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MCC Smart 2005: MOT failure rate for its age

26.4% of 353 MOT tests of the MCC Smart first registered in 2005 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 60.9 (95% CI 48.5–73.2; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2005 MCC Smart fails less often than other build years of the same model at the same age. This is a rough estimate from a smaller sample.

MCC Smart built in 2005 at a glance
MeasureValueUnitCompared withYearsTests
Failed first time26.4%all ages tested2019–2024353
Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 48.5–73.2)60.9index100 = normal for this model at that age2019–2024353
Rank among this model's 5 build years1of 51 = fails least for its age2019–2024353
Tested in 202483testsmedian 78,045 miles202483
line · MCC Smart built 2005 · first-time MOT failure share by age · built 2005 38.5% vs model normal n/a% at age 14 · 2019–2024
Built 2005 against MCC Smart normal for the age: first-time MOT failure share at each age, age 14: 38.5% vs n/a%; age 15: 37% vs n/a%; age 16: 32.2% vs 41.9%; age 17: 23.7% vs 42.4%; age 18: 16.9% vs 42.9%; age 19: 32.5% vs 46.1%. Axis from 0% to 50%. DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024.
Check a 2005 MCC Smart by registration · All MCC Smart MOT statistics · Download the build-year table (CSV)

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).

How does the 2005 MCC Smart fail at each age?

Cars built in 2005 were tested at ages 14 to 19 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.

MCC Smart built 2005: first-time MOT failure by age, against the model's normal rate at that age (2019–2024)
AgeTestsFailed, %95% intervalNormal for this model at that age, %Index (100 = normal)
14117 (rough estimate)38.530.1–47.5not availablenot available
1592 (rough estimate)3727.8–47.2not availablenot available
1690 (rough estimate)32.223.5–42.441.976.9
1797 (rough estimate)23.716.4–33.142.455.9
1883 (rough estimate)16.910.3–26.342.939.3
1983 (rough estimate)32.523.4–43.246.170.5

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 562 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

What fails most on the 2005 MCC Smart?

The most common failure group on cars built in 2005 is lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 34.5 items per 100 first tests, against 49.5 across all build years of the MCC Smart. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2005 were tested at ages 14 to 19.

Failure items per 100 first tests, MCC Smart built 2005 against the MCC Smart in all build years (2019–2024, not age-adjusted)
Failure groupBuilt 2005, per 100All build years, per 100Items
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment34.549.5194
Brakes13.51676
Suspension13.519.576
Visibility8.914.850
Steering7.7643

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 562 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How does 2005 compare with the years around it?

Among the 5 published build years of the MCC Smart, 2005 ranks 1 (1 = fails least for its age). 2004: index 83.6.

MCC Smart build years: index against the model at the same age (2019–2024)
Build yearIndex (100 = normal)95% intervalVerdictTests
200198.387.1–109.6no different (rough estimate)663
200298.493.2–103.7no different (rough estimate)3,085
200397.791.2–104.2no different (rough estimate)2,014
200483.670.8–96.4better (rough estimate)461
200560.948.5–73.2better (rough estimate)353

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 6,576 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

How to cite this page

MOT Risk Index (2026). MCC Smart 2005 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/mcc-smart/2005/

How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.

Other pages for this model

MCC Smart 2001 · MCC Smart 2002 · MCC Smart 2003 · MCC Smart 2004 · MCC Smart by postcode area · MCC Smart body, chassis and structure failures · MCC Smart brakes failures · MCC Smart vehicle identification failures · MCC Smart lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · MCC Smart noise, emissions and leaks failures · MCC Smart seat belts and airbags failures · MCC Smart steering failures · MCC Smart suspension failures · MCC Smart tyres failures · MCC Smart visibility failures