2008 SMART FORTWO COUPE Problems & Recalls
Detailed safety information and owner complaints
Problem Breakdown
Compare to Other Years
Common Problems
POWER STEERING FAILS WHILE DRIVING AND BECOMES LIKE STEERING A MAC TRUCK EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL FORCING THE VEHICLE TO GO STRAIGHT INSTEAD OF TURNING CAUSING THE CAR TO COME INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. *TR
Mileage: 61,500
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE NORTH DALLAS TOLLWAY I HEARD A SUDDEN LOUD "POP" NOISE IN THE BACK OF MY CAR WHERE MY ENGINE IS LOCATED. IT WAS STARTLING ENOUGH TO PULL OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AND EXIT MY CAR IMMEDIATELY TO SEE WHERE THE NOISE CAME FROM. UPON EXITING MY VEHICLE, I SAW COMING F...
Mileage: 80,000
SEVERAL TIMES MY 2008 SMART WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE GEAR.OR START SOMETIMES AS EXPLAINED IN MANY OTHER POST HERE. MB SAID THAT ITS MY CLUTCH ASSEMBY, MB REPORT SAYS (1) TRANSMISSION NEED TO BE REMOVED INSPECT CLUTCH DISK PRESSURE PLATES AND THOWOUT BEARING/ CLUTCH WILL NOT TEACH IN CAUSING ENGINE ...
Mileage: 38,326
SEVERAL TIMES MY 2008 SMART WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE GEAR.OR START SOMETIMES AS EXPLAINED IN MANY OTHER POST HERE. MB SAID THAT ITS MY CLUTCH ASSEMBY, MB REPORT SAYS (1) TRANSMISSION NEED TO BE REMOVED INSPECT CLUTCH DISK PRESSURE PLATES AND THOWOUT BEARING/ CLUTCH WILL NOT TEACH IN CAUSING ENGINE ...
Mileage: 38,326
THIS CAR HAS PERIODICALLY FAILED TO GO INTO REVERSE AND DRIVE. LAST EVENT THAT I EXPERIENCED IS WHEN I ACTUALLY REALIZED IT TO BE AN SAFETY ISSUE. I GOT INTO MY CAR THAT WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVE WAY TO TAKE MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL. I STARTED THE CAR AS USUAL AND PROCEEDED TO PLACE IT IN REVERSE. IT WAS...
Mileage: 22,000
I OWN 2 OF THE 2008 SMART FORTWO AUTOMOBILES (PURE & CABRIO). BOTH HAVE PERIODICALLY BEEN BALKY SHIFTERS (STUCK WHEN TRYING TO MOVE THE GEAR SELECTOR OUT OF PARK). ONE HAS BRIEFLY REFUSED TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR, INDEPENDENT OF THE GEAR INDICATED. BOTH HAVE BRIEFLY REFUSED TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK... UNT...
Mileage: 38,760
THIS BEING A 2008 SMART PASSION FOR TWO......A LEAKING GAS TANK ON A 4 YEAR OLD VEHICLE......CONTACTED MB/SMART AT THEIR HEADQUARTERS IN NJ...TRYING TO GET THEM TO REPLACE THIS UNDER THE MANUFACTURER DEFECTIVE PART TO NO AVAIL. LOCAL MB/SMART DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME $1717 FOR ITS REPLACEMENT.....NO VE...
Mileage: 39,630
DRIVING ON CA70 SOUTH TOWARDS PLUMAS LAKE BLVD. EXIT, BRAKING LIGHTLY FROM 55 MPH TO 35MPH TO EXIT THE FREEWAY CAUSED ABS AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM (ESP)((ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL)) EXCLAMATION LIGHTS TO LIGHT UP WHICH DENOTED THE ABS AND ESP DISABLED. WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT THE STOP S...
Mileage: 25,646
DRIVING ON CA70 SOUTH TOWARDS PLUMAS LAKE BLVD. EXIT, BRAKING LIGHTLY FROM 55 MPH TO 35MPH TO EXIT THE FREEWAY CAUSED ABS AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM (ESP)((ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL)) EXCLAMATION LIGHTS TO LIGHT UP WHICH DENOTED THE ABS AND ESP DISABLED. WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT THE STOP S...
Mileage: 25,646
1.HIGH FAILURE RATE OF HEATER BLOWER MOTORS. 2.HIGH REPLACEMENT COST $340+ (PRICE GOUGING) FOR A BLOWER MOTOR BASED ON THE BELIEVED HIGH CURRENT FAILURE RATE. 3.3 BLOWER FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED IN 54K MILES. 4.VEHICLE WAS NEW IN 4/2008, I AM ORIGINAL OWNER 5.NO HEAT CREATES A HIGH SAFETY RISK TO ...
