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.

All (16)Crash / fire / injury (3)Engine (5)Electrical system (4)Seat belts (4)Brakes (2)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Body & structure (1)Fuel system (1)Speed control (1)Tires (1)Visibility & wipers (1)

2 of 16 complaints match · Brakes · clear filters

Apr 24, 2013BrakesEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SMART FORTWO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT CYLINDER THREE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, IT MADE A SQUEAKING NOISE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE STOP LAMP SWITCH; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 28,300.

NHTSA ODI 10509372

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 →