Smart Fortwo years to avoid
Smart Fortwo years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: no year is singled out as of November 10, 2026, because the name covers different vehicles over 2005–2019, and none of them has 3 comparable model years with 40 or more complaints; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. Before buying a used Fortwo, run its VIN: the $14.99 original ClearVIN PDF shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file.
Buying a used Fortwo? Check its VIN.
Model-year complaint totals do not describe one car. Decode its VIN free, then decide whether to buy its reported title, odometer, accident and auction history.
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No Smart Fortwo model year is singled out as of November 10, 2026: the name covers different vehicles over 2005–2019, and none of them has 3 comparable model years with 40 or more complaints.
NHTSA holds no Smart Fortwo records from 2013 to 2015: the years on either side are different vehicles sharing the name, so each is compared only with its own years.
The 2005–2012 Smart Fortwo has 2 comparable years with 40 or more complaints (2008, 160 and 2009, 100), too few to name its most.
NHTSA lists recalls but no complaint for 2016 under this name, so that year’s complaints may be filed under a name this collection did not find.
2005, 2010–2012, 2017 and 2019 have fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare.
Fewest complaints: not named. Fewer than three of the Smart Fortwo model years from 2005 to 2012 with at least 40 complaints on file remain once the years with the most are set aside.
Half of the 309 NHTSA owner complaints on the Smart Fortwo that list mileage came after 29,000 miles (NHTSA complaints file of November 11, 2026). How many miles will a Smart Fortwo last? →
Smart Fortwo complaints and recalls by model year, 2005–2019
This table lists the 9 Smart Fortwo model years NHTSA holds records for between 2005 and 2019, collected from NHTSA’s complaints and recalls APIs on November 10, 2026. Each owner complaint is counted once, by its NHTSA number, and a complaint can name more than one component; recall campaigns are counted once per model year, by campaign number. Across these years NHTSA lists 5 distinct recall campaigns, the newest filed Feb 24, 2020.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Most-reported components | Recall campaigns | Newest recall filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Fortwo | 2 · too few to compare | airbags (1), engine cooling (1), fuel system (1) | 0 | — |
| 2008 Fortwo | 160 | powertrain (39), engine (34), electrical system (21) | 2 | Apr 27, 2018 |
| 2009 Fortwo | 100 | powertrain (27), engine (19), electrical system (14) | 1 | Apr 27, 2018 |
| 2010 Fortwo | 6 · too few to compare | engine (3) | 0 | — |
| 2011 Fortwo | 16 · too few to compare | engine (5), electrical system (4), seat belts (4) | 0 | — |
| 2012 Fortwo | 8 · too few to compare | airbags (2), electrical system (2), seat belts (2) | 0 | — |
| 2016 Fortwo | 0 · may be filed under another name | — | 1 | Jul 16, 2017 |
| 2017 Fortwo | 9 · too few to compare | electrical system (4) | 1 | Jul 14, 2017 |
| 2019 Fortwo | 1 · too few to compare | electrical system (1) | 1 | Feb 24, 2020 |
Smart Fortwo by model year: mileage, problems and recalls
Each page below covers one model year in NHTSA’s complaints file of November 11, 2026: the mileage when owners reported problems, the most-reported components and the recall campaigns NHTSA’s recall files list. That file is a separate collection from the table above and goes back to the 1981 model year, so its counts can differ and it holds years the table does not.
How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse vehicle. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road, so older and best-selling years collect more.
- The comparison is between years of the Smart Fortwo only. It says nothing about how the Fortwo compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. NHTSA’s VIN lookup checks open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result does not prove the vehicle’s complete recall or repair history; ask for dated repair documentation.
- NHTSA files some years under body or cab names (for example ACCESS CAB or CREW CAB). This collection asked for the names NHTSA lists, and a year far below its neighbours also under the common cab and body names. Such a year is marked as possibly filed under another name only when NHTSA’s records show it split across names or holding recalls and no complaint; otherwise its count is read as low.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- NHTSA recall and complaint datasets: scope and API documentationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls Lookup by VINNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Smart Fortwo year-by-year questions
Which Smart Fortwo years should I avoid?
Smart Fortwo years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: no year is singled out as of November 10, 2026, because the name covers different vehicles over 2005–2019, and none of them has 3 comparable model years with 40 or more complaints; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. NHTSA holds no Smart Fortwo records from 2013 to 2015: the years on either side are different vehicles sharing the name, so each is compared only with its own years. The 2005–2012 Smart Fortwo has 2 comparable years with 40 or more complaints (2008, 160 and 2009, 100), too few to name its most. NHTSA lists recalls but no complaint for 2016 under this name, so that year’s complaints may be filed under a name this collection did not find. 2005, 2010–2012, 2017 and 2019 have fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare.
What are the best Smart Fortwo years?
Complaint counts do not show which model year is best; the closest they come is which years drew the fewest complaints. This page names none: fewer than three of the Smart Fortwo model years from 2005 to 2012 with at least 40 complaints on file remain once the years with the most are set aside.
Do complaint counts mean the Fortwo is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model, which is what this page does, not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Fortwo before buying?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. It reports open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result is not a complete recall or repair history; ask the seller or manufacturer for dated repair documentation. For the vehicle's own past, the original ClearVIN PDF from VIN Lookup shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file for that VIN.