2008 Smart Fortwo Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 32about this part
- Share
- 23%of 140 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 30,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 32 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2008 Smart Fortwo, 23% of the 140 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 30,000 miles. 3 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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“In traffic, attempting to parallel park, car fails to shift into r must turn car off in middle of road, restart three times to finally get car to engage r or d to move the car safely out of traffic. 1- this has happened to me many dozens of times, I previously reported a similar problem. 2- I see many other similar complaints. Why has there not been a recall issued?”
NHTSA complaint #10579489, filed 2014-04, 47,000 miles“Driving on interstate on a hot day. After approx. 1 hour of driving, slowed down to change lanes, put on brakes, screen went blank and there were no gears. Nothing...the car was still running, but there was no way to move, as if it was in neutral. Went online and found that other owners had same problem. Went through a computer reset and it ran fine. Took it to dealer and they charged me $200 for a software update (after I had to rent a car for $300 to get home).”
NHTSA complaint #10464576, filed 2012-07, 30,000 miles“The failing part is in the automatic transmission shift lever. The shift lever release button begins to get resistive in it's operation and then fails to actuate all together. In my case this resulted in the dealer service department having to replace the entire shift lever assembly. The failure occurred at approximately 8400 miles. It has been about 500 miles since the repair and I can feel the lever becoming resistive again.”
NHTSA complaint #10252757, filed 2008-12, 8,400 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11035005Jul 14, 2026Single 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…
- 11019018May 21, 2025Complaint Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The clunk is heard once when changing from forward to reverse…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 2008 Smart Fortwo
33 complaintsElectrical system
20 complaintsOther or unknown
18 complaintsEngine cooling
12 complaintsFuel system
11 complaintsSeat belts
10 complaintsBrakes
9 complaintsBody and structure
8 complaintsAir bags
5 complaintsSteering
4 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Smart Fortwo
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology