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What 24 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Smart Ed

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 (24)Crash / fire / injury (3)Engine (6)Seat belts (6)Transmission & drivetrain (5)Electrical system (3)Body & structure (2)Seats (2)Visibility & wipers (2)Airbags (1)Brakes (1)Equipment (1)

1 of 24 complaints match · Equipment · clear filters

Jul 22, 2013EquipmentEquipment Adaptive/mobility

I BOUGHT A KIT TO TOW A SMART CAR WITH MY RV. THERE ARE 2 BRACKETS THAT AFTER INSTALLATION THEY WILL BE ONLY 0.236" AWAY FROM THE FRONT TIRES DURING TURNINGS. I CONSIDER THIS ISTALLATION AS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE DURING NORMAL DRIVING. I DIDN'T INSTALL THIS KIT AND CONTACTED DISTRIBUITOR AND MANUFACTURER TO TELL THEM WHAT I FOUND. THEY REFUSED TO REFUND EVEN I SENT THEM PICTURES AND EXPLAINED WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. PACKAGE, DESCRIPTION AND INSTRUCTIONS DON'T SHOW IF THIS PRODUCT MEETS THE DOT OR SAE STANDARDS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10526050

Working with the data? Download all 24 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 28, 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 2013 Smart Ed verdict →