We found the following complaints for SMART FORTWO (2009)
Read complaints for SMART FORTWO (2009)
While driving on the highway the car the car began to decelerate and i had to pull over to the side of the road, i noticed the car was on fire behind me and i jumped out of the car as the fire engulfed the remainder of the car.
Air bag light on. No accident
I purchased the vehicle on feb 2009 at about 62000 miles/dec 2011 - jan 2012 the airbag light came onwithout anything happening. I took to the mechanic who said they put it through diagnostic machine and all was suppose to be fine and they didn't know why light was on. That they had to take the car apart in order to see what was wrong. This is all very stressful as im expecting and everytime i get in my car im afraid of getting into an accident and not having airbag.
After starting the smart fortwo the srs (airbag symbol) stayed lit. The owner's manual states that the airbag deployment could be compromised; do not operate the vehicle.i purchased the car new from the smart dealer and purchased the extended warranty.this issue occurred just as smart was transferred from volkswagen to mercedes (summer 2011) so no dealer was able to service my vehicle for a minimum of 2 weeks as the mercedes dealers weren't tooled to service them yet.after the transition period, the service rep informed me that it might not be covered under the warranty and i would have to pay for the diagnosis (nearly $200). If the problem was discovered to be covered under the warranty i would get that back.due to budget constraints i was not able to immediately perform the diagnosis.now, beginning of 2012, mercedes has performed the diagnosis and confirmed that the adapter for the wiring harness has a resistance that is too high and triggering the system status light and the system will not operate unless fixed.they have performed a large number of these fixes.however, it is not covered under the warranty. The estimate for parts and labor is $541.i was informed that smart has been made aware of the issue and has 'upgraded' the adapter choice, but does not cover the part/labor for fixing it.my new car, low mileage, garaged, no wrecks or damage otherwise, is unsafe to drive.federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208 (fmvss 208) requires minimum srs standards be met: "passenger cars (effective 9-1-97), multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks and buses (effective 9-1-98) shall be equipped with air bags." srs will not deploy; effectively there are no air bags. That is a violation of the standard, and smart/mercedes will not warranty the known defect. This be covered under any warranty, it should be a full recall. Drivers and passengers are at risk!
Airbags did not deploy passenger side of my car was demolished.
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact heard a knocking sound under the hood of the vehicle and smoke began to fill the vehicle underneath the steering column. The contact parked and turned off the vehicle; however, the knocking sound and smoke continued. The horn and alarm began to sound. The contact disconnected the battery and flames appeared underneath the dashboard. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was declared un-drivable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.
Possible safety issue with smartcar 2009, vin: [xxx]intermittent issue with gearbox shifter not allowing car to be shifted into reverse. Safety issue. When trying to back into a parking space, or leave a parking space. If a similar smarcars are stuck on train tracks, and cannot maneuver to get off the tracks this could be a very serious safety issue. This is not a one off issue, it is noted on multiple international smartcar blogs, https://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f4/reverse-does-not-engage-140961https://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f353/won-t-go-into-reverse-sometimes-33556/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iwbpvzkszeadditionally, the console will show a flashing "d" and wrenches.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
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 roll. This is a normal problem with the 08-09 year. This should defiantly be a recall issue. Thank you for taken the time to read my complaint.
