Smart City MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Smart City MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Smart City passed on its first attempt in 66.3%, and its overall record sits −7.9 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Smart City in the 2023–2025 data: 238 tests across 2 model years (2003–2004). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Smart City MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Smart City, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Smart City's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Smart City DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Smart City, each with how many of the model's 238 tests it was noted on.

• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 15 Smart City tests, 6.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 14 Smart City tests, 5.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 11 Smart City tests, 4.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 10 Smart City tests, 4.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 7 Smart City tests, 2.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 7 Smart City tests, 2.9% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Smart City Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Smart City model year on record is 2003 (74.6% across 126 tests), and the weakest is 2004 (71.4%). The gap between them is 3.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Smart City Owners

These checks follow this Smart City's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Smart City.

• the lights — “headlamp lens slightly defective”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the suspension joints — “ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• the exhaust and emissions — “catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits”

  Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Smart City. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Smart City MOT & Reliability