Smart Fortwo, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
52,508 Smart Fortwos are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 71.9% of initial MOT tests, in line with the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Fortwo? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Smart Fortwo at the MOT
71.9% of 51,974 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Fortwo 317th of 575 models. Smart Fortwos aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.4% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 65.8%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Smart Fortwo tests in 2025.
Where Fortwos fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Smart Fortwo tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (6.2%), stop lamp not working (5.1%) and position lamp not working (4.7%).
The MOT page lists every common Fortwo MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Fortwo's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.29.7% of Fortwo failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.16.6% of Fortwo failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.15.9% of Fortwo failure items
Smart Fortwos in the UK
52,508 were licensed at the end of June 2026, more than any other Smart. The number licensed has grown 15% since the end of 2014, although it peaked at 59,159 at the end of 2019.
- Change since 2014
- +15%from 45,720 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2013half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2013 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 2against 6,376 in 2016
- Declared off the road
- 4,9348.6% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Smart Fortwos since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 45,720 |
| End of 2015 | 46,988 |
| End of 2016 | 52,419 |
| End of 2017 | 56,471 |
| End of 2018 | 58,443 |
| End of 2019 | 59,159 |
| End of 2020 | 57,914 |
| End of 2021 | 57,976 |
| End of 2022 | 57,726 |
| End of 2023 | 56,749 |
| End of 2024 | 55,286 |
| End of 2025 | 53,479 |
| End of June 2026 | 52,508 |
How old they are
Licensed Smart Fortwos by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 361 were first used before 2005.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 184 | 198 |
| 2023 | 276 | 308 |
| 2022 | 492 | 567 |
| 2021 | 688 | 839 |
| 2020 | 528 | 622 |
| 2019 | 1,806 | 1,967 |
| 2018 | 3,213 | 3,577 |
| 2017 | 4,626 | 5,229 |
| 2016 | 5,522 | 6,376 |
| 2015 | 2,145 | 2,504 |
| 2014 | 3,619 | |
| 2013 | 4,301 | |
| 2012 | 4,448 | |
| 2011 | 3,674 | |
| 2010 | 5,000 | |
| 2009 | 5,278 | |
| 2008 | 4,273 | |
| 2007 | 1,845 | |
| 2006 | 638 | |
| 2005 | 451 |
2,145 Fortwos first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 86% of the 2,504 first registered that year.
Fortwo engines and fuel
1.0 litre engines made up 67% of Smart Fortwo MOT tests in 2025, followed by 0.9 litre at 12%. Petrol accounts for 87% of licensed Fortwos and diesel for 7.5%. Electric examples were 5.2% of tests.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 51,927 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Fortwos
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 45,591 | 87% |
| Diesel | 3,917 | 7% |
| Battery electric | 2,991 | 6% |
| Hybrid electric | 1 | <0.1% |
| Gas | 8 | <0.1% |
Smart Fortwo recalls
14 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Smart Fortwo. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Fortwo is affected.
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Sep 2021 R/2021/265
The bonding of the windshield might not meet specifications
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Replace the windshield on the affected vehicles.
-
Sep 2020 R/2020/195
The software for the advanced emergency braking system may not meet the specification
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The software for the Advanced Emergency Braking System might not meet the specification
- Remedy
- Update the software for the Advanced Emergency Braking System on the affected vehicles
-
Oct 2017 R/2017/252
Steering knuckle incorrectly manufactured
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to an error in production the left hand steering knuckle may not conform to specification. In extreme instances the knuckle may fail.
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles check the knuckle and replace where necessary.
-
Sep 2017 R/2017/245
Handbrake may not hold
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to possible loosening of the adjuster lock nut parking brake lever travel may become excessive and the parking brake may not be fully applied. If the vehicle is not parked in accordance with handbook instructions it is possible the vehicle could move.
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles check and where necessary replace the adjuster lock nut.
-
Oct 2016 R/2016/198
Vehicle may roll away
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The bowden cable connected to the gear selector may come loose. This may prevent Park being engaged or disengaged.
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles check cable connection and rework where necessary
-
Jun 2016 R/2016/092
Maintenance flap may detach from vehicle
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The locking forces of the maintenance flap may not be to specification. At high speed and in combination with strong gusts of wind the plastic maintenance flap may detach from the vehicle and may pose an increased risk of injury for following road users.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the locks of the maintenance flap.
-
Aug 2015 R/2015/153
Directional control may be affected
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The welding of the bracket for the torsion bar linkage at the shock absorber may not be to specification. It is therefore possible with extremely high loads for the weld seams of the bracket to tear. In this condition the driving characteristics of the vehicle will be adversely affected and the tyres could be compromised at large steering angles giving an increased risk of collision.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the front shock absorbers.
-
Aug 2015 R/2015/170
Automatic gear selection may not perform as expected
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to an incorrectly designed bracket Park may not engage or disengage as intended.
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles check and if necessary replace bracket.
Other Smart models
The most-tested Smart models in 2025, against the Fortwo's 71.9% MOT pass rate.
Smart Fortwo FAQs
How many Smart Fortwos are there in the UK?
52,508 Smart Fortwos were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 4,934 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Smart Fortwo reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 71.9% first-time pass rate for the Smart Fortwo across 51,974 tests in 2025, in line with the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Smart Fortwo had any recalls?
14 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Smart Fortwo. The most recent was published in September 2021. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Smart Fortwo?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Smart Fortwo's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a Fortwo?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Smart history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Smart VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.