NHTSA recalls & complaints · 2008–2016

Smart Fortwo Coupe recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 23 owner complaints for the Smart Fortwo Coupe, covering model years 2008 to 2016. The 2008 model year drew the most complaints (20), and Power Train is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Smart Fortwo Coupe VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

2 recall campaigns on file
23 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
4 model years with data (2008–2016)

most complaints: 2008 (20 for that model year)
top component: Power Train (8 complaints)
latest recall 17V179000 (reported Mar 16, 2017)

0 complaints reporting a crash (0.0%)
1 complaint reporting a fire (4.3%)
1 complaint reporting an injury (4.3%)
0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)

Smart Fortwo Coupe complaints by model year

3 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2008 model year has the most complaints: 20 of 23, or 87.0%. Next come 2015 (2) and 2016 (1).

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years

Smart Fortwo Coupe complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death

Smart Fortwo Coupe complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model year	Complaints	Reporting a fire	Reporting an injury
2008	20	1	1
2015	2	0	0
2016	1	0	0
All model years	23	1	1

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Smart Fortwo Coupe components

top 12 · NHTSA categories

Power Train is the component named most often, in 8 complaints (34.8% of all 23), followed by Structure (4) and Engine and Engine Cooling (2).

Components named most often in Smart Fortwo Coupe complaints (top 12)

Components named most often in Smart Fortwo Coupe complaints (top 12)
Component	Complaints	Share of complaints
Power Train	8	34.8%
Structure	4	17.4%
Engine and Engine Cooling	2	8.7%
Fuel System, Gasoline	2	8.7%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	2	8.7%
Unknown or Other	2	8.7%
Electrical System	1	4.3%
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)	1	4.3%
Engine	1	4.3%
Equipment	1	4.3%
Service Brakes	1	4.3%
Steering	1	4.3%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Smart Fortwo Coupe recalls

2 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name Fortwo Coupe, newest first. The 2 campaigns cover model years 2014 to 2016. The 2014, 2015 and 2016 model years appear in the most campaigns (1 each).

2 recall campaigns

Smart Fortwo Coupe recall campaigns covering each model year
2014: 1 campaign	2015: 1 campaign	2016: 1 campaign

NHTSA campaign 17V179000
Reported Mar 16, 2017
Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Model year 2016
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 Smart Fortwo vehicles. The horizontal headlight adjustment mechanism on these vehicles may not have been properly sealed off to prevent future adjustment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence:
If the headlight can be adjusted horizontally, the headlight may be adjusted outside of the designed specifications, reducing the driver's visibility and potentially blinding oncoming traffic, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will install the correct sealing caps to prevent the headlights from being adjusted horizontally, free of charge. The recall began September 8, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
Filed by Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
NHTSA campaign 15V192000
Reported Mar 31, 2015
Steering
Model years 2014–2015
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Smart Fortwo Coupes and Convertibles, and 2014 Fortwo Coupe Electric and Fortwo Convertible Electric vehicles. The affected vehicles have steering gear mounting bolts which may break during vehicle operation.
Consequence:
If the steering gear mounting bolts break, vehicle handling could be affected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear mounting bolts, free of charge. The recall began on May 8, 2015. Owners may contact Smart customer service at 1-800-762-7887.
Filed by Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means

What each recall field means
Field	What it tells you
Campaign number	NHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
Component	The system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
Summary	What the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
Consequence	The safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
Remedy	What the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.

Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Smart Fortwo Coupe questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Smart Fortwo Coupe have?

NHTSA lists 2 vehicle recall campaigns for the Smart Fortwo Coupe, covering model years 2008 to 2016. The most recent, 17V179000, was reported on March 16, 2017 and is filed under “Exterior lighting”. The 2014, 2015 and 2016 model years are covered by the most campaigns (1 each).

Which Smart Fortwo Coupe model year has the most complaints?

The 2008 model year, with 20 of the 23 complaints in NHTSA’s file (87.0%). The next are 2015 (2) and 2016 (1). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Smart Fortwo Coupe complaint?

Power Train is the component named most often: 8 complaints, or 34.8% of all 23. Structure (4) and Engine and Engine Cooling (2) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Smart Fortwo Coupe?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Smart dealer.

How many Smart Fortwo Coupe complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 23 complaints, 0 report a crash, 1 a fire, 1 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

6 models · most complaints first

The Smart models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Smart VIN decoder with every Smart model page, WMI code and VIN note.

Smart Fortwo 2005–2019 · 5 recalls · 346 complaints
Smart Fortwo Cabrio 2008–2009 · 28 complaints
Smart Fortwo Coupe Electric 2014–2015 · 1 recall · 7 complaints
Smart Fortwo Cabriolet 2017 · 1 recall · 2 complaints
Smart Fortwo Convertible Electric 2014 · 1 recall · 1 complaint
Smart Fortwo Convertible 2014–2015 · 1 recall

All Smart models and WMI codes Look up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.