Hello. I saw on the news there was an investigation about 2008/2009 smart cars. Mine caught completely on fire in april of 2012 while driving. I did not know where to complain to other than the dealership until i saw the news. I bought my smart car in december of 2009. With in 9 months i started having electrical issues. It would start turning off while driving the turn back on about 30 seconds later. I took it in 4 times and they could never figure out was was wrong with it and would return it back. On the 4th time i did bring up the lemon law and they kept my car for a couple weeks. A couple months later i was on the freeway and my car started going electronically haywire. The front windshield wipers were going crazy and the dashboard was turning off and on. I pulled over onto the emergency lane immediately. My shifter was stick for a couple of seconds and once i put it on park, i took out the keys. When i turned the car back on the wipers started going crazy again, the dashboard went blank, the doors were locking and unlocking and the horn was going off. There was a weird smell and i looked up and there was smoke coming out of by the inside of my windshield. I got scared and immediately go out once the locks unlocked. As i opened the passenger door to get my purse, i noticed flames by the pedals and a black box that melted through the car. I called 911 as i poured water from my water bottle. That did not help. The front of the car by then was on fire. I grabbed my two boxes from my trunk and walked the the emergency lane as far as i could until the fire department arrived. I have saved all the times i took my car to get checked at the dealership. That is the only place i took my car
Appears that my 2009 smart fortwo passion and others on the internet are being confronted with many of the same exact problems.vehicle will not go into r (reverse) at times and the keyfob may need to be reprogrammed for not working in the vehicle at all.don't know if it is the electronic control module, transponder, or what.i do know that many owners are facing the same challenge.no need for a key remake, the keys just do not turn the car on at all.the programming equipment and or all that troubleshooting yet mercedes top executives have not and will not address owner concerns.i can pull into a parking lot, handle my business in lets say a supermarket.come back out to the car and put in reverse and only n (neutral) appears.i have to go from neutral to drive then reverse for the vehicle to go into reverse.i bought this vehicle with 5 miles on it and have over 100k.one day on the way to work it shook bad. I pulled over.had to be towed because the key would not turn the engine on at all.gave it some time, the battery, windows, radio and dash light up, but the ignition absolutely nothing.again, i have noticed on several sites many owners of the same vehicle are having the same issues.this is not an isolated electrical problem. The keys stopped working may 20, 2020.the reverse issue has been going on for years, do not have a time frame of when i first noticed it.thanking you in advance for the opportunity to share my experience.*dtconsumer stated she would like to dismiss complaint.
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 bracket connects).removing the batterythen exposed corroded floor paint from battery acid. In attempting to clean up the mess, i had to remove the battery vent tube exiting the floor. This tube had a spider nest inside about 2" from opening. Wd40 did not penetrate nests end seals & had to extract spider & nest manually. I can not prove this is safety related but im wondering if other vented battery cars have this vent blockage-corrosion problem and also if these blocked fumes were toxic to occupants of my car? i took some phone photo evidence.on unrelated problem. In the last 1-2 years i also have the peeling top clearcoat problem reported by other owners of 2009 red paint (non metalic) which is primarily on hood panel & other top surfaces exposed to direct sun which leaves the dull red base color of the plastic panels. (this is only exhibited on 2009 red models).
After getting home from school, coming in saying hello to the family i went back out to my car to get my bag. When i approached my car i could hear what i believed to be my radiator fans still running despite the car was turned off. My logic was "maybe a glitch in the computer." so i proceeded to simply turn the car on and then off to see if that would help. Nope, that didn't do the trick. Puzzled i came inside to inform my dad what was going on, while i was talking to my dad i could hear the factory alarm going off, then it started honking, the windshield wipers were running. When i approached my car to see if the there was a chance that i left something on. When i opened the door, i saw smoke coming under the driver side console, then sparks, then fire!!!! i ran and grabbed the hose to put it out before it got worse and possibly losing the car. I have taken the battery out to make sure this doesn't happen. The carpet near the peddles are singled from the fire and the fuse box is exposed and most of the plastic housing has melted away. Sadly my car is outside the warranty so smart will not do anything. So now i am making some calls to see what my next options are. I've called smart customer care and said there is nothing they can do. Not sure what could have caused this to happen, the only upgrade i've done on my smart is just upgrading the horn, but that was when i first got it. I'll post pictures later. Needless to say i'm glad this happened after i parked the car at my house rather then being stuck on the side of road watching it being engulfed in flames and losing my car completely.
I was on my way to school, the car began making a grinding noise, as i moved to the shoulder it died and the steering wheel locked up, the radio cut off, the horn stayed on, all the wipers went full force and the doors locked. When i finally kicked the door open i went to the front of the vehicle and opened the good. I began so smell burning plastic and went to the driver side again. When i got there, there were flaming drips coming from under the panels. I attempted to put them out but it was futile. I removed myself from the situation and called fire rescue. The whole thing took 2 minutes before the car was toast
Upon starting car, attempt to shift into reverse. Car shows either a blank where the gear (p, r, n, d) would normally appear, or shows 'n' when shifter is in the 'r' position. If 'n' is showing, car begins beeping as it would if seatbelt weren't fastened. Shifting into 'd' makes no difference, car can only have 'n' or 'p' selected at this point. Car must be shifted into park and then turned off and back on (sometimes multiple times) for the problem to resolve.
