Complaint 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 (and vice versa). Note: Sound file in attachment Cause If the complaint is eliminated by experimentally loosening the outboard collar nut (by 1 turn), the problem is due to micromovement in the connection between the wheel bearing inner race and the joint housing of the side shaft. Note: The collar nut must always be replaced after being loosened and must be tightened to the specified torque. Remedy Coat contact surface of side shaft with wheel bearing with Molykote paint. To do this, proceed as follows: 1. Remove o
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2009 Smart Fortwo powertrain problems
moderate Owners of the 2009 Smart Fortwo have filed 25 NHTSA complaints about the powertrain, typically surfacing around 41,000 miles at roughly $2,500 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See powertrain across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
25
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
| Model year | powertrain complaints |
|---|---|
| 2008 Fortwo | 30 |
| 2009 Fortwo (this page) | 25 |
When does it fail?
Of the 25 powertrain complaints filed for the 2009 Smart Fortwo, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 25 powertrain complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Powertrain accounts for 25% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 8 categories tracked.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering powertrain on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2009 Smart Fortwo transmission is unreliable across this cluster. The core issue: transmission intermittently refuses to shift from park into reverse or drive, especially at cold startup. Dashboard displays go blank, show 'N' for neutral, or flash three vertical bars instead of the selected gear. Owners need multiple engine restarts and shifter cycling to recover—sometimes waiting 10 minutes. This happens as often as 2-3 times a week, putting drivers in dangerous situations when they cannot back out of driveways or parking spaces during busy traffic.
More alarming: transmission shifts into neutral without warning while driving at highway speeds. Engine revs, car loses all power, and coasts to a stop. Owners have nearly been struck by following vehicles. One owner's brakes and steering failed completely during this loss of drive; the car shut down entirely.
Dashboard sometimes displays a "three bars of death" error—a generic fault indicator that can mask transmission, battery, or HVAC problems. Car becomes undrivable until the fault clears with restart cycles.
Smart dealerships offer Mercedes-Benz transmission software reprogramming, but owners report the problem returns even after the update. One owner had a transmission coupling motor replaced for over $1,000. No factory recall covers 2009 models, though a recall exists for some 2008 models with the same transmission defect. Owners across forums and social media describe this as a widespread design flaw that Smart publicly denies.
Same Smart Fortwo powertrain reports on nearby years: 2008
Failure modes owners describe
Transmission fails to engage reverse or drive
Transmission intermittently refuses to shift from park into reverse or drive, or shifts into neutral unexpectedly. Dashboard display shows blank, 'N', or flashing bars instead of the selected gear. Issue occurs at startup or randomly while stationary.
When: Occurs from early ownership (as early as 2 months/2000 miles) and continues unpredictably, ranging from a few times yearly to 2-3 times per week. More frequent in cold weather according to one owner.
Symptoms owners cite: Dashboard display goes blank instead of showing 'R' or 'D'; Display shows 'N' (neutral) when gear is selected for reverse or drive; Display flashes three vertical bars (called 'three bars of death' on forums); Continuous beeping alert when failure occurs; Car will not move despite shifter being in reverse or drive; Issue sometimes resolves after engine restart or shifting into park and back; Other times requires multiple restarts or 5-10 minutes of waiting
Codes mentioned: P0803 (Clutch Sensor)
Repairs/costs cited: Owners report dealerships offer transmission software reprogramming (Mercedes-Benz upgrade) as solution, but this is not covered by warranty and costs money. Multiple owners report the problem persists even after software updates. One owner replaced a coupling motor (transmission component) for over $1,000. Owners mention clutch plate assembly replacements as attempted fixes.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Smart/Mercedes-Benz has issued software upgrades and transmission reprogramming service. Recall open for 2008 model for transmission rough shifting (VIN-specific). 2009 owner reports their VIN was not included in 2008 recall despite having same problem.
Transmission shifts into neutral during highway driving
While driving at highway speeds with shifter in drive, transmission unexpectedly shifts into neutral without warning. Dashboard becomes blank or shows 'N'. Car loses all driving power and coasts to a stop, creating serious rear-end collision risk.
When: After driving at higher speeds; occurred 5 times in one owner's experience; 41,000 miles reported in one case
Symptoms owners cite: Engine revs but car loses all forward momentum; Sudden loss of driving power on highway; Dashboard display goes blank or shows 'N'; Brakes and power steering fail (car loses all electrical assistance); Car coasts to a stop uncontrollably; Almost struck by following vehicles on highway
Repairs/costs cited: One owner took vehicle to dealership for software reprogramming; problem recurred multiple times after the 'repair.' Another had transmission coupling motor replaced.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership software reprogramming performed at 41,000 miles; failed to resolve issue and same failures occurred multiple times after.