Mileage: 53,945
THE PLASTIC ROOF IN MY 2009 SMART FORTWO HAD BEEN CRACKING SUBSTANTIALLY FROM EITHER HEAT OR CLEANING CHEMICALS. *TR
Mileage: 2,000
CRAZING AND FAILURE OF MAKROLON (POLYCARBONATE) ROOF ON ALL SMART FOR TWO COUPES FROM 2008 TO PRESENT. POLYCARBONATE (PC) MATERIAL THE TRANSPARENT ROOF PANEL IS MADE FROM DISINTEGRATES FROM UV SUNLIGHT OR HEAT BEYOND ITS 150F RATING EXACERBATED BY SMART'S SUNSHADE INSIDE THE CAR. PC IS NOT RESISTA...
Mileage: 5,300
I HAVE A 2008 SMART FORTWO AND FOR ABOUT 9 MONTHS NOW THE BLOWER MOTOR HAS BEEN WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. I CAN'T SEEM TO DETECT ANY PATTERN FOR WHEN IT DOES AND DOES NOT WORK. IT SOMETIMES WILL WORK AS SOON AS I START THE CAR, IF NOT IT WILL EVENTUALLY WORK AFTER DRIVING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. IT HAS ...
Mileage: 29,000
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES SMART CAR FORTWO COUPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACTUATOR AND CLUTCH PLATE WERE REPLACED TWICE WITHIN A YEAR. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. WHENEVER HE SHIFT GEARS FROM PARK AND ENGAGE THE BRAKE PEDAL THE GEARS WERE STUCK. THE FAILURE H...
Mileage: 36,000
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES SMART CAR FORTWO COUPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACTUATOR AND CLUTCH PLATE WERE REPLACED TWICE WITHIN A YEAR. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. WHENEVER HE SHIFT GEARS FROM PARK AND ENGAGE THE BRAKE PEDAL THE GEARS WERE STUCK. THE FAILURE H...
Mileage: 36,000
THE SERVICE FLAP (HOOD) ON MY 2009 SMART CAR HAS DETACHED TWICE. IN EACH INCIDENT THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TOWED BEHIND A MOTORHOME. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT THE DEALERSHIP SENT ME A NEW HOOD AND I INSTALLED IT MYSELF AS THERE WAS NO DEALER WITHIN 1,500 MILES OF MY LOCATION. AFTER THE SECOND TIME AND...
Mileage: 11,400
I HAVE OWNED MY 2009 SMART FORTWO SINCE DECEMBER 2008 AND HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM OCCUR TWICE. WHILE TOWING THE SMART ON A TRAILER BEHIND MY MOTORHOME ONE OF THE PINS HOLDING THE HOOD BROKE CAUSING THE HOOD TO COME OFF. THE HOOD IS HELD ON BY TWO PLASTIC PINS AND A CLOTH STRAP. THE STRAP RESTRAINED TH...
Mileage: 11,500
FUEL GAUGE STICKS AT 7/8 - MANY REPORTS TO SMART CAR OF AMERICA FORUMS. WILL NOT PROPERLY REPORT FUEL LEVELS. *TR
Mileage: 16,513
GEARSHIFT BUTTON IS STUCK. CAR CANNOT BE SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. *TR
Mileage: 11,700
MY NEW SMART CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR PARK. THE BUTTON ON THE SHIFTER LEVER WOULD NOT DEPRESS. MANY OWNERS ARE FINDING THIS PROBLEM. THERE IS A DO-IT-YOURSELF FIX LISTED. HOWEVER THIS PROBLEM IS DUE TO FAULTY MANUFACTURE AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND REPLACED. *TR
Mileage: 6,789
GEAR SHIFTER STUCK IN PARK. UNABLE TO MOVE CAR. MANY OTHERS HAVING SAME PROBLEM. SEE: HTTP://WWW.SMARTCAROFAMERICA.COM/FORUMS/F25/GEAR-KNOB-BUTTON-STUCK-4454/ HTTP://WWW.SMARTCAROFAMERICA.COM/FORUMS/F25/DIY-GEAR-SHIFT-REMOVAL-LUBE-SHORT-VIDEO-5428/ THIS APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM. *TR
Mileage: 6,500
I RECENTLY BOUGHT A SMART FOR TWO CAR FROM A PERSON IN ST. LOUIS, TECHNICALLY IT WAS "USED" BUT ON HAD LESS THAN 200 MILES ON IT. I THEN DROVE IT HOME TO INDIANA. ACCORDING TO THE OWNERS MANUAL, SUPPOSEDLY THERE IS A CARD IN THE GLOVE BOX THAT YOU SEND IN IF YOU BUY THE CAR USED, THAT WAY THE SMART...
Mileage: 156
APPROXIMATELY FOUR NIGHTS AGO, AFTER EXITING THE HIGHWAY, MY SMART CAR LOST ALL POWER AND CAME TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN DRIVE AND I HAD NOT TOUCHED THE IGNITION, EVEN THE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE AND THE RADIO INSIDE THE CAR CUT OFF COMPLETELY. THERE WA...
Mileage: 3,000