When i start my car and put it in drive it shows reverse on the screen or nothing at all. Then my car will back up instead of going forward. I almost got into an accident a few times because of this problem. This problem has happened to me more than once. The air tubes in the engine already have cracks in them likely because a cheap material was used to produce them, this is very dangerous because it can lead to engine fires in many of these vehicles.in addition, something seems to be already wrong with my transmission and the car is not even that old.
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 work, and turning off and waiting 10 minutes seems to allow gear shifts. This is dangerous especially in the reverse to drive failure as when coming out of a driveway on a busy road, it may cause an accident. This has occurred after warranty and i was told there is a mercedes benz software upgrade meant to solve it. But this is a charged service. As a safety issue, i implore that this should not be a charged but required safety recall. Upon viewing the complaints it seems a few other suffer the same degree of failures. As the car is a niche brand, the consumer base is smaller and you do not have as large a complaint pool as a honda accord, which is fairly popular and has a large consumer base. I humbly request the nhsta make daimler ag and mercedes benz usa responsible to repair this and have every smart on the road's transmission software upgraded free of cost.
Ok the motion sensor stopped working, the radio was drawing 870ma while car is shut off so had to get that disconnected. The heater fan went they replaced the heater fan from my extended warranty but the other two things was not so now im with out a radio that was put in by the smart car people and when my top is down i have no motion sensor the radio drew so bad of a draw that the battery would die over night while the car was off yes the car was off and so was the radio. I am up set that being it was not my doings at all of the miss haps of the radio and motion sensor that i should have to go with out a radio or sensor in my 2009 car im now affraid to drive it cause of the problems and that i have no radio in it or motion sensor. I cant afford to pay the dealer ship or anyone else for a new one i didn't brake it its only 5 years old with 23,000 miles on it please help me.
My 2009 smart fortwo car caught on fire yesterday and burned. When i was pulling into the local post office, the car?s windshield wipers came on by themselves and then the horn began to honk as well.i got into a parking space and turned off the car. I saw something coming from the front of the car but no flames. I got out and went into the post office to get my mail.while in there i heard several people yelling that a car was on fire.i rushed outside to see my car fully engulfed in flames. I lost all my things in the car; laptop, tablet, cellphone and most of all all my business paperwork, contacts, etc.
Electrical fuses tend to cause electrical shorts, with a/c coming on and off at any given time, often when i hit speed bumps. The lights can be caused by this as well hitting the simple right corner turn can pop the light right out. I have repeatedly told them that it needs better shocks. I have replaced the lights both front and back at a very minimum of 12 times a year.that's ridiculous in my eyes.it should be smarter than that!!!!
Appears that my 2009 smart fortwo passion and others on the internet are being confronted with many of the same exact problems.vehicle will not go into r (reverse) at times and the keyfob may need to be reprogrammed for not working in the vehicle at all.don't know if it is the electronic control module, transponder, or what.i do know that many owners are facing the same challenge.no need for a key remake, the keys just do not turn the car on at all.the programming equipment and or all that troubleshooting yet mercedes top executives have not and will not address owner concerns.i can pull into a parking lot, handle my business in lets say a supermarket.come back out to the car and put in reverse and only n (neutral) appears.i have to go from neutral to drive then reverse for the vehicle to go into reverse.i bought this vehicle with 5 miles on it and have over 100k.one day on the way to work it shook bad. I pulled over.had to be towed because the key would not turn the engine on at all.gave it some time, the battery, windows, radio and dash light up, but the ignition absolutely nothing.again, i have noticed on several sites many owners of the same vehicle are having the same issues.this is not an isolated electrical problem. The keys stopped working may 20, 2020.the reverse issue has been going on for years, do not have a time frame of when i first noticed it.thanking you in advance for the opportunity to share my experience.*dtconsumer stated she would like to dismiss complaint.
Was driving on the highway when suddenly over heat and check engine light came on, and about 20 seconds later the car loss all power. I almost got hit my the car behind me, but was able to safely pull over to the side of the highway.
When i start my car and put it in drive it shows reverse on the screen or nothing at all. Then my car will back up instead of going forward. I almost got into an accident a few times because of this problem. This problem has happened to me more than once. The air tubes in the engine already have cracks in them likely because a cheap material was used to produce them, this is very dangerous because it can lead to engine fires in many of these vehicles.in addition, something seems to be already wrong with my transmission and the car is not even that old.
