NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
32 reportsClear category filter54,000 miles · Jul 7, 2012
Power Train
IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY AND HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN ONTO RAMP AND CAR WENT OUT OF GEAR (WHILE DRIVING!). SCREEN WENT BLANK. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME ONCE BEFORE IN A SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE SO I PULLED OVER. TURNED OFF CAR AND FOUND ADVICE ON THE SMART CAR FORUM (THIS HAS OBVIOUS…
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IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY AND HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN ONTO RAMP AND CAR WENT OUT OF GEAR (WHILE DRIVING!). SCREEN WENT BLANK. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME ONCE BEFORE IN A SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE SO I PULLED OVER. TURNED OFF CAR AND FOUND ADVICE ON THE SMART CAR FORUM (THIS HAS OBVIOUSLY HAPPENED TO OTHERS AS WELL). AFTER ABOUT 3 TIMES OF COMPLETING THE CYCLE TO REBOOT THE SYSTEM, IT FINALLY WORKED AND I CONTINUED ON MY WAY. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED DEALER DID A SOFTWARE UPDATE AT MY COST ($200+) BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS...WILL SOMEONE NEED TO DIE BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE WITH A RECALL OF THESE CARS? *TR
NHTSA ODI #10464578
30,000 miles · Jul 7, 2012
Power Train
DRIVING ON INTERSTATE ON A HOT DAY. AFTER APPROX. 1 HOUR OF DRIVING, SLOWED DOWN TO CHANGE LANES, PUT ON BRAKES, SCREEN WENT BLANK AND THERE WERE NO GEARS. NOTHING...THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT THERE WAS NO WAY TO MOVE, AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. WENT ONLINE AND FOUND THAT OTHER OWNERS HAD SAME PROBLEM. WENT THROUGH A COMP…
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DRIVING ON INTERSTATE ON A HOT DAY. AFTER APPROX. 1 HOUR OF DRIVING, SLOWED DOWN TO CHANGE LANES, PUT ON BRAKES, SCREEN WENT BLANK AND THERE WERE NO GEARS. NOTHING...THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT THERE WAS NO WAY TO MOVE, AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. WENT ONLINE AND FOUND THAT OTHER OWNERS HAD SAME PROBLEM. WENT THROUGH A COMPUTER RESET AND IT RAN FINE. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY CHARGED ME $200 FOR A SOFTWARE UPDATE (AFTER I HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR $300 TO GET HOME). *TR
NHTSA ODI #10464576
Mileage unknown · Apr 29, 2012
Power Train
I HAVE A SMART FORTWO HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE REVERSE CALL THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM AND THAT THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THEY HAD TO UP DATE IT SO THE REVERSE WOULD WORK I HAVE CALL MANY SMART CAR DEALERS THRU OUT THE STATES AND IT IS A PROBLEM SO MY QUESTION IS WHY ISN'T THIS A RECALL BECAUSE I HA…
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I HAVE A SMART FORTWO HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE REVERSE CALL THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM AND THAT THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THEY HAD TO UP DATE IT SO THE REVERSE WOULD WORK I HAVE CALL MANY SMART CAR DEALERS THRU OUT THE STATES AND IT IS A PROBLEM SO MY QUESTION IS WHY ISN'T THIS A RECALL BECAUSE I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS BECAUSE THE FACTORY WARRANTY IS UP AND MY REVERSE WENT FORWARD TO I DON'T THINK ITS FAIR THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS SINCE THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS PLEASE HELP. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10456796
56,150 miles · Feb 7, 2011
Power Train
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SMART FORTWO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE CLUTCH COUPLING MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,150.
