2008 Smart Fortwo

I WAS LEAVING FOR WORK IN MY SMART FORTWO 451 ON A SNOWY MORNING. MY DRIVEWAY IS RATHER STEEP, AND WHILE SLOWLY GOING DOWN THE HILL THE CAR BEGAN TO SLIDE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND BEGAN SLOWING TO A STOP BUT WAS STILL SLIDING. I PUMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND WAS STILL IN CONTROL OF THE CAR WHEN MY FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND BECAME WEDGED BETWEEN IT AND THE ACCELERATOR. I TRIED FRANTICALLY TO PULL IT OUT BUT IT WAS STUCK FAST, AND THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING (DUE TO GRAVITY) DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO PULL MY FOOT OUT OF MY SHOE AND DEPRESS THE BRAKE, BUT BY THEN I WAS ALREADY OFF THE DRIVEWAY AND HEADED DOWN THE SIDE OF THE HILL. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO STOP BEFORE ANY DAMAGE WAS DONE, BUT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM HAD IT OCCURRED IN TRAFFIC. AFTER STOPPING I STILL HAD SOME DIFFICULTY REMOVING MY SHOE FROM BETWEEN THE GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS. I AM A MALE WITH SIZE 12 SHOES. *TR

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.

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

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SMART CAR FORTWO. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO MOVE TO THE RIGHT. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL HE NOTICED THAT THE TIRES WOULD IN THE SAME DIRECTION WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A MAILBOX. NO ONE WAS INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 23,000. UPDATED 8/25/10 *CN UPDATED 08/27/10 UPDATED 08/30/10*JB

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

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) VEHICLE INFO 2008 SMARTCAR STYLE: PURE COLOR: SILVER VIN: [XXX] PURCHASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 20, 2008 PURCHASE PRICE: $17,000.00 BEGINNING MILEAGE: 417 DEALER INFORMATION [XXX] DESCRIPTION/EXPLANATION OF EVENTS BEGINNING IN JUNE 2008 TO SEPTEMBER 20, 2008, I SPENT TIME DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE REGARDING THE NEW SMARTCAR AND THE PERFORMANCE POSSIBILITIES IT WOULD HAVE IN MY FORESTRY CONSULTING BUSINESS. I TYPICALLY DRIVE 4,500 TO 5,000 MILES PER MONTH AND MY FORD F-150 WAS USING APPROXIMATELY 26 GALLONS OF FUEL PER DAY AT A COST OF $4.25 PER GALLON. THIS DUE DILIGENCE INCLUDED MEETING WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER OF SMART CENTER SEATTLE AND GIVING HIM A FULL DESCRIPTION OF WHAT WORK I WOULD BE DOING AND DETERMINING HOW I THOUGHT THE CAR WOULD HOLD UP. WE EVEN MEASURED THE CLEARANCE OF A SHOWROOM CAR WHICH WAS ACCEPTABLE. I WAS SCHEDULED FOR A TEST DRIVE AND WAS COMPLETELY SOLD ON THE CAR AND THE BENEFITS OF UTILIZING THIS VEHICLE IN MY PROFESSION. I ORDERED A CAR AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD TAKE UP TO 15 MONTHS BEFORE MY CAR WOULD BE BUILT AND DELIVERED. THERE IS A PROGRAM WHERE THE DEALERSHIP CAN SELL CARS THAT WERE ORDERED AND NOT PURCHASED FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. THE CAR I EVENTUALLY PURCHASED WAS ONE OF THESE CARS. I WAS CALLED TO SEE IF I WOULD LIKE TO BUY THIS ONE INSTEAD OF WAITING THE MONTHS FOR MY CAR TO BE MANUFACTURED. WITH THE CURRENT COST OF FUEL AT THE TIME, I DECIDED TO PURCHASE THE CAR AND SURPLUS MY ORDERED CAR WHEN IT CAME INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THE COST OF THE VEHICLE WAS $17,000.00 PLUS THE DEALER PREP, TAX AND SO ON, FOR A TOTAL PRICE OF $19,000. THE VEHICLE HAD A STANDARD 24,000 MILE WARRANTY AND I WAS GIVEN THE OPTION TO PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR AN ADDITIONAL FEE, APPROXIMATELY $2000 IF I RECALL CORRECTLY. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH MILEAGE I DRIVE EACH YEAR, APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES, I DECIDE. *TR

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

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