Today i received a third (3rd) recall notification for my 2009 smart four two coupe rear engine insulation mat. The notice states the current mat could increase the risk of fire.each time i have contacted the dealer (55 miles distant) they have informed they are out of stock of this item.i've asked them to notify me when the item is in stock. I have never been notified.could you please look into this apparent fire hazard.this has been going on for almost 2 years. I would be happy to install this easy fix if they would send me the insulation pad itself.
Driving to a friends house, about a 10-15 min. Drive... Friend say he smells smoke, look to the right side onto the mirror and its smoke coming from the back side of my car. Open the back to look at the engine - a lot of smoke is coming out and as the smoke is clearing my friend sees flames and we quickly after grab a hose and call 9-1-1. Don't know what caused the fire, firemen said not to start the car called aaa.firemen said we got lucky it didn't reach the gas tank.
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in and repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 18v273000 (engine, engine cooling). Mercedes-benz of westminister (located at 10391 westminister blvd, westminister, co 80020, 303-410-7800) performed the repair. After the repair, the vehicle began to make a booming noise when the engine and/or radio were activated. The contact had not taken the vehicle back to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
I was driving on a suburban side street when suddenly the engine cut off and the car came rolling to a stop. Fortunately i was not traveling fast and there was room to pull over but i could have been injured if the incident was on a highway. A local mechanic could not identify the problem so i eventually had it towed to the dealership which tested it and found that the coupling motor (a component of the transmission) was faulty and needed to be replaced. The car is running okay now but the repairs cost over $1,000 and it is only 4 years old.
I bought the car and less than two weeks the transmission went there was flashing and beeping and the car would not go into gear.i bought a 2009 and in 2008 there was a recall on that model for that transmission problem sometimes the car won't start sometimes now and the hood latch is broken
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact heard a knocking sound under the hood of the vehicle and smoke began to fill the vehicle underneath the steering column. The contact parked and turned off the vehicle; however, the knocking sound and smoke continued. The horn and alarm began to sound. The contact disconnected the battery and flames appeared underneath the dashboard. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was declared un-drivable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo passion. While examining the vehicle, the contact noticed an oil leak under the vehicle. The failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. The current and failure mileages were 19,000.updated 6/4/12 the consumer stated the dealer refused to assist in repair cost. The oil pan was leaking.updated 06/07/12
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. While driving 40 mph, the contact felt heat coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact noticed that the rear carpet and plastic from the trunk cover caught fire. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact called mercedes-benz of tampa (located at 4400 n dale mabry hwy, tampa, fl 33614, (813) 579-2138) where an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided email id number: 1-kemgkl. The approximate failure mileage was 58,232.
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact was not notified, but the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling). While the vehicle was in operation, it caught fire in the engine compartment without warning. The fire extinguished on its own and caused catastrophic engine failure. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to mercedes-benz of tysons corner in vienna, va (703-442-8200) and repaired at the contact's expense. The contact wanted to be reimbursed for the repair since the vehicle was included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was not available.
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Mercedes-benz of bedford (18122 rockside rd, bedford, oh 44146,(440) 439-0100) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Car continue to throw out p0302 code.this is a known issue by manufacturer avout valve not seating properly but have not anything about this problem.
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. While driving 25 mph, the contact heard an abnormal noise and the abs and check engine warning indicators illuminated. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact stated that mercedes-benz of edison (located at 910 us-1, edison, nj 08817, (732) 394-1870) exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified. The part was not available for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was 89,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
I represent the owners of this 2009 smart fortwo vehicle. My client drove the vehicle home after work and parked in the garage. Approximately 30 minutes after parking the vehicle in the garage, my client was awoken by his son who smelled smoke. My client followed the smoke to the garage where he found the vehicle on fire. It appeared the fire started in the engine compartment. The fire spread quickly throughout the garage and into the house. The property damage is extensive, including totaling both vehicles in the garage and extensive property damage to the home.
2009 smart fortwo pure/passion. Consumer writes in regard to safety nhtsarecall notice #18v273. *as the consumer stated the dealer was to arrange having the vehicle repaired locally due to the consumer's disability. The dealer did not make an arrangement that the consumer found reasonable.
