Smart Forfour MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Smart Forfour MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Smart Forfour passed on its first attempt in 68.8%, and its overall record sits −5.8 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Smart Forfour in the 2023–2025 data: 484 tests across 3 model years (2004–2006). 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 Forfour MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded Smart Forfour DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Smart Forfour, each with how many of the model's 484 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 59 Smart Forfour tests, 12.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 38 Smart Forfour tests, 7.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 26 Smart Forfour tests, 5.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 25 Smart Forfour tests, 5.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Stop lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning" (Minor) — noted on about 25 Smart Forfour tests, 5.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 16 Smart Forfour tests, 3.3% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Smart Forfour Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Smart Forfour model year on record is 2004 (77.1% across 83 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (74.2%). The gap between them is 2.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Smart Forfour reliability is declining in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.4 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 Forfour Owners

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

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  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 severely deteriorated”

  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 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 Forfour. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Smart Forfour MOT & Reliability