Check a car
MOT statistics · 2023 tests

Smart Forfour MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage

In 2023, 80.9% of 23,141 MOT tests on the Smart Forfour ended in a pass, 4.4 points above the 76.5% average for all cars.

Pass rate
80.9%
All cars 76.5%
Tests
23,141
Initial MOTs in 2023
Mileage at 8
47k
Median; middle half 35k to 59k

Pass rate and mileage by age

Each row covers the Smart Forfour MOT tests at that age. Mileage shows the median and the middle half of odometer readings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

AgePass rateMileage
31,087 tests
91.1%
17,000 · 11k to 25k
43,068 tests
88.1%
21,000 · 15k to 31k
54,038 tests
85.3%
27,000 · 19k to 39k
65,251 tests
82.4%
35,000 · 25k to 47k
75,453 tests
77.9%
41,000 · 29k to 53k
82,634 tests
75.2%
47,000 · 35k to 59k
16245 tests
64.9%
95,000 · 75k to 115k
17752 tests
62.9%
93,000 · 73k to 119k
18538 tests
63.9%
95,000 · 73k to 121k
Forfour pass rateAll cars at that ageMiddle half of mileages

Most common MOT failures and advisories

How often each item came up, per 100 MOT tests on the Smart Forfour. Advisories are things the tester noted that did not fail the car, often wear that will need attention soon. Follow an item to see what it means and how serious it is.

Failures

Wiper blades
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
3.6in 100 tests
Tyre tread
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
2.7in 100 tests
Brake lights
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
2.6in 100 tests
Suspension joints
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
2.0in 100 tests
Screen washers
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
2.0in 100 tests
Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1.7in 100 tests
Exhaust emissions
Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
1.7in 100 tests
Tyres
A tyre cords visible or damaged
1.5in 100 tests

Advisories and minor defects

Brake discs
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
9.7in 100 tests
Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
5.8in 100 tests
Brake discs
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
4.0in 100 tests
Tyre tread
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
2.4in 100 tests
Wiper blades
Wiper blade defective (minor defect)
1.4in 100 tests
Number plate lights
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (minor defect)
1.4in 100 tests
Number plates
Number plate inscription missing or illegible
1.4in 100 tests
Tyres
A tyre seriously damaged
1.3in 100 tests

What to check on a used Forfour

The parts that come up most often in Smart Forfour MOTs, and how to look at them on a viewing.

  1. Brake discs and pads
    Ask when the discs and pads were last replaced, and look through the wheel for a raised lip on the edge of the disc.
  2. Wipers, washers and windscreen
    Run the wipers and washers, and look for chips or cracks in the windscreen, above all in front of the driver.
  3. Tyres
    Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts and bulges in the sidewalls.
  4. Lights
    Walk round with every light on, and ask someone to press the brake pedal so you can see both brake lights.
  5. Suspension and steering joints
    Listen for knocks over bumps and at full lock, and ask whether any suspension or steering joints have been replaced.

Check a specific Forfour

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

UK

Questions

What is the MOT pass rate of the Smart Forfour?
In 2023, 80.9% of 23,141 initial MOT tests on the Smart Forfour ended in a pass, against 76.5% for all cars and light vans.
What fails most often on a Smart Forfour MOT?
The most common failures were wiper blades (3.6 in 100 tests), tyre tread (2.7 in 100 tests), brake lights (2.6 in 100 tests).
What is a normal mileage for a 8-year-old Smart Forfour?
At 8 years old, the median Smart Forfour at its MOT had covered 47,000 miles, and the middle half had between 35,000 and 59,000 miles.
What do MOT testers most often advise on a Smart Forfour?
The most common advisories were brake discs (9.7 in 100 tests), brake pads (5.8 in 100 tests), brake discs (4.0 in 100 tests).

Other Smart models

Overall MOT pass rate in 2023. Compare all Smart models or see every make.

Fortwo78.7%Forfour80.9%City65.3%

How these figures are made. We counted every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 from the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Pass rate is the share of initial tests that ended in a pass, counting faults fixed during the test. Age is whole years from first registration to the test, so a car having its first MOT a few weeks early counts as 2.

Like-for-like pass rates average each model's pass rate at ages 3 to 10 with the same age mix for every model, so a model is not flattered by a young fleet or penalised by an old one. Models are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, and names that cover several models are left out.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.