2008 Smart Fortwo Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe transmission trouble — the car refusing to engage reverse or drive, or dropping to neutral while moving, sometimes after restarting resolves it and sometimes not. A second large group of reports concerns engine-compartment fires and smoke, which several owners connect to the rear insulation mat; many mention recall 18V273000 and that the remedy was unavailable. Remaining complaints cluster around fuel leaks and gasoline odor, the SRS/airbag and seat-belt warning light, and stalling or overheating that left the car unable to restart.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Won't engage reverse or drive; drops into neutral

   • 30 complaints (21%)
   • median 28,175 mi at 5.1 yrs old (28 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2026

   Owners describe placing the shift lever into reverse or drive while the dash display stays blank, flashes neutral, or shows the wrong position, and the car does not move. Many say turning the car off and restarting temporarily restores gear selection, and that the problem returns more often over time. A few report the car dropping out of gear while driving, including at highway speed, and dealers reportedly responded with software updates or clutch and shift-assembly replacement. Reported across a wide mileage range, from under 5,000 miles to about 87,000, with many cases in the 10,000-40,000 mile range.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test reverse and drive repeatedly on a cold start, and again after a short drive, watching whether the dash display matches the lever. Ask whether any transmission software update or clutch work has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Failure to shift out of park into reverse. Gearshift moves but gear display goes blank and chime sounds. Sometimes it will go into drive. It may be a solenoid problem. Very frustrating and it seems to be getting worse over time. I now have 38,000 miles on the car. This issue needs to be looked into. I expect better out of damlier benz.”

   NHTSA complaint #10653909, filed 2014-11, 28,000 miles

   “Put car into reverse. Display would not show reverse nor would it go into reverse. I turned car off, waited until computer reset then turned the key. Car sequenced through the gears to 'relearn' the sequence. I started the car and it still won't find the reverse gear. This is extremely dangerous. Clutch was replaced by dealer 5 months ago and software was upgraded.”

   NHTSA complaint #10566887, filed 2014-03, 63,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine-compartment fire and smoke

   • 32 complaints (23%)
   • median 71,500 mi at 9.7 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 21 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2025

   Complaints describe smoke and flames from the rear engine compartment, sometimes while driving and sometimes well after the car was parked, with no warning light beforehand. Several owners say the fire department extinguished it, and a number state the car was a total loss. Some reports specifically name the insulation mat contacting hot exhaust parts, and several mention recall 18V273000 with parts reportedly not yet available. Spread from about 50,000 to about 191,000 miles in the sample, with several reports in the 40,000-100,000 mile range.

   Recall 18V273000

   What to check: Ask whether recall 18V273000 was completed and keep the paperwork; visually check the rear insulation mat above the exhaust for sagging, looseness or scorching, and watch for burning smells after driving.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On july 28 2017 I was driving on the highway and my car died . Luckily I was able to coast to the side of the road and the car that was following me also pulled over and the man was yelling that my car was on fire. I had no previous warning. No smell, no sounds, no alarms--nothing other than my car died while I was on the highway. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11011565, filed 2017-07, 28,235 miles

   “While driving on the highway and we noticed sudden smoke within the car. The car got very hot. We stopped and opened the engine compartment in the trunk and noticed that the insulation mat in the engine compartment was on fire. We did not notice any causes that could have lead to the burn besides the mat itself.”

   NHTSA complaint #11339750, filed 2020-07, 150,000 miles
3. 3
   Seat belts

   SRS/airbag light and seat-belt wiring

   • 9 complaints (6%)
   • median 20,250 mi at 6.6 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2019

   Complaints describe the supplemental restraint (SRS) or airbag light staying on, with dealers tracing it to loose or frayed wiring and connectors under the seats and replacing the seat belt or resetting the system. Several owners report the light returning after repair, and some say the work was charged to them. A few reports describe airbags not deploying in a collision. Reported from about 13,000 to 84,000 miles, often recurring within months of a repair.

