Tl* the contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt buckle became inoperable and would not latch. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 28,800.
2009 Smart Fortwo seatbelts problems
moderate Owners of the 2009 Smart Fortwo have filed 3 NHTSA complaints about the seatbelts at roughly $500 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See seatbelts across all vehicles →
Complaints
3
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$500
| Model year | seatbelts complaints |
|---|---|
| 2008 Fortwo | 7 |
| 2009 Fortwo (this page) | 3 |
| 2011 Fortwo | 3 |
When does it fail?
Of the 3 seatbelts 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
No new NHTSA seatbelts complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 12 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
Driver's side seatbelt will not latch, I'm using the passenger side seatbelt for now. I can't have a passenger in my car because of that broken seatbelt. This happened already before, maybe a year ago and Mercedes benz of georgetown wanted me to pay for it after being fixed but I insisted that it's a safety issue and I shouldn't be driving from their shop without having it fixed. So frustrating…
Had seatbelts 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 seatbelts problem on the 2009 Smart Fortwo?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 3 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the seatbelts typically fail?
Based on the 3 complaints filed, seatbelts issues most often appear around 21,762 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $500 for seatbelts 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 seatbelts?
No active recalls currently cover seatbelts 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.