Research · complaint index
smart Fortwo years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 8 model years of the smart Fortwo by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2008, 2009 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 9 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | Typical |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2012 | 8 | 1 | 0.6 | 0 | 2 | Typical |
| 2011 | 16 | 1 | 1.1 | 0 | 2 | Typical |
| 2010 | 6 | 0 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2009 | 111 | 6 | 6.9 | 1 | 5 | Most complaints |
| 2008 | 160 | 8 | 9.4 | 2 | 7 | Most complaints |
| 2005 | 2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
- 20179 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 20160 complaints · 1 recallFewest complaints
- 20128 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 201116 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 20106 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
- 2009111 complaints · 1 recallMost complaints
- 2008160 complaints · 2 recallsMost complaints
- 20052 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 6, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 2016, 2005, 2010.
About this comparison
What smart Fortwo years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2008, 2009 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 8 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.