I sent an email not to long ago regarding my smartfortwo.i wanted to cancel or delete my complaint.appears that my issue has nothing to do with key reprogramming.my issue is likely clutch / actuator issue.please cancel, delete, ignore the complaint that is in error.
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 roll. This is a normal problem with the 08-09 year. This should defiantly be a recall issue. Thank you for taken the time to read my complaint.
I was on my way to school, the car began making a grinding noise, as i moved to the shoulder it died and the steering wheel locked up, the radio cut off, the horn stayed on, all the wipers went full force and the doors locked. When i finally kicked the door open i went to the front of the vehicle and opened the good. I began so smell burning plastic and went to the driver side again. When i got there, there were flaming drips coming from under the panels. I attempted to put them out but it was futile. I removed myself from the situation and called fire rescue. The whole thing took 2 minutes before the car was toast
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact called smart center of louisville at ((502) 896-4411, 4156 shelbyville rd, louisville, ky 40207) and was informed that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the parts were unavailable. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
After getting home from school, coming in saying hello to the family i went back out to my car to get my bag. When i approached my car i could hear what i believed to be my radiator fans still running despite the car was turned off. My logic was "maybe a glitch in the computer." so i proceeded to simply turn the car on and then off to see if that would help. Nope, that didn't do the trick. Puzzled i came inside to inform my dad what was going on, while i was talking to my dad i could hear the factory alarm going off, then it started honking, the windshield wipers were running. When i approached my car to see if the there was a chance that i left something on. When i opened the door, i saw smoke coming under the driver side console, then sparks, then fire!!!! i ran and grabbed the hose to put it out before it got worse and possibly losing the car. I have taken the battery out to make sure this doesn't happen. The carpet near the peddles are singled from the fire and the fuse box is exposed and most of the plastic housing has melted away. Sadly my car is outside the warranty so smart will not do anything. So now i am making some calls to see what my next options are. I've called smart customer care and said there is nothing they can do. Not sure what could have caused this to happen, the only upgrade i've done on my smart is just upgrading the horn, but that was when i first got it. I'll post pictures later. Needless to say i'm glad this happened after i parked the car at my house rather then being stuck on the side of road watching it being engulfed in flames and losing my car completely.
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact called mercedes-benz of san jose at 408-214-3009 (located at 3000 e capitol expy, san jose, ca 95148) and was informed that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer (mercedes-benz of oxnard, 1511 auto center dr, oxnard, ca 93036, (805) 665-301) was contacted and confirmed that the parts and tool needed for the repair were not available. The manufacturer was notified and refereed the contact back to the dealer. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. Contact states issue has been resolved.
The contact owns a 2009 mercedes-benz smart fortwo. The contact stated while attempting to have the vehicle repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling) but was denied repair due to the vehicle being a smart car. The manufacturer was informed of failure and told the contact that since the vehicle was not a mercedes-benz vehicle, they would not honor the recall repair. Parts distribution disconnect.
From reviewing the smartusa website and other forums online i have seen exactly what issue i am seeing.it seems that there was a bad batch of ac blower motors.seems at one time they were on backorder as they were replacing under the warranty but my year was only 2/24k and now i am over 4 months of my warranty and was hoping that there would be a way for possible recall for the blower motors as mb and smart were aware of the issue and i am now looking a 400 dollar repair with only 10k miles.any assistance would be appreciated.many online have been talking about this issue.mine is intermittently working coming on going off half speed etc.
Electrical fuses tend to cause electrical shorts, with a/c coming on and off at any given time, often when i hit speed bumps. The lights can be caused by this as well hitting the simple right corner turn can pop the light right out. I have repeatedly told them that it needs better shocks. I have replaced the lights both front and back at a very minimum of 12 times a year.that's ridiculous in my eyes.it should be smarter than that!!!!
