2008 Smart Fortwo

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SMART FORTWO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE, THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO REMAIN IN THE CORRECT GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000.

FAILURE TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE. GEARSHIFT MOVES BUT GEAR DISPLAY GOES BLANK AND CHIME SOUNDS. SOMETIMES IT WILL GO INTO DRIVE. IT MAY BE A SOLENOID PROBLEM. VERY FRUSTRATING AND IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE OVER TIME. I NOW HAVE 38,000 MILES ON THE CAR. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. I EXPECT BETTER OUT OF DAMLIER BENZ. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT AT ABOUT 45 MILES PER HOUR, I WAS SHIFTING INTO FIFTH GEAR AND THE CAR JUST WENT BLANK. THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND ALL NOISE CEASED TO EXIST. AT FIRST IT WAS A BIT OF A SHOCK, SO I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF OF THE ROAD ONTO THE DIRT. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO CARS AROUND AS THE SUDDEN LOSE OF POWER COULD HAVE CAUSED SOMEONE TO RUN INTO ME, AS I HAD NO LIGHTS. AFTER LOOKING AROUND THE INSDE OF THE CAR I NOTICED THAT THE KEY WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. THE KEY ON THIS CAR IS IN THE MIDDLE CONSOLE, RIGHT NEXT TO THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR. I DETERMINED THAT UPON SHIFTING MY JACKET SLEEVE HAD BRUSHED AGAINST THE KEY, AND BECUASE THE KEY IS SO EASY TO TURN OFF FROM THE ON POSITION, THE KEY JUST TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING. THIS WAS THE FIRST OCCURRANCE OF THIS, AS IT HAPPEND ONE MORE TIME. I HAVE HAD TO REMEMBER NOT TO LEAVE MY HAND DOWN BY THE SHIFT LEVER, IN FEAR OF TURNING OFF THE KEY WITHOUT KNOWING IT. *TR

ATTEMPTING TO LEAVING STORE PARKING LOT, ENTERED CAR, STARTED ENGINE, MOVED GEAR SHIFT TO "R" BUT TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE AND THE "R" DOES NOT APPEAR IN DASHBOARD DISPLAY. TRY MOVING SHIFTER TO "D" BUT STILL NO TRANSMISSION ENGAGEMENT OR DASH DISPLAY.. SHIFT BACK TO "P" THAT NOW DISPLAYS ON DASH. TRY "R" AGAIN, NOTHING. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE TRANSMISSION FAIL, TURN ENGINE OFF, AND RESTART. NOW IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING CORRECTLY. THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE HAS HAPPENED MANY, MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR. CAN'T IDENTIFY WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THIS ISSUE, I.E. COLD ENGINE, HOT ENGINE, RAIN, HOT SUMMER DAY, COLD WINTER, IT HAPPENS UNDER ANY UNEXPECTED SITUATION.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SMART FORTWO 451 COUPE. WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO RESET THE COMPUTER FOR THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT CONNECTION BECAUSE IT WAS LOOSE. THREE MONTHS LATER THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE HE PAID $150 FOR THE FIRST REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 13,400.

WHEN I DRIVE BY AN INTERSECTION WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF RADIO, SATELLITE AND CELL PHONE TOWERS, THE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN MY CAR IS IMMOBILIZED. BY THAT I MEAN THAT THE CAR IS IN "D" BUT WON'T MOVE. I PUSH OR COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURN THE CAR "OFF." I WAIT A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND RESTART. THE WARNING LIGHTS STAY ON BUT IT WILL ALLOW ME TO DRIVE OFF IN "D." I THEN PARK, DO MY ERRANDS AND COME BACK TO THE CAR. I START IT UP, ALL WARNING LIGHTS STAY OFF AND IT DRIVES NORMALLY. THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED ON BOTH OCCASIONS WHEN I HAVE DRIVEN BY THIS INTERSECTION (MT. PLEASANT AVENUE AND PROSPECT AVENUE IN WEST ORANGE, NJ.) THE CAR IS A 2008 SMART PASSION COUPE. *TR

2008 SMART WITH UNRESOLVED COMPUTER CONTROL PROBLEMS. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE FIRST ISSUE INVOLVED A WARNING CHIME THAT ACTIVATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. IT HAPPENED UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS AND WOULD NOT TURN OFF UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON AND OFF AGAIN. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PROBLEM WAS A SOFTWARE ISSUE. THE CONSUMER SUSPECTED THAT WHEN THE COMPUTER WAS AT A PARTICULAR CYCLE POINT IN ITS SERIES OF SYSTEMS CHECKS, IT WAS WAITING FOR A SIGNAL FROM SOME SENSOR WHICH WAS NOT RECEIVED WHEN THE POWER TO THE PARTICULAR SENSOR WAS SHUT OFF PRIOR TO THE COMPUTER WARNING SYSTEM POWERING OFF. THE SECOND ISSUE INVOLVED THE INTERMITTENT WIPER SYSTEM SOMEWHERE ON THE LINE B38 TO THE SAM CONTROL UNIT. ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS, THE WIPERS WOULD GO THROUGH WHAT APPEARED TO BE A START UP ROUTINE OF 5 RAPID WIPES FOLLOWED BY 3 SLOW WIPES AND THEN RETURN TO OPERATING AS DESIGNED. OCCASIONALLY, THE ISSUE WAS CORRECTED BY TURNING THE WIPERS TO THE OFF POSITION AND BACK TO INTERMITTENT, BUT IT DIDN'T ALWAYS CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED BOTH OF THE ISSUES WERE A COMPUTER CONTROL ISSUE THAT DID NOT LEAVE ERROR CODES THAT WOULD ALLOW THE DEALER TO IDENTIFY AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE AT A STOP, THE CLUTCH REMAINED ENGAGED FOR AN UNUSUALLY LONG PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE DISENGAGING AND RELEASING PRESSURE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED IT WAS A NORMAL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, WHEN THE SPEED SENSOR WAS REPLACED, THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS AT STOPS BY DISENGAGING THE CLUTCH IMMEDIATELY AND NOT CONTINUING TO RIDE THE CLUTCH WHILE STOPPED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE DISENGAGING. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE RIDING BEHAVIOR WAS A RESULT OF THE INITIAL FAILING OF THE SENSOR. ALSO, THE AXLE BOLT THAT SECURED THE HUB FAILED. UPDATED CONSUMER LETTER 04/14/11