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The 2009 Smart Fortwo has 100 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 active recall campaign on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2009 Smart Fortwo has 100 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). The most-reported system is powertrain at 25 complaints, typically surfacing around 47,847 miles (~$2,500 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 Fortwo | 139 | 1 |
| 2009 Fortwo (this page) | 100 | 1 |
| 2010 Fortwo | 6 | 0 |
| 2011 Fortwo | 16 | 0 |
| 2012 Fortwo | 8 | 0 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: engine is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 49,786 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 1 active recall on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.6/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
When owners report each system failing, in actual miles — so you can see what's likely behind you, what's due around now, and what to budget for next. Enter your mileage to mark where you are.
"Typical" = median owner-reported failure mileage from the NHTSA complaint record for this exact year and model. Not a maintenance schedule — a heads-up on where this model's failures cluster.
Within the space of three months, in the middle of driving my smartcar, my dash display has gone from showing d (for drive) to n and then flashing three vertical bars. I have lost all control of driving the car and luckily there was space on the side of the road to coast to a…
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact stated that the ABS system warning light remained illuminated and caused the traction control to also fail. The dealer advised that the ABS module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was…
I am original owner since feb 09 (manf 12/08) and its now 7 yrs old and reqs new battery. Lifting up floor mat to remove old battery I noticed sticky red oily substance (unkown source but now suspect battery vapor condensation) around top of compartment (mostly where holddown…
The car has a problem with not going in reverse when you put the gear shifter in 'r' position? Usually after driven and the car is warmed up. The car just rolls when put in reverse, as if though it's in neutral.. When giving gas it just revs the engine and nothing happens.. The…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
If the mat contacts hot exhaust system components, it can increase the risk of a fire.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.6 out of 10 based on 100 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Smart Fortwo is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
On the NHTSA data, the 2009 Smart Fortwo does not need avoiding. Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally. The record behind that call: No systemic severe-failure pattern in the complaint record; Reliability score 7.6/10 — above the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the powertrain first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 25 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 47,847 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.6 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 100 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is powertrain. Typical failure occurs around 47,847 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is powertrain, with 25 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 47,847 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop.
The powertrain is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 47,847 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 100 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $2,500, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.