
201638
201510
201414
201335
201211
201123
20108
2009139
2008175
20054

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 186 in 2017-2021 to 51 in 2022-2026, a fall of 72.6%. That is the 23th percentile of change across the 772 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

3
’08
8
’09
14
’10
13
’11
34
’12
30
’13
42
’14
37
’15
51
’16
43
’17
67
’18
32
’19
28
’20
16
’21
18
’22
10
’23
15
’24
8
’25

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare SMARTFORTWO to Similar Vehicles

SMARTFORTWO vs TOYOTACOROLLA MATRIX → SMARTFORTWO vs JAGUARX-TYPE → SMARTFORTWO vs NISSAND21 → SMARTFORTWO vs LEXUSRX HYBRID →

NHTSA Investigations

PE16016Preliminary EvaluationClosed2016-12-16

Engine Compartment Fire

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the SMART FORTWO?▼
The SMART FORTWO has received 469 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 2005 to 2019, with 5 recalls. That averages about 36 complaints per model year.
What years of SMART FORTWO are available?▼
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the SMART FORTWO from 2005 to 2019 (13 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the SMART FORTWO have safety ratings?▼
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many SMART FORTWO model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common SMART FORTWO complaints?▼
NHTSA complaints for the SMART FORTWO are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my SMART FORTWO has been recalled?▼
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. SMART FORTWO totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.