Does the Smart City fail the MOT on tyres more than it should?
The Smart City records 8.61 tyres failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 10.56 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.95, 95% interval −2.73 to −1.17). It ranks 504 of 751 models on tyres (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on tyres · check a Smart City by registration
What exactly fails on tyres?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Smart City is “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements”, recorded 232 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 232 | 3.51 |
| A tyre seriously damaged | 215 | 3.25 |
| A tyre cords visible or damaged | 65 | 0.98 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 6,619 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Smart City gets a tyres advisory, how often does it fail next time?
10.9% of Smart City MOTs with a tyres advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 2,452 miles later (1,080 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,080 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Smart City 2004 · Smart City 2005 · Smart City 2006 · Smart City 2007 · Smart City by postcode area · Smart City body, chassis and structure failures · Smart City brakes failures · Smart City vehicle identification failures · Smart City lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Smart City noise, emissions and leaks failures · Smart City seat belts and airbags failures · Smart City steering failures · Smart City suspension failures · Smart City visibility failures