Smart City-Coupe 2003: MOT failure rate for its age
42.6% of 9,682 MOT tests of the Smart City-Coupe first registered in 2003 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 99.7 (95% CI 96.6–102.7; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2003 build year is no different from other years of the same model at the same age.
| Measure | Value | Unit | Compared with | Years | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failed first time | 42.6 | % | all ages tested | 2019–2024 | 9682 |
| Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 96.6–102.7) | 99.7 | index | 100 = normal for this model at that age | 2019–2024 | 9682 |
| Rank among this model's 11 build years | 9 | of 11 | 1 = fails least for its age | 2019–2024 | 9682 |
| Tested in 2024 | 1010 | tests | median 67,993 miles | 2024 | 1010 |
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).
How does the 2003 Smart City-Coupe fail at each age?
Cars built in 2003 were tested at ages 16 to 21 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.
| Age | Tests | Failed, % | 95% interval | Normal for this model at that age, % | Index (100 = normal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 2,357 | 43.6 | 41.6–45.6 | 45.9 | 95.1 |
| 17 | 1,884 | 41.5 | 39.3–43.7 | 43.3 | 95.8 |
| 18 | 1,698 | 43.6 | 41.3–46 | 43 | 101.4 |
| 19 | 1,480 | 40.8 | 38.3–43.3 | 40.1 | 101.7 |
| 20 | 1,253 | 42.7 | 40–45.5 | 39.8 | 107.4 |
| 21 | 1,010 | 43 | 39.9–46 | 41.4 | 103.8 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 9,682 (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 2003 Smart City-Coupe?
The most common failure group on cars built in 2003 is lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 49.9 items per 100 first tests, against 44.5 across all build years of the Smart City-Coupe. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 2003 were tested at ages 16 to 21.
| Failure group | Built 2003, per 100 | All build years, per 100 | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 49.9 | 44.5 | 4,831 |
| Suspension | 21.5 | 21.4 | 2,081 |
| Brakes | 18.2 | 16.1 | 1,762 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 16.2 | 12.5 | 1,573 |
| Visibility | 15.9 | 14.5 | 1,536 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 9,682 (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 2003 compare with the years around it?
Among the 11 published build years of the Smart City-Coupe, 2003 ranks 9 (1 = fails least for its age). 2002: index 99.9. 2004: index 97.0.
| Build year | Index (100 = normal) | 95% interval | Verdict | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 98.8 | 85.9–111.7 | no different (rough estimate) | 530 |
| 2001 | 98.7 | 91.3–106.2 | no different (rough estimate) | 1,588 |
| 2002 | 99.9 | 96.3–103.5 | no different | 7,014 |
| 2003 | 99.7 | 96.6–102.7 | no different | 9,682 |
| 2004 | 97.0 | 93.5–100.5 | no different | 7,221 |
| 2005 | 97.9 | 93.3–102.5 | no different | 4,096 |
| 2006 | 99.2 | 94.8–103.5 | no different | 4,700 |
| 2007 | 101.0 | 95.9–106.0 | no different (rough estimate) | 3,510 |
| 2008 | 78.2 | 67.2–89.3 | better (rough estimate) | 573 |
| 2009 | 82.6 | 70.7–94.5 | better (rough estimate) | 529 |
| 2010 | 81.0 | 64.7–97.3 | better (rough estimate) | 277 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 39,720 (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). Smart City-Coupe 2003 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/smart-city-review-c3a2a143/2003/
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
Smart City-Coupe 2000 · Smart City-Coupe 2001 · Smart City-Coupe 2002 · Smart City-Coupe 2004 · Smart City-Coupe 2005 · Smart City-Coupe 2006 · Smart City-Coupe 2007 · Smart City-Coupe 2008 · Smart City-Coupe 2009 · Smart City-Coupe 2010 · Smart City-Coupe by postcode area · Smart City-Coupe body, chassis and structure failures · Smart City-Coupe brakes failures · Smart City-Coupe vehicle identification failures · Smart City-Coupe lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Smart City-Coupe noise, emissions and leaks failures · Smart City-Coupe road wheels failures · Smart City-Coupe seat belts and airbags failures · Smart City-Coupe steering failures · Smart City-Coupe suspension failures · Smart City-Coupe tyres failures · Smart City-Coupe visibility failures