Smart (MCC) Forfour Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the Smart (MCC) Forfour fails its MOT on, with rough repair costs, and how each model year's MOT pass rate compares with other cars of the same age. Based on 39,606 MOT tests across 9 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: city car | Fuel: Petrol
83%
Smart (MCC) Forfour pass rate
78%
Smart (MCC) average
82%
All-model average
The Smart (MCC) Forfour has an average MOT pass rate of 83%, which is 5 points above the Smart (MCC) average and 1 point above the average across all models in our data. Newer Smart (MCC) Forfours pass their MOT more often than older ones, by 14 percentage points on average, which is mostly down to age and wear.
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What the Smart (MCC) Forfour Fails Its MOT On
Of the 6,145 MOT tests on the Smart (MCC) Forfour that failed at the first attempt in 2025, the share that failed on each part of the test, next to the share for all cars and vans of the same ages. A test that failed on two areas counts in both.
Lights and electrics
28%Cars and vans the same age: 31% · Typical repair £15-£200
Tyres
28%Cars and vans the same age: 26% · Typical repair £50-£300
Suspension
27%Cars and vans the same age: 28% · Typical repair £150-£600
Exhaust, emissions and leaks
21%Cars and vans the same age: 10% (the Forfour fails on this more often) · Typical repair £80-£800
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
21%Cars and vans the same age: 15% (the Forfour fails on this more often) · Typical repair £10-£350
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Tyre tread depth below the 1.6mm limit (12% of failed tests, tyres)
- Stop lamp: not working (12% of failed tests, lights and electrics)
- Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (11% of failed tests, suspension)
Source: CarCostCheck analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results and failure items for 2025: first attempt at each MOT, fail and pass-after-repair defects, DVSA's defect categories (names shortened). Repair costs are rough UK ranges, not quotes. Method and national figures: MOT failure reasons 2025.
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Smart (MCC) Forfour Years to Avoid
Every car in the 2024 MOT data was tested at the same age as the other cars first registered that year, so each Forfour year is compared with all cars from the same year. Years with 1,000+ tests that were at least three years old are included.
Failed more often than cars their age
Passed more often than cars their age
No year passed 3 or more points more often than other cars of the same age.
A lower pass rate means that year failed its MOT more often in 2024; it does not mean every car from that year is bad. Old cars still on the road are often the best-kept ones, which can lift the pass rates of the oldest years. How a car has been looked after matters more, so check the MOT history of the car you are looking at.
Smart (MCC) Forfour Reliability by Year
MOT pass rate for each model year, from DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024 (retests included). Newer cars usually pass more often simply because they are younger. All Cars is the pass rate of every car first registered that year, with the gap in points. Highest and lowest are marked among years with 100+ tests that were at least three years old when tested. Fuel and engine size are a guide only.
Smart (MCC) Forfour Running Costs
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Smart (MCC) Forfour FAQ
What are the most common Smart (MCC) Forfour problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the Smart (MCC) Forfour that failed at the first attempt most often failed on lights and electrics (28% of the 6,145 failed tests), tyres (28%) and suspension (27%). The single most common fault was "Tyre tread depth below the 1.6mm limit" (12%). Across 39,606 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 83% ended in a pass.
Is the Smart (MCC) Forfour reliable?
The Smart (MCC) Forfour has an average MOT pass rate of 83%, from 39,606 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). Comparing each model year with all cars first registered the same year, so that age is allowed for, it passed 3 points less often on average, so check the history of any example carefully.
Which Smart (MCC) Forfour years should I avoid?
Compared with all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), the 2015 (79% of 9,848 tests passed, against 84% for all 2015 cars), the 2016 (82% of 9,221 tests passed, against 86% for all 2016 cars) and the 2019 (88% of 3,224 tests passed, against 91% for all 2019 cars) failed their MOT most often for their age. A year's pass rate does not tell you about one car, so check the MOT history of the car you are buying.
How much does it cost to fix common Smart (MCC) Forfour faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a Smart (MCC) Forfour typically costs £80-£450 and suspension repairs £150-£600, while exhaust and emissions fixes can cost £80-£800. Lighting and wiper fixes are usually under £200.
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Other Smart (MCC) Models
Common problems pages for other Smart (MCC) models