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What 21 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 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 (21)Crash / fire / injury (8)Engine (7)Fuel system (7)Brakes (5)Electrical system (5)Body & structure (2)Steering (2)Visibility & wipers (2)Driver assistance (1)Engine & cooling (1)Equipment (1)

2 of 21 complaints match · Steering · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Mar 20, 2022SteeringSuspensionFuel systemCrash

Since purchasing the car the power steering has been bad. The dealership where I purchased the car and Mercedes refused to fix the issue. There is electrical issues and the gas tank gauge and gas tank have been replaced 3 times. Please do not purchase a Smart Car thecmakers do not stand behind their product. I took it to Mercedes Hampton VA Auto Mall and they are so rude. I have almost died 4 times due to bot bring able to turn steering wheel.

NHTSA ODI 11457487

Mar 20, 2022SteeringElectrical systemEngineCrash1 injury

Since I purchased the car from Hampton Auto Mall 757 865 8000 there has been an issue with the steering, brakes, gas system, fuel gauge etc.. The dealership or Mercedes refuses to fix the problem since I purchased it in 2016. I have almost died due to steering problems and gas tank. Please get a mechanic to check the steering and for small tears in your gas tank on Smarts. The dealership I bought my car from refuses to fix issue because of lemon laws the Service Advisor told me so.

NHTSA ODI 11457491

Working with the data? Download all 21 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 2016 Smart Ed verdict →