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2016 Smart Fortwo Coupe

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 1 of 1 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

1 reports
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10,000 miles · Sep 5, 2017
Service Brakes

AT 65MPH ON A FREEWAY TRAVELING STRAIGHT WHEN I HAD TO BRAKE FOR TRAFFIC I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. THE VEHICLE SWERVED SEVERELY TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT ENTERING BOTH LANES LUCKILY THEIR WAS NOBODY WAS IN THOSE LANES IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. THERE WAS SUCH A SEVERE DIRECTION CHANGE I THOUGHT THE VEHI…

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AT 65MPH ON A FREEWAY TRAVELING STRAIGHT WHEN I HAD TO BRAKE FOR TRAFFIC I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. THE VEHICLE SWERVED SEVERELY TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT ENTERING BOTH LANES LUCKILY THEIR WAS NOBODY WAS IN THOSE LANES IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. THERE WAS SUCH A SEVERE DIRECTION CHANGE I THOUGHT THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO ROLL OVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO WESTMINSTER MERCEDES-BENZ DENVER CO DEALER WHERE THEY REPORTED TO ME THAT THE BRAKE SENSOR,MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE BOOSTER HAVE TO BE REPLACED. IT WAS A VERY UNCONTROLLED STOP!!!

NHTSA ODI #11021653

Official recalls

1

17V179000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

Mar 16, 2017

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 Smart Fortwo vehicles. The horizontal headlight adjustment mechanism on these vehicles may not have been properly sealed off to prevent future adjustment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the headlight can be adjusted horizontally, the headlight may be adjusted outside of the designed specifications, reducing the driver's visibility and potentially blinding oncoming traffic, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will install the correct sealing caps to prevent the headlights from being adjusted horizontally, free of charge. The recall began September 8, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.