Oct 27, 2018Seat belts
THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT LATCH HAS FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 2 YEARS. THE MALE END CAN NOT BE INSERTED INTO THE FEMALE END.
NHTSA ODI 11143407
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)
4 of 16 complaints match · Seat belts · clear filters
Jul 31, 2018Electrical systemSeat belts
THE METAL SEAT BELT CONNECTOR FRAYED IN TO TWO PIECES. REPLACED WITH OEM PART. IT FRAYED AGAIN. IT'S A 2011 DRIVEN BY A 75 YR.OLD SENIOR CITIZEN. MERCEDES ACCUSED OWNER OF MALICIOUSLY CUTTING CABLE. EXTREME SAFETY HAZZARD.
NHTSA ODI 11115029
Aug 29, 2017Seat belts
SAFE BELT BUCKLE JAMMED OR CAN'T CLICK
NHTSA ODI 11020473
May 21, 2015Seat belts
MY WIFE WAS DEPARTING WITH THE CAR AND WHEN SHE TRIED TO INSERT THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND IT WOULD NOT INSERT. I CALLED THE MERCEDES DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS A COMMON FAILURE BUT THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME FOR THE REPAIR.
NHTSA ODI 10717770
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 →