NHTSA ODI #10381020
11,271 miles · Oct 13, 2010
Power Train
I HAVE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WITH MY 2008 PASSIONFORTWO, WHICH HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES IN THE 28 MONTHS AND 13K MILES OF OWNERSHIP. I'M HAPPILY DRIVING ALONG UNTIL I REACH MY DESTINATION, THEN I NEED TO GO INTO REVERSE TO PARK. THE SHIFTER WORKS FLAWLESSLY AND THE DISPLAY CLEARLY SHOWS THE CORRECT POSITION OF THE SHIFTER. BUT, …
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I HAVE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WITH MY 2008 PASSIONFORTWO, WHICH HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES IN THE 28 MONTHS AND 13K MILES OF OWNERSHIP. I'M HAPPILY DRIVING ALONG UNTIL I REACH MY DESTINATION, THEN I NEED TO GO INTO REVERSE TO PARK. THE SHIFTER WORKS FLAWLESSLY AND THE DISPLAY CLEARLY SHOWS THE CORRECT POSITION OF THE SHIFTER. BUT, THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE, NOR WILL IT ENGAGE IF I RESELECT DRIVE. THE FIRST TWO TIMES THAT THIS HAPPENED, I EVENTUALLY TURNED OFF THE KEY AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND ALL WAS WELL. THE LAST TWO TIMES, THAT WORK-AROUND HAD NO EFFECT. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND LET IT SIT FOR FIVE MINUTES AND ONE HOUR, RESPECTIVELY, AND THEN HAD NO PROBLEM SELECTING ANY GEAR. A CAR THAT SUDDENLY WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR IS DANGEROUS. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10360350
1 miles · Aug 1, 2010
Power Train
IT'S A PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS ABOUT ONCE A WEEK, THE CAR WON'T GO INTO REVERSE, AND SOMETIMES WON'T GO INTO ANY GEAR AT ALL. THIS HAS BEEN RECURRING FOR 2 YEARS, AND THE DEALERSHIP PRETENDS THERE IS NO PROBLEM. THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS WHEN IN A BUSY STREET, OR IN A SLOPE WHEN YOU EXPECT TO BACK UP WHILE THE CAR ROLLS DOWN THE HILL. …
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IT'S A PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS ABOUT ONCE A WEEK, THE CAR WON'T GO INTO REVERSE, AND SOMETIMES WON'T GO INTO ANY GEAR AT ALL. THIS HAS BEEN RECURRING FOR 2 YEARS, AND THE DEALERSHIP PRETENDS THERE IS NO PROBLEM. THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS WHEN IN A BUSY STREET, OR IN A SLOPE WHEN YOU EXPECT TO BACK UP WHILE THE CAR ROLLS DOWN THE HILL. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10346654
25,000 miles · May 24, 2010
Power Train
THE CAR WILL NOT ENGAGE REVERSE AT ALL AND SOMETIMES JUMPS BETWEEN N, D, OR A BLANK DISPLAY ON THE DASH READOUT. WHEN THIS HAPPENS YOU CAN MOVE THE SHIFTER AND IT WILL NOT SELECT REVERSE AND THERE IS A BEEPING NOISE AUDIBLE FROM THE DASH. THE CAR MUST BE ROLLED BACK DOWN A HILL IN NEUTRAL OR PUSHED. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 4 TIMES…
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THE CAR WILL NOT ENGAGE REVERSE AT ALL AND SOMETIMES JUMPS BETWEEN N, D, OR A BLANK DISPLAY ON THE DASH READOUT. WHEN THIS HAPPENS YOU CAN MOVE THE SHIFTER AND IT WILL NOT SELECT REVERSE AND THERE IS A BEEPING NOISE AUDIBLE FROM THE DASH. THE CAR MUST BE ROLLED BACK DOWN A HILL IN NEUTRAL OR PUSHED. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 4 TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK. NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE BY REPLACING PARTS OR REPAIRING PARTS. CAR HAS ONLY ABOUT 27K MILES. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10332061
36,585 miles · Feb 9, 2010
Power TrainService Brakes, Hydraulic
ON MY 2008 SMART CAR PASSION AT 36,585 MILES THE CLUTCH PLATE AND ACTUATOR BECAME DEFECTIVE AFTER ONLY THREE MONTHS OF DRIVING. I REPAIRED THIS ISSUE AND AT 81,000 MILES THE SAME ISSUE ON THE SAME PART BECAME DEFECTIVE. I PUT ON HIGH MILES DO TO THE NATURE OF MY BUSINESS WHICH IS A COURIER COMPANY. I AM WORRIED FOR THE SAFETY…
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ON MY 2008 SMART CAR PASSION AT 36,585 MILES THE CLUTCH PLATE AND ACTUATOR BECAME DEFECTIVE AFTER ONLY THREE MONTHS OF DRIVING. I REPAIRED THIS ISSUE AND AT 81,000 MILES THE SAME ISSUE ON THE SAME PART BECAME DEFECTIVE. I PUT ON HIGH MILES DO TO THE NATURE OF MY BUSINESS WHICH IS A COURIER COMPANY. I AM WORRIED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY DRIVERS. I HAVE EXPRESSED THIS ISSUE TO THE SMART DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS THE NATIONAL REPS. THEY HAVE NO INTEREST IN EXPLORING THAT THIS COULD BE A MAJOR DEFECT WITH THEIR CAR. BRAKES ARE A ISSUE I TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY SINCE THE AMOUNT OF DRIVING MY EMPLOYEES DO. *TR UPDATED 03/15/10
NHTSA ODI #10307796
2,200 miles · Mar 24, 2009
Power Train
SINCE NEW. CAR HAS PROBLEM MOVING FROM PARK INTO GEAR, EITHER REVERSE OR DRIVE. EVEN WHEN GEARSHIFT MOVES AND INDICATOR LIGHT SHOWS GEAR, DOES NOT ENGAGE. SAME PROBLEM MOVING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE. GEARSHIFT STICKS ON OCCASION AND IS DIFFICULT TO MOVE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10262876