The contact owned a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact's friend was driving his vehicle at 60 mph when he smelled plastic burning inside the vehicle. Moments later, smoke began to enter the vehicle from behind the driver seat; no warning lights illuminated during the failure. The contact's friend pulled the vehicle over and walked to the rear of the vehicle when he discover that fire started from the rear left bumper of the vehicle. The contact then retrieved a bottle of water from the vehicle and turned the vehicle off. The fire began spread and completely engulfed the entire vehicle. The contact's friend then dialed 911. Fire and state police arrived at the scene of the incident. The fire was eventually extinguished. No injuries occurred during the incident and a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed due to the fire and towed to an independent mechanic.upon investigation, the contact associated nhtsa campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling) with his failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent him a questionnaire in relation to the failure. The dealer had not been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,000.
Electric fuel pump inlet and outlet nipples to fuel hoses broke and caused fuel leakage.
I received a letter from mercedes benz on monday 5/4/2020 letting me know that there was a recall on my car, a rear insulation mat in the engine compartment needs to be changed out to avoid a possible engine fire.i called the mb dealership in anchorage and was told they do not work on smart vehicles.i called the phone number for mbusa to find a dealership or an approved tech to make the repair.i left a message and was called back yesterday 5/7/2020 by [xxx].he told me that there were no dealership or approved repair centers in alaska and that since i chose to live remote that 'unfortunately' it's my problem.i wrote a letter to the company offering the same possible options to get it fixed that i had suggested to him; 1) send the part and i'll fix it myself; 2) send the part to an independent shop of my choice and pay them to fix it or 3) send a technician to the mercedes benz dealership in anchorage to perform the safety recall repair.the letter was sent back to him and he called me today to reinterate that'unfortunately' mbusa was not going todo any of these things and that as a second owner of the car they have fulfilled their obligation to me.it's my problem to get it to a dealership of my choosing.all dealerships are in the contiguous 48 states.i asked him if a law suit resulting from a firey death was a concern to mbusa or if they inform people who purchase the vehicles that if they chose to take their car within the united states to an area without a dealership that they were on their own. His response was he had no idea what dealerships tell people and again, while they wouldn't like to have my car catch fire it is really my issue. See attached correspondence.so i am in a spot to either park it or drive it knowing i could have a problem.i can't even sell it without it being fixed.this is now a financial issue & a safety issue.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Fuel pump connector cracks
I was driving down the city highway - route 283 to get something to eat as i turned my car stalled out completely.trying to turn over it would try to start but never start.car has just over 17k miles on it.thankfully i wasn't in heavy traffic as this could have caused an accident by someone rear-ending me because of the reduced speed and stall.i had to have someone push me up to a parking lot while i waited for a tow truck.a month later i am still waiting on a replacement fuel pump.the original bosch keeps blowing fuses and stalling out.my mechanic test drove it and he had to be towed back to his shop as well because of a stall/blown fuse because of the fuel pump issue.these fuel pumps seem to be on back order because lots of smart cars are having the same issue at the moment with their bosch fuel pumps.
Electrical fuses tend to cause electrical shorts, with a/c coming on and off at any given time, often when i hit speed bumps. The lights can be caused by this as well hitting the simple right corner turn can pop the light right out. I have repeatedly told them that it needs better shocks. I have replaced the lights both front and back at a very minimum of 12 times a year.that's ridiculous in my eyes.it should be smarter than that!!!!
Fuel leak of unknown origin/cause while stationary, forming a puddle beneath the vehicle overnight. Vehicle otherwise in pristine condition. No accident or other impact took place -- normal drive home, garaged the car, found puddle in the morning and garage filled with gas fumes, observed dripping from underside of car.
Where do i begin? after about a year of owning my smart car, i was driving on the highway doing about 70 mph when suddenly i feel my car pull to the right and start shaking. I pull safely to the shoulder to find the valve stem for my tire had detached and my tire was now flat. Not having a spare, i had to call a tow truck. The same issue happened to the remaining 3 tires in the following months to a year. While driving the valve stem would detach and all air depleting from the tires. I called the smart dealer to be told this was impossible because the valve stems were bolted to the rim, well clearly not since it had happened to every tire.i have had multiple cylinder misfires with this car. I have had to replace the fuel pump. I have had to replace the alkaloid timing sensor. I have had to replace the blower motor for my heat and a/c. My headlights go out every other month. Car has stopped because a wire came loose in the battery. When i turn right or go on an onramp, i hear this awful clunking sound as if something is hitting a tin. When i go over bumps my car makes a squeaking sound. When going from park into reverse...car will not go into gear. My car will read p and n. I have to turn my car off/on multiple times as well as mess with my shifter for about 5 minutes before i can go anywhere. The cherry on top happened today on my way home to akron from columbus. As i am driving on the highway with a semi truck behind me my car started losing speed, even when pushing the gas. I almost was struck by the semi due to the sudden decrease of speed but thankfully was able to pull off the highway. Once stopped, all lights came on and car shut off. Put my car in park to try to start my car again, nothing. My engine will rev but the engine will not turn over. Will find out what that is tomorrow hopefully. Car was brand new when purchased and bought the car 5yrs and 1 month ago.
