Total Complaints
4 filings
Smart Fortwo · model year
2005 Smart Fortwo
4 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 4
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 2005 Smart Fortwo posts top-quartile complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 15%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 2005SmartFortwo carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2005 Fortwo is air bags with 1 filings, followed by unknown or other (1) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2005 Fortwo. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2005 Smart Fortwo
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20161208ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SMART FORTWO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM FAILED AND THE FUEL TANK FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000. UPDATED 01/31/2017*CT
Mileage: 49,000
20161208FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SMART FORTWO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM FAILED AND THE FUEL TANK FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000. UPDATED 01/31/2017*CT
Mileage: 49,000
20160608AIR BAGS
I CAN GET NO INFORMATION ABOUT RECALLS FOR THIS CAR, BUT ESPECIALLY WHETHER OR NOT THE AIRBAGS IN THIS CAR ARE PART OF THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. MERCEDES USA CAN'T HELP. MERCEDES GERMANY WON'T HELP. THE COMPANY THAT PURCHASED THESE CARS, BROUGHT THEM TO THE US, AND MODIFIED THEM TO MEET US STANDARDS, REFUSES TO ANSWER MY QUESTION. NO ONE CAN HELP ME FIND OUT IF MY AIRBAGS ARE PART OF THE RECALL.
20160608UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I CAN GET NO INFORMATION ABOUT RECALLS FOR THIS CAR, BUT ESPECIALLY WHETHER OR NOT THE AIRBAGS IN THIS CAR ARE PART OF THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. MERCEDES USA CAN'T HELP. MERCEDES GERMANY WON'T HELP. THE COMPANY THAT PURCHASED THESE CARS, BROUGHT THEM TO THE US, AND MODIFIED THEM TO MEET US STANDARDS, REFUSES TO ANSWER MY QUESTION. NO ONE CAN HELP ME FIND OUT IF MY AIRBAGS ARE PART OF THE RECALL.
Compare 2005SmartFortwo to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2005 Smart Fortwo have?▼
The 2005 Smart Fortwo has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Smart Fortwo?▼
The most-complained component for the 2005 Smart Fortwo is AIR BAGS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM.
Is the 2005 Smart Fortwo safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
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. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2005 Smart Fortwo; 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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.