By make

Known Smart problems at the APK

6 times a part fails clearly more often than average on a Smart generation.

Window: Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · Updated: 16 Oct 2026

By part

Brakes

Repair: medium

Look through the wheel at the discs: no deep grooves or thick rust edge. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stay straight.

Springs and shock absorbers

Repair: medium

Push each corner down firmly: the car should rebound once. Look for oil on the dampers and whether the car sits level.

Exhaust and emissions

Repair: medium

Start the engine cold and watch for smoke and an uneven idle. Listen for blowing noises under the car.

Engine and drivetrain

Repair: large

Start cold and listen for ticking, watch for smoke and jerks when shifting.

Control arms / ball joints

Repair: medium

Listen for clunks or knocks over speed bumps on the test drive. The car should not wander when braking.

Brake lines

Repair: medium

Use a torch to look along the lines near the wheels and rear axle: no thick rust or wet spots.

All Smart generations in a row

GenerationA-problems vs. the same ageKnown problemsInspected
Fortwo II (451)2007–20148% more often64,072

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Frequently asked questions

Which problems are common on Smart cars?

At the APK brakes stands out for Smart: on 1 of 1 generations it is clearly more common than on cars of the same age. Source: RDW Open Data, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026.

Source: RDW Open Data (CC0), analysis CarXray.nl. 6,857,004 inspected passenger cars aged 3 years and older, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026. Each car counts once. How we know