   What to check: Confirm the SRS light comes on at startup and goes out; ask whether seat-belt wiring or connectors under the seats have been repaired, and whether the repair was documented.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I recently had the airbag light come on my car. I took it in to an authorized Smart car shop (mercedes benz). Mb informed that the wires from the seat belt underneath passenger seat were frayed and needed to replace the entire seat system. After paying $400.00, for a new passenger seat belt, the light came off. Reading different forums online, many Smart car owners have also had exactly the same issues with the wires underneath both the passenger and driver side.”

   NHTSA complaint #10667650, filed 2014-12, 74,000 miles

   “The srs light came on. Had the dealer diagnose to find it is an intermittent connection to multiple connectors. Service tech advised by software analysis to use contact enhancement fluid or spray. Code was cleared. The srs light was out and stayed off for about two weeks. Conclusion is the srs system in these cars are unreliable and safety cannot be guaranteed. Cheap connectors causing issue. This should be a recall for these cars.”

   NHTSA complaint #10610575, filed 2014-07, 51,699 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Stalling, no-start and overheating

   • 25 complaints (18%)
   • median 42,500 mi at 6.2 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2020

   Owners describe the car dying in traffic or on the highway with all dash lights coming on, sometimes with the check engine light first, and occasionally failing to restart. Other reports involve water in the battery box from a disconnected air-conditioning drain, a failed fuse box, an engine that overheated without warning, and loss of power steering. Dealers reportedly reset codes, replaced the engine in one case, or could not duplicate the problem. Scattered from roughly 18,000 to 110,000 miles, with several reports in the 30,000-60,000 mile range.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the battery box and passenger footwell for dampness or corrosion, verify the cooling fan runs and the temperature gauge behaves, and ask about any stored fault codes or repeat no-start incidents.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased a 2008 Smart car on 21 oct 13. The check engine light came on at the end of december of 13. I took it in to honest 1 to have it serviced, oil changed, all fluids checked, brakes and engine. I was told that all fluids were great and I paid the bill. The engine light was still on and I went back in. The gentleman worked on it for several minutes and then turned it off. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10579034, filed 2014-04, 53,000 miles

   “Driving on I - 10 down by palm springs. The car started to slow down, shifted to 4th gear. Soon after the car slowed down more and pulled over. The engine stopped and wasn't able to restart it. Had the car towed to Smart riverside, where they said the engine had over heated and blew out the engine. There were no warning that the engine was getting too hot. All fluids were checked, prior to the incident.”

   NHTSA complaint #10562121, filed 2014-01, 30,000 miles
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell and gasoline leaks

   • 9 complaints (6%)
   • median 62,000 mi at 9.7 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2025

   Owners report strong gasoline odor inside and around the car, sometimes with fuel visibly dripping under the vehicle or pouring out near the passenger side. One complaint describes a cracked plastic fitting at the fuel pump spraying fuel, and another describes the tank not shutting off the pump when filling. Dealers reportedly either found nothing or attributed the condition to normal wear. Mostly reported between about 11,000 and 84,000 miles, often noticed while parked or during fueling.

   What to check: Smell for fuel around the filler and under the car after filling, and look for drips on the undertray; ask whether the fuel pump fittings or tank have been inspected.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “As my wife was filling the gas tank it failed to build back pressure that would normally shut off the gas pump. This has occurred twice. Then on mon. The 19th of june after work my wife complained of a strong gas oder inside the vehicle. She drove the car to work on tues. Morning and had the same strong gas smell. She thought that it might be due to overfilling the tank. When she got home on tues. Night we noticed a steady stream of gas pouring out of the vehicle under the car near the passenger side of the vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11000905, filed 2017-06, 32,500 miles

   “Fracture in the plastic nipple at the top of the fuel pump which connects the fuel pump output to the engine. This condition allowed gasoline to spray all over the bottom of the vehicle. The manufacturer's field representative who was present when the defect was discovered stated that this was due to normal wear and was not a manufacturing defect.”

   NHTSA complaint #10629843, filed 2014-09, 41,179 miles

Buying note. This model year draws a notable share of reports about gear engagement and about engine-compartment fires tied to a recall, so paperwork showing recall 18V273000 was completed matters more than mileage alone. A thorough test of reverse and drive, plus a look at the rear insulation mat and the battery box area, covers much of what owners describe.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.