Smart Fortwo Brabus MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

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

The Smart Fortwo Brabus passed on its first attempt in 81.5%, and its overall record sits +2.8 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Smart Fortwo Brabus in the 2023–2025 data: 580 tests across 5 model years (2007–2013). 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 Fortwo Brabus MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

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

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Smart Fortwo Brabus, each with how many of the model's 580 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 18 Smart Fortwo Brabus tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Service brake performance excessively binding" (Major) — noted on about 11 Smart Fortwo Brabus tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 9 Smart Fortwo Brabus tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 8 Smart Fortwo Brabus tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 8 Smart Fortwo Brabus tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases" (Major) — noted on about 8 Smart Fortwo Brabus tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Smart Fortwo Brabus Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Smart Fortwo Brabus model year on record is 2012 (88.7% across 97 tests), and the weakest is 2010 (76.1%). The gap between them is 12.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Smart Fortwo Brabus reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 3.2 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 Fortwo Brabus Owners

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

• 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.

• 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.

• the lights — “position lamp not working”

  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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Smart Fortwo Brabus MOT & Reliability