2012 Smart Fortwo problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Seat Belts (2) · Air Bags (2) · Vehicle Speed Control (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Smart Fortwo model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (58)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Service Brakes 2026-09-22 · LI42.10-P-078779 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60mph. note: although the symptom is similar to a tire or wheel vibration, it is usually readily noticeable that it is distinctly different if it happens at all times or only while braking. cause although the cause of the vibra
Structure:body 2026-09-14 · LI82.62-P-078631 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors. cause under analysis. remedy to narrow down the cause, first of all remove the door trim. • if the noise continues to occur even with the door trim removed, then continue the diagnosis working towards the speaker and if necessary,
Structure:body 2026-08-06 · LI82.62-P-078631 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors. cause under analysis. remedy to narrow down the cause, first of all remove the door trim. • if the noise continues to occur even with the door trim removed, then continue the diagnosis working towards the speaker and if necessary,
Power Train 2026-07-14 · LI35.30-P-058566 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). the noise is heard once in each instance when changing direction of travel. note: sound file in attachment cause if the complaint is eliminated by experimentally loosening the outboard collar n
Visibility/Wiper 2026-05-19 · LI82.30-P-059239 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint there are several types of complaint about noises or poor windshield wiper wiping performance: a: wiper blades squeaking, chattering, shuddering b: the windshield is not wiped completely (streaking) c: during the downward movement water is pulled back onto the windshield from the a-pillar
Exterior Lighting 2026-04-16 · LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
complaint headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged. cause fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. it does not lead to any technical impairment of the headlamp. if a pressure compensation diaphragm is fitted in the housing cover, then the l
Showing the 6 most recent of 58 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2022-01-18 · Seat Belts“the driver side seat belt mount, which in this case is a steel cable, has mostly broken and frayed rendering it unsafe to drive. in the event of an accident, it would certainly break completely. i only noticed it yesterday while cleaning, the breakage would've happened while driving it. i've contacted mercedes usa, and they tell me that my warranty…”
2018-07-11 · Exterior Lighting:turn Signal:flasher Unit · 20,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2012 smart fortwo. while driving various speeds, the front turn signal indicators failed to illuminate. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was taken to lokey mercedes-benz (19820 us hwy 19 n, clearwater, fl) where the failure was confirmed; however, the failure could not be diagnosed. the manufacturer was notif…”
2017-03-17 · Power Train · 32,000 mi“transmission will go into three bars and not shift on highways and parkways, usually able to safely drive under power to side of road sometimes goes into neutral and have to coast to side. occurs with elevated ambient moisture. started at 32,000 miles. known issue, transmission has a limp mode for this occurrence. very difficult to diagnose, appea…”
2016-09-16 · Air Bags · 60,000 mi · 💥 crash“vehicle was hit from behind and pushed into another car on interstate. air bags did not deploy.…”
2016-09-16 · Seat Belts · 110,000 mi“driver side seat belt fails to buckle. nothing lodged in buckle, but mechanism appears to be broken.…”
2016-06-16 · Structure:body · 45,100 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2012 smart fortwo. while driving 60 mph, the passenger side body panel disengaged without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 45,100. …”
2014-10-28 · Air Bags · 5,200 mi · 💥 crash“tl* the contact owns a 2012 smart fortwo. while at a stop sign, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the contact's vehicle. as a result, the contact rear ended the preceding vehicle. the air bags failed to deploy. a police report was filed. the contact sustained back injuries, which required medical attention. the vehicle was repaired. the manu…”
2012-07-22 · Vehicle Speed Control · 2,500 mi“i was driving on the freeway (5 lane) in my 2012 smart fortwo passion coupe in the middle lane at 65-70 mph. all of the sudden my accelerator was no longer functional. i looked down and saw that my speedometer and gear indicator were also non-functional. i was able to coast (despite heavy traffic) to the shoulder of the fast lane - it was impossibl…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.