Does the Smart Fortwo fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Smart Fortwo records 10.00 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 16.09 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−6.09, 95% interval −6.23 to −5.95). It ranks 519 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 Fortwo by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Smart Fortwo is “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened”, recorded 12,782 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 12,782 | 4.11 |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 9,858 | 3.17 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,776 | 0.57 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 1,704 | 0.55 |
| A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage | 1,307 | 0.42 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 311,254 (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 Fortwo gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
17.4% of Smart Fortwo MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 3,055 miles later (17,990 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 17,990 (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
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