Home · 2011 Smart Fortwo · Complaints
What 16 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Smart Fortwo
These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.
3 of 16 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters
Apr 27, 2017EngineFire
I WAS DRIVING EASTBOUND IN THE NUMBER 1 LANE OF CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY 24 ABOUT 1/4 MILE BEFORE THE TUNNEL ROAD EXIT. I HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE ARE OF THE CAR, LOOKED AT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED, AND EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. I PULLED OFF OF THE HIGHWAY AT THE TUNNEL ROAD EXIT AND STALLED ON THE OFF RAMP. I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE TWICE BY TURNING THE KEY. I SAW SMOKE IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR, EXITED THE VEHICLE, AND SAW FLAMES COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. I CALLED 911 AND GAVE THE DISPATCH OPERATOR MY LOCATION. BY THE TIME THE HIGHWAY PATROL AND LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, MY CAR WAS TOTALED. THE ATTACHED PHOTOS TELL THE STORY OF THE DAMAGE.
NHTSA ODI 10981144
Oct 8, 2016Fuel systemCrash2 injuries
THE CAR BROKE DOWN ON EXIT 231 B IN VIRGINIA. THE SMART HAD A GAS TANK DEFECT. I WAS NEARLY KILLED. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO TYSINGER MOTORS IN VIRGINIA MULTIPLE TIMES.
NHTSA ODI 10914887
May 13, 2012Speed controlBrakesCrash
STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT BEHIND OTHER CAR. VEHICLE ROLLED FORWARD WHILE FOOT WAS ON BRAKE INTO OTHER STOPPED VEHICLE. *TR
NHTSA ODI 10458246
Working with the data? Download all 16 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 22, 2026
How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your
pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the
full 2011 Smart Fortwo verdict →