Does the Smart Forfour fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Smart Forfour records 7.48 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 9.03 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.55, 95% interval −1.71 to −1.39). It ranks 366 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a Smart Forfour by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Smart Forfour is “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn”, recorded 3,921 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 3,921 | 2.88 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 1,916 | 1.41 |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 1,616 | 1.19 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,060 | 0.78 |
| A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage | 514 | 0.38 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 136,129 (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 Forfour gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
20.4% of Smart Forfour MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 4,443 miles later (6,641 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 6,641 (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 Forfour 2004 · Smart Forfour 2005 · Smart Forfour 2006 · Smart Forfour 2007 · Smart Forfour 2015 · Smart Forfour 2016 · Smart Forfour 2017 · Smart Forfour 2018 · Smart Forfour 2019 · Smart Forfour in Finland · Smart Forfour in the Netherlands · Smart Forfour by postcode area · Smart Forfour body, chassis and structure failures · Smart Forfour brakes failures · Smart Forfour vehicle identification failures · Smart Forfour lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Smart Forfour noise, emissions and leaks failures · Smart Forfour road wheels failures · Smart Forfour seat belts and airbags failures · Smart Forfour steering failures · Smart Forfour tyres failures · Smart Forfour visibility failures