3,000 miles · Jan 19, 2009
Latches/locks/linkagesPower Train
GEAR SHIFT LEVER FREEZES IN PARK & THEREFORE WILL NOT ALLOW CAR TO MOVE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10255590
NHTSA investigations
2EA17003 · Engine Compartment Fire
Opened Sep 1, 2017 · Closed Aug 21, 2018
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
On April 30, 2018, Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, (Mercedes-Benz) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA regarding a defect that could result in a vehicle fire starting from the engine compartment in 42,781 model year (MY) 2008 and 2009 Smart Fortwo cabrio and coupe vehicles (451 platform).According to Mercedes-Benz?s DIR, ?the rear insulation mat within the engine compartment might deform, deteriorate, loosen and over time, subsequently be able to contact hot components of the exhaust system.This could lead to an ignition of the insulation mat and possible fire in the engine compartment.?The US-specification exhaust system has an external catalytic converter packaged close to the insulation mat, where temperatures in the vicinity of the insulation mat reach high values.Over time, these temperatures can lead to a change in the insulation mat's material characteristics and ultimately allow the material to deform. Depending on the magnitude and the specific location of the deformation, the insulation mat could contact hot components of the exhaust system and ignite.Mercedes-Benz will replace the rear insulation mat on the affected vehicles with the improved mat first implemented in the United States in MY 2010 vehicles.ODI?s analysis of fire incident field data reported to NHTSA and Mercedes-Benz show an increasing trend of non-crash fires in the subject vehicles that begins after 4 years of service and accelerates after 7 years of service.The analysis shows that this trend is driven by fires occurring in the engine compartment.Forensic investigations of fires occurring in the past year identified the insulation mat as a likely or possible cause of most of the fires originating in the engine compartment.This investigation is closed based on Mercedes-Benz insulation mat recall.For more information about field data trends and fire investigations, see the closing resume in the document file for this investigation.
PE16016 · Engine Compartment Fire
Opened Dec 16, 2016 · Closed Nov 20, 2017
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
On December 16, 2016, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE16-016 to investigate eight complaints alleging incidents of engine compartment fire while driving or shortly after engine shutdown in model year (MY) 2008 through 2009 Smart Fortwo vehicles.The complaints appeared to indicate an increasing trend, with all eight fires occurring since January 2015.As part of PE16-016, ODI analyzed information related to incidents reported to the Office by consumers, analyzed field data and technical information submitted by Mercedes-Benz USA (Mercedes) in response to the PE16-016 information request letter, and analyzed non-crash vehicle fire claim data provided by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).To date, ODI's analysis of incidents reported by consumers and provided by Mercedes has identified 27 incidents of open flame fires originating in the engine compartments of the subject vehicles, 14 of which were reported to ODI by Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and 18 involving complaints or field reports to Mercedes (5 of the incidents were reported to both ODI and Mercedes).One incident reported to Mercedes includes an allegation of an injury from smoke inhalation.Nineteen (19) of the incidents occurred since January 2015.Mercedes has only investigated 2 of the 27 fire incidents, and the company was unable to identify a vehicle-based cause for either incident.To further assess incident rates and trends, ODI requested fire claim data for the subject vehicles and eight peer vehicles from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).HLDI collects insurance claim data from companies representing over 80 percent of the market for private passenger vehicle insurance in the United States.ODI?s analysis of the HLDI data, which covered the period from 2010 through late-2016, found that the MY 2008 Fortwo vehicles had a significantly higher claim frequency than its peers and, similar to ODI?s complaint trend, experienced a sharp increase in claims in 2015.This investigation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA17-003) to continue to investigate the high frequency and increasing trend of non-crash engine compartment fire incidents in the subject vehicles.The VOQs associated with the opening of this investigation were:10676359, 10780222, 10790017, 10820891, 10872656, 10944676, 10916505, 10924311, 10924637, 10939504, 10945296, 10993895, 11011100, 11011565.
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