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo coupe. The contact stated that while driving in heavy winds, the hood flew back and struck the windshield, obscuring the contact's vision of the roadway. After attempting to close the hood, he noticed that there was no latch to secure the hood back in place. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was contacted and advised him to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000. The current mileage was approximately 15,000. Updated 03/01/13*ljthe consumer was informed the latches could have easily been damaged by someone opening the hood improperly. The consumer stated the latch part was a pop on assembly that apparently could not withstand the wind on that particular day. Updated 03/07/13
My smart is not going into reverse gear. This becomes very dangerous when trying to get out of traffic while exiting a driveway or parallel parking on a busy street. Other drivers become impatient especially when there are cars in both directions blocked because of the smart unable to reverse.smart provided a software update for this known problem but it still persists.i have two friends with smart cars and they both have this problem. I've also google searched "smart car reverse" and what pops up is gear, problem and gear problem. There seems to be many smart owners with this problem.
Iintermittently fails to shift into reverse when stopped or parked
On or about 2 months or approximately 2000 miles i was driving my car and had stopped at my mothers driveway put the car on park and left the engine running for less than aminute while i handed something to my mother who approached the vehicle. When i tried putting the vehicle back on drive to take off the engine was nonresponsive and read neutral. At which point i went back to park and tried again to put it in drive to no avail. I turned off the car and started it again and nothing. About the 5th attempt of off and on it finally went into drive gear. This has continued to happen eversince without any notice just randomly, even while i have been at intersections which has placed me and my passanger in great danger. I have taken the vehicle in numerous occasions to the dealer and the have no answers for me.
Possible safety issue with smartcar 2009, vin: [xxx]intermittent issue with gearbox shifter not allowing car to be shifted into reverse. Safety issue. When trying to back into a parking space, or leave a parking space. If a similar smarcars are stuck on train tracks, and cannot maneuver to get off the tracks this could be a very serious safety issue. This is not a one off issue, it is noted on multiple international smartcar blogs, https://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f4/reverse-does-not-engage-140961https://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f353/won-t-go-into-reverse-sometimes-33556/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iwbpvzkszeadditionally, the console will show a flashing "d" and wrenches.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Randomly, after starting the car and selecting reverse, the dash display doesn't display 'r' or it flashes 'n', and the transmission doesn't engage reverse gear. Moving gear shifter between park and drive several times or restarting vehicle helps sometimes. This would be very dangerous if needing to reverse in an emergency situation and the car doesn't move.
Seat belts for both driver and passenger sides became twisted within the first couple of years of ownership. Despite attempts by service technicians to untwist and repair the mechanism the seat belts remain twisted. Seat belt latch on driver's side finally failed at about 25,000 miles. Both seat belts had to be completely replaced at our expense. Also, the car doesn't always shift from park to reverse properly. It sometimes takes several attempts to get the transmission to engage.
Wmeek31x09k[xxx]intermittently fails to shift into drive or reverse when when car is stationary. Most often, this is upon starting the car and attempting to charge nge from p for the first time. At times the transmission indicator shows n when the gear shift is in r or d. Other times it is blank. Shifting into park and then back to the gear sometimes resolves the issue for the time being. Other times, turning the car off and then restarting temporarily resolves the issue. Most recent occurrence to date: may 17, 2018.[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).'*pm
First start of the day it will not shift into r or d. It will show p and n when you shift but it will not go into gear for reverse or drive.you have to restart the car several times to get it to shift. Just spoke with smart car on the phone and they deny knowing anything about it. However searching the web you will see its very common.its a factory defect that smart car is denying.
