Pass rate, every year
1,643 tests across 2 model years, 2021–2022.
+9.9 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
1,643 tests across 2 model years, 2021–2022.
+9.9 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2022 92.6%
The strongest of the 2 years on record. See the 2022 page →
Worst year to buy
2021 89.9%
2.7 points below the 2022 peak. See the 2021 page →
The Smart Eq Forfour MOT pass rate is 90.9%, +9.9 percentage points above the UK average. That is 1,643 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2021 and 2022. This page lists the most common Smart Eq Forfour MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Smart Eq Forfour MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Smart Eq Forfour passed on its first attempt in 90.0%, and its overall record sits +9.9 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Smart Eq Forfour in the 2023–2025 data: 1,643 tests across 2 model years (2021–2022). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 1,643 |
| Overall pass rate | 90.9% |
| Passed on first attempt | 90.0% |
| Average mileage at test | 13,807 mi |
| Model years covered | 2021–2022 (2 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +9.9 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Smart Eq Forfour, the Visibility section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Visibility | 55% |
| Tyres | 35% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9% |
Shares are over the Smart Eq Forfour's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 55% of the recorded Smart Eq Forfour failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (4.7%), "Wipers blade defective" (2.5%), "Washers provides insufficient washer liquid" (0.9%) among the Smart Eq Forfour's visibility faults.
Around 35% of the recorded Smart Eq Forfour failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (2.6%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (1.8%), "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (0.6%) among the Smart Eq Forfour's tyres faults.
Around 9% of the recorded Smart Eq Forfour failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Headlamp aim too high" (0.8%), "Headlamp aim too low" (0.4%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps" (0.1%) among the Smart Eq Forfour's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Smart Eq Forfour, each with how many of the model's 1,643 tests it was noted on.
The strongest Smart Eq Forfour model year on record is 2022 (92.6% across 580 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (89.9%). The gap between them is 2.7 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Eq Forfour | 580 | 92.6% |
| 2021 Eq Forfour | 1,063 | 89.9% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Smart Eq Forfour's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Smart Eq Forfour.
the wipers and washers — “wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.
the lights — “headlamp aim too high”
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 tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Smart Eq Forfour. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
90.9% of the 1,643 recorded Smart Eq Forfour MOT tests ended in a pass, +9.9 percentage points above the national average. 90.0% of those passed on the first attempt.
2022 is the strongest Smart Eq Forfour year on record at 92.6%, while 2021 is the weakest at 89.9%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Smart Eq Forfour failures are "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" and "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" — together around 7% of tests, mostly in the Visibility section.