Smart Eq Fortwo MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Smart Eq Fortwo MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Smart Eq Fortwo passed on its first attempt in 94.9%, and its overall record sits +14.1 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Smart Eq Fortwo in the 2023–2025 data: 1,091 tests across 3 model years (2020–2022). 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 Eq Fortwo MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Smart Eq Fortwo, the Visibility 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 Eq Fortwo's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Smart Eq Fortwo DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Smart Eq Fortwo, each with how many of the model's 1,091 tests it was noted on.

• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 24 Smart Eq Fortwo tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 13 Smart Eq Fortwo tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 9 Smart Eq Fortwo tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 6 Smart Eq Fortwo tests, 0.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim too low" (Rectified) — noted on about 4 Smart Eq Fortwo tests, 0.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Washers provides insufficient washer liquid" (Major) — noted on about 4 Smart Eq Fortwo tests, 0.4% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Smart Eq Fortwo Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Smart Eq Fortwo model year on record is 2020 (95.4% across 197 tests), and the weakest is 2022 (93.7%). The gap between them is 1.7 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Smart Eq Fortwo reliability is declining in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 0.9 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Smart Eq Fortwo Owners

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

• 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 low”

  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 windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Smart Eq Fortwo MOT & Reliability