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What 9 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 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 (9)Electrical system (4)Seat belts (2)Steering (2)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Engine (1)Lights (1)Suspension (1)Visibility & wipers (1)Wheels (1)

1 of 9 complaints match · Wheels · clear filters

May 15, 2025SteeringSuspensionWheels

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Driver Side front wheel / maybe steering rack / etc. makes loud grinding / rubbing sound when making turn only when the weather's hot and humid and when the car has been running for about 20 min How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Noise / rubbing / grinding sound comes from the driver side front wheels or Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, Service center reproduced the sound and went two levels deep to try and ascertain the origin but to no avail. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? YES Has been inspected multiple times by different mechanics costing hundreds of dollars with still no diagnostic or remedy. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No lamps or warning lights prior to problem which was first heard / discovered around 2019

NHTSA ODI 11661091

Working with the data? Download all 9 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 2017 Smart Fortwo verdict →