2009 Smart Fortwo

THE CAR HAS A PROBLEM WITH NOT GOING IN REVERSE WHEN YOU PUT THE GEAR SHIFTER IN 'R' POSITION? USUALLY AFTER DRIVEN AND THE CAR IS WARMED UP. THE CAR JUST ROLLS WHEN PUT IN REVERSE, AS IF THOUGH IT'S IN NEUTRAL.. WHEN GIVING GAS IT JUST REVS THE ENGINE AND NOTHING HAPPENS.. THE CAR IS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AND IT CAN BE DANGEROUS PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE IF IT'S ON A SLOPE. THE VEHICLE CAN ROLL. THIS IS A NORMAL PROBLEM WITH THE 08-09 YEAR. THIS SHOULD DEFIANTLY BE A RECALL ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR TAKEN THE TIME TO READ MY COMPLAINT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A SUBURBAN SIDE STREET WHEN SUDDENLY THE ENGINE CUT OFF AND THE CAR CAME ROLLING TO A STOP. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT TRAVELING FAST AND THERE WAS ROOM TO PULL OVER BUT I COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED IF THE INCIDENT WAS ON A HIGHWAY. A LOCAL MECHANIC COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM SO I EVENTUALLY HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH TESTED IT AND FOUND THAT THE COUPLING MOTOR (A COMPONENT OF THE TRANSMISSION) WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR IS RUNNING OKAY NOW BUT THE REPAIRS COST OVER $1,000 AND IT IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. *TR

MY SMART IS NOT GOING INTO REVERSE GEAR. THIS BECOMES VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC WHILE EXITING A DRIVEWAY OR PARALLEL PARKING ON A BUSY STREET. OTHER DRIVERS BECOME IMPATIENT ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE ARE CARS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS BLOCKED BECAUSE OF THE SMART UNABLE TO REVERSE. SMART PROVIDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM BUT IT STILL PERSISTS. I HAVE TWO FRIENDS WITH SMART CARS AND THEY BOTH HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I'VE ALSO GOOGLE SEARCHED "SMART CAR REVERSE" AND WHAT POPS UP IS GEAR, PROBLEM AND GEAR PROBLEM. THERE SEEMS TO BE MANY SMART OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR

THIS SHIFTING PROBLEM OCCURRED ERRATICALLY SINCE I'VE OWNED NEW. FIRST INCIDENCE WAS WITH SELECTING REVERSE AND THEREBY LOOSING THE ABILITY TO SELECT ANY GEAR MODE (FWD OR REV). THIS ODDITY IS USUALLY RESOLVED BY TURNING THE SWITCH OFF &RESTARTING BUT SOMETIMES BY SELECTING NEUTRAL & WAITING. THE NEXT PROBLEM CAME WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AT APPROX 20 MPH WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO IDLE & CAR TO COAST AS IN NEUTRAL. THE FIRST 2+ YEARS, THIS WAS RESOLVED BY LIFTING OFF THE GAS COMPLETELY & REAPPLYING. THIS BEGAN TO HAPPEN AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, ALWAYS WHEN ACCELERATING. NOTE: ENGINE REVS FOR BOUT 1/2 SECOND BEFORE FAILURE. MY GUESS IS, IT HAPPENS WHEN IT NEEDS TO DOWNSHIFT 2 GEARS. THEN ALSO BEGAN TO HAPPEN UNDER LOAD (UP LONG HILLS REQUIRING AUTO DOWNSHIFT) ALWAYS SOLVED BY GAS RECYCLE AND EVOLVED INTO HAVING TO RECYCLE MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE IT WOULD DOWNSHIFT. OVER TIME,I LEARNED THAT I COULD PREVENT THIS BY DOWNSHIFTING MANUALLY & NOT WAITING FOR "AUTOSHIFT FAILURE". SOMETIME IN THE LAST YEAR, IT HAS BECOME MORE FRIGHTENING AS IT WILL NOT RECOVER BY RECYCLING THE GAS. I DON'T REMEMBER THE DATE OR MILEAGE IT FIRST HAPPENED BUT I MUST ALMOST STOP BEFORE IT REGAINS ABILITY TO SHIFT/ACCEL NORMALLY. IT IS ERRATIC BUT WAS A LONG TIME BEFORE IT REPEATED ITSELF AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT. THEY ARE HAPPENING MORE RECENTLY & A COUPLE OF TIMES IN HEAVY HIGHWAY TRAFFIC & NOW MY WIFE REFUSES TO RIDE WITH ME. I TALKED WITH SMART REP WHEN CAR WAS NEW & HE STATED THAT "REPROGRAMING THE TRANSMISSION" WAS OPTION BUT THIS PROCEDURE IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I HAVE APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THIS 'REPROGRAMMING' DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP BUT HAVE BEEN TOLD IT MAY ONLY SOLVE THE "REVERSE" SELECTION PROBLEM. THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF MY PROBLEMS HAPPENING IN OTHER MODELS OR OF ANY RECALLS, SO MAYBE OTHER OWNERS ARE SLOW TO COMPLAIN LIKE ME. *JS

