Smart Fortwo W450
1998 to 2005
Based on 1 source, each with its own reference date
No documented data yet for this generation
Recalls
Our EU Safety Gate feed only goes back to 17 July 2026
We could not check NHTSA for this model
No recall found in EU Safety Gate, checked up to and including 2005
Safety rating
American crash test (NHTSA)
No safety rating found at NHTSA SafetyRatings, checked through 2005
Insurance loss
Compared with the US average. Not a chance of defects
No insurance loss data found at IIHS/HLDI, checked through 2005
Inspection statistics for these model years
20 to 24 years: 422 inspections
Official inspection point: Lighting equipment and parts of the electrical system
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 147 of the 422 Czech inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Braking equipment
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 95 of the 422 Czech inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Chassis and chassis attachments
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 83 of the 422 Czech inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Steering
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 56 of the 422 Czech inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
Official inspection point: Axles, wheels, tyres, suspension
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 49 of the 422 Czech inspection data, age 20-24 yr.
21 to 23 years: 2,455 inspections
Official item from DVSA MOT-statistiek
Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 982 of the 2455 British MOT statistics, age 21-23 yr.
See the inspection statistics for all generations of Fortwo
Go to FortwoInspections by country and age
This table shows, per age, how many cars of this model fail inspection, by country. An index of 100 is that country's average for that age.
| Age | Netherlands | United Kingdom | Czechia | Ireland | NO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-24 years | No data | 40% failed (982 of 2455) | No data | No data | No data |
| 25-30 years | No data | No data | No data | No data | No data |
Czechia only counts serious defects, severity B or C. The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Norway count every inspection with a real defect.
Finland is not in this table. Finland counts defect points, not cars with a defect.
Buyer knowledge and checklist
Before you buy: the inspection requirement in this country, plus a checklist for the test drive.
Periodic inspection: NCT (National Car Test): every 2 years up to 10 years old, annually thereafter
Read the guideFrequently asked questions
Which defects are found most often at inspection for a Smart Fortwo?
Official inspection point: Lighting equipment and parts of the electrical system. Note: this is a share of the cars tested in this age band. It is not a chance of defects and predicts nothing for this car. 147 of the 422 Czech inspection data, age 20-24 yr. CZ STK, data up to and including 03/07/2026. More age groups and categories are available in the inspection statistics on this page.
Where does this data come from?
CZ STK (data up to and including 03/07/2026), DVSA MOT-statistiek (data up to and including 2025), NHTSA Manufacturer Communications (data up to and including 2005), GDV Typklassenverzeichnis (data up to and including 2024). Every fact here has its own source and reference date.