Smart City-Coupe 2009: MOT failure rate for its age
35.2% of 529 MOT tests of the Smart City-Coupe first registered in 2009 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 82.6 (95% CI 70.7–94.5; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 2009 Smart City-Coupe fails less often than other build years of the same model at the same age. This is a rough estimate from a smaller sample.
| Measure | Value | Unit | Compared with | Years | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failed first time | 35.2 | % | all ages tested | 2019–2024 | 529 |
| Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 70.7–94.5) | 82.6 | index | 100 = normal for this model at that age | 2019–2024 | 529 |
| Rank among this model's 11 build years | 3 | of 11 | 1 = fails least for its age | 2019–2024 | 529 |
| Tested in 2024 | 119 | tests | median 65,133 miles | 2024 | 119 |
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).
How does the 2009 Smart City-Coupe fail at each age?
Cars built in 2009 were tested at ages 10 to 15 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 147 (rough estimate) | 33.3 | 26.2–41.3 | not available | not available |
| 11 | 136 (rough estimate) | 38.2 | 30.5–46.6 | not available | not available |
| 12 | 139 (rough estimate) | 37.4 | 29.8–45.7 | 43.6 | 85.7 |
| 13 | 137 (rough estimate) | 33.6 | 26.2–41.8 | 42.7 | 78.7 |
| 14 | 134 (rough estimate) | 34.3 | 26.8–42.7 | 42.1 | 81.5 |
| 15 | 119 (rough estimate) | 35.3 | 27.3–44.2 | 41.7 | 84.6 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 812 (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 2009 Smart City-Coupe?
The most common failure group on cars built in 2009 is lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 22.3 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 2009 were tested at ages 10 to 15.
| Failure group | Built 2009, per 100 | All build years, per 100 | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 22.3 | 44.5 | 181 |
| Suspension | 19.5 | 21.4 | 158 |
| Brakes | 14.4 | 16.1 | 117 |
| Visibility | 8.9 | 14.5 | 72 |
| Tyres | 8.1 | 8.8 | 66 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 812 (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 2009 compare with the years around it?
Among the 11 published build years of the Smart City-Coupe, 2009 ranks 3 (1 = fails least for its age). 2008: index 78.2. 2010: index 81.0.
| 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 2009 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-c3a2a143/2009/
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 2003 · Smart City-Coupe 2004 · Smart City-Coupe 2005 · Smart City-Coupe 2006 · Smart City-Coupe 2007 · Smart City-Coupe 2008 · 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