ON OR ABOUT 2 MONTHS OR APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND HAD STOPPED AT MY MOTHERS DRIVEWAY PUT THE CAR ON PARK AND LEFT THE ENGINE RUNNING FOR LESS THAN A MINUTE WHILE I HANDED SOMETHING TO MY MOTHER WHO APPROACHED THE VEHICLE. WHEN I TRIED PUTTING THE VEHICLE BACK ON DRIVE TO TAKE OFF THE ENGINE WAS NONRESPONSIVE AND READ NEUTRAL. AT WHICH POINT I WENT BACK TO PARK AND TRIED AGAIN TO PUT IT IN DRIVE TO NO AVAIL. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND STARTED IT AGAIN AND NOTHING. ABOUT THE 5TH ATTEMPT OF OFF AND ON IT FINALLY WENT INTO DRIVE GEAR. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN EVERSINCE WITHOUT ANY NOTICE JUST RANDOMLY, EVEN WHILE I HAVE BEEN AT INTERSECTIONS WHICH HAS PLACED ME AND MY PASSANGER IN GREAT DANGER. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO THE DEALER AND THE HAVE NO ANSWERS FOR ME. *TR

THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER THE LAST YEAR, AT LEAST A FEW DOZEN TIMES. SOMETIMES IT'S HAPPENED AS OFTEN AS 2-3 TIMES PER WEEK. I WILL START MY CAR, AND SHIFT INTO REVERSE, AND WHERE THERE WAS A P FOR PARK ON THE DISPLAY, THE DISPLAY IS NOW BLANK, AND MY CAR WILL NOT REVERSE. IT WILL ALSO NOT GO INTO DRIVE, OR DISPLAY D. I WILL TRY MOVING IT BACK AND FORWARD AND THE DISPLAY STAYS BLANK, AND MY CAR WON'T MOVE. SOMETIMES WHEN I RESTART MY CAR IT WILL GO BACK TO NORMAL, SHIFTING INTO REVERSE, AND DISPLAYING AN R ON THE DISPLAY PANEL...OTHER TIMES IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES FOR IT TO RESPOND, AND TO BE ABLE TO MOVE. I HAVE READ ON-LINE ABOUT OTHER OWNERS HAVING SEVERAL PARTS REPLACED AND SOFTWARE UPDATES, BUT ALWAYS THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO COME BACK. OTHERS CLAIM IT'S THE CLUTCH PLATE ASSEMBLY, AND THAT THOSE HAVE BEEN FIXED FOR THE 2009 MODEL...BUT I'VE STILL EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM. I'VE READ ABOUT THIS HAPPENING TO OTHERS IN TRAFFIC, AND I'VE READ ABOUT DEALERSHIPS NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND "ANYTHING WRONG" WITH CARS IN THIS SITUATION. *TR