Three bars of death dashboard fault display
Dashboard displays three flashing vertical bars indicating a transmission or system fault. This generic error code can mask multiple underlying issues (weak battery, faulty transmission communication, HVAC defects). Car becomes undrivable until fault clears, typically requiring engine restart and shifter cycling.
When: Occurs within three months of ownership in at least one case
Symptoms owners cite: Three vertical bars appear and flash on dashboard; Complete loss of driving ability; All dashboard indicators go blank; Car will not respond to shifter inputs until bars clear; Continuous beeping; Requires pumping brake, turning key, and cycling shifter multiple times to recover
Repairs/costs cited: No direct repair noted; typically resolves with restart cycle. Owners report this is a known fault on Smart forums but root cause varies (battery, transmission module, HVAC, etc.).
Engine stalls or dies while driving
Engine suddenly cuts off or shuts down while vehicle is in motion, with complete loss of electrical power. In one case, all dashboard warning lights illuminated before shutdown. Engine will rev but will not turn over to restart.
When: Occurred after 5 years of ownership in one case; occurred on highway with semi-truck behind vehicle in high-risk scenario
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden loss of engine power while driving; All warning lights illuminate on dashboard; Engine revs but will not turn over; Complete electrical system shutdown; Car coasts to a stop
Repairs/costs cited: One owner reports loose wire found in battery connection causing car to stop. Another case with all lights and shutdown was undiagnosed at time of complaint.
Engine loses power and revs without accelerating
Engine races at high RPM but car does not accelerate or move forward. Occurs when pressing throttle, especially during gear changes or under load (like going uphill with automatic downshift). Problem has evolved to require multiple gas pedal recycles or nearly stopping vehicle to recover.
When: First occurred around 2+ years of ownership in one case; escalated over time to become more frequent and dangerous
Symptoms owners cite: Engine revs and idles while car coasts in neutral despite shifter being in drive; No acceleration despite pressing gas pedal; Engine revs for about half second before losing power; Happens when attempting automatic downshift or accelerating at 20 mph; Occurs under load uphill when transmission tries to downshift; Initially resolved by releasing and reapplying gas; later required multiple gas cycles; Eventually requires nearly stopping vehicle before transmission regains function
Repairs/costs cited: Manual downshifting allows owner to prevent automatic downshift failures. No factory repair noted; owner learned to work around the issue.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Smart rep suggested transmission reprogramming as option but stated it is not covered by warranty.
Cylinder misfires
Engine misfires detected and reported by owner. Multiple misfires experienced over vehicle ownership.
When: Multiple occurrences over 5 years of ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Cylinder misfires
Fuel pump failure
Fuel pump required replacement during ownership.
When: One replacement needed during 5 years of ownership
Repairs/costs cited: Fuel pump replaced
Crankshaft/camshaft sensor failure (alkaloid timing sensor)
Timing sensor (likely camshaft or crankshaft position sensor) required replacement.
When: One replacement needed during 5 years of ownership
Repairs/costs cited: Alkaloid timing sensor replaced
Synthesized from 25 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 7 most recent
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 stop. When trying to turn the car back on, the three bars remain. There is a way through the shifter to restart the car or…
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 car is automatic transmission. And it can be dangerous putting the car in reverse if it's on a slope. The vehicle can…
While driving the car, the engine will rev and then there is only neutral showing. I have no reverse or drive. Thank goodness when this happens I have had a place to pull off the road. I turn the car off and sit for a few minutes, turn it back on and have all the gears. I have tried driving in the "manual" position but it still happens. Lately it is more and more frequent. One of these days…
2008 Smart Fortwo has a recall open for reprograming the transmission computer because of rough shifting and bucking while shifting and lugging the engine to much before down shifting. Mine is a 2008 but the VIN was not included in the recall and I am having the same problems with mine. Can mine be added to the recall?
The vehicle fails intermittently to shift from brake to reverse or from reverse to drive. When the failure occurs, all that is seen on the front dashboard is a blank screen and the car alert systems lets out a continuous beeping denoting the failure of the shift. It sometimes requires immediate turning off of the engine and restarting in order to get to the desired gear. Seldom that does not…
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. While driving various speeds, the transmission shifted into neutral without warning. The contact also stated that the vehicle would completely shut off, causing the brakes and steering wheel to fail. The vehicle was taken to world wide motors, inc (3900 e 96th st, indianapolis, in 46240) where they updated the software system in the vehicle; however, the…
When car is stationary and I start it and put it into reverse the car would not move. The gear indicator instead of showing "r" shows blank. I have to turn off engine and try again. I succeed in about 3 tries. There are times that when I shift into reverse the gear indicator displays "n". This episode happens about two times a week. My observation is that it does not depend on the time of day -…
Had powertrain trouble with your 2009 Smart Fortwo?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2009 Smart Fortwo?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 25 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $2,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Across the 21 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most powertrain failures cluster between 25,000 and 62,500 miles, with the median around 41,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 25,000; a quarter make it past 62,500. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2009/Smart/Fortwo.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.