This has happened over the last year, at least a few dozen times. Sometimes it's happened as often as 2-3 times per week. I will start my car, and shift into reverse, and where there was a p for park on the display, the display is now blank, and my car will not reverse. It will also not go into drive, or display d. I will try moving it back and forward and the display stays blank, and my car won't move. Sometimes when i restart my car it will go back to normal, shifting into reverse, and displaying an r on the display panel...other times it will take several minutes for it to respond, and to be able to move. I have read on-line about other owners having several parts replaced and software updates, but always the problem seems to come back. Others claim it's the clutch plate assembly, and that those have been fixed for the 2009 model...but i've still experienced the problem. I've read about this happening to others in traffic, and i've read about dealerships not being able to find "anything wrong" with cars in this situation.
I bought the car and less than two weeks the transmission went there was flashing and beeping and the car would not go into gear.i bought a 2009 and in 2008 there was a recall on that model for that transmission problem sometimes the car won't start sometimes now and the hood latch is broken
I was driving on a suburban side street when suddenly the engine cut off and the car came rolling to a stop. Fortunately i was not traveling fast and there was room to pull over but i could have been injured if the incident was on a highway. A local mechanic could not identify the problem so i eventually had it towed to the dealership which tested it and found that the coupling motor (a component of the transmission) was faulty and needed to be replaced. The car is running okay now but the repairs cost over $1,000 and it is only 4 years old.
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 roll. This is a normal problem with the 08-09 year. This should defiantly be a recall issue. Thank you for taken the time to read my complaint.
I also have the problem with the transmission. The transmission will not go into reverse or drive after engine starts. It happens about 2 to 3 times a year. It can happen after an overnight stop orjust a few minutes. It always works after a few minutes however, a couple of times the non engaging transmission allowed the car to roll into a vulnerable position in the street. I felt lucky there was no traffic.
Where do i begin? after about a year of owning my smart car, i was driving on the highway doing about 70 mph when suddenly i feel my car pull to the right and start shaking. I pull safely to the shoulder to find the valve stem for my tire had detached and my tire was now flat. Not having a spare, i had to call a tow truck. The same issue happened to the remaining 3 tires in the following months to a year. While driving the valve stem would detach and all air depleting from the tires. I called the smart dealer to be told this was impossible because the valve stems were bolted to the rim, well clearly not since it had happened to every tire.i have had multiple cylinder misfires with this car. I have had to replace the fuel pump. I have had to replace the alkaloid timing sensor. I have had to replace the blower motor for my heat and a/c. My headlights go out every other month. Car has stopped because a wire came loose in the battery. When i turn right or go on an onramp, i hear this awful clunking sound as if something is hitting a tin. When i go over bumps my car makes a squeaking sound. When going from park into reverse...car will not go into gear. My car will read p and n. I have to turn my car off/on multiple times as well as mess with my shifter for about 5 minutes before i can go anywhere. The cherry on top happened today on my way home to akron from columbus. As i am driving on the highway with a semi truck behind me my car started losing speed, even when pushing the gas. I almost was struck by the semi due to the sudden decrease of speed but thankfully was able to pull off the highway. Once stopped, all lights came on and car shut off. Put my car in park to try to start my car again, nothing. My engine will rev but the engine will not turn over. Will find out what that is tomorrow hopefully. Car was brand new when purchased and bought the car 5yrs and 1 month ago.
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 - whether morning, afternoon, or evening; or, cold or hot day. It seems to occur at random.
This shifting problem occurred erratically since i've owned new. First incidence was with selecting reverse and thereby loosing the ability to select any gear mode (fwd or rev). This oddity is usually resolved by turning the switch off &restarting but sometimes by selecting neutral & waiting. The next problem came when attempting to accelerate at approx 20 mph which caused the engine to idle & car to coast as in neutral. The first 2+ years, this was resolved by lifting off the gas completely & reapplying. This began to happen at various speeds, always when accelerating. Note: engine revs for bout 1/2 second before failure. My guess is, it happens when it needs to downshift 2 gears. Then also began to happen under load (up long hills requiring auto downshift) always solved by gas recycle and evolved into having to recycle multiple times before it would downshift. Over time,i learned that i could prevent this by downshifting manually & not waiting for "autoshift failure". Sometime in the last year, it has become more frightening as it will not recover by recycling the gas. I don't remember the date or mileage it first happened but i must almost stop before it regains ability to shift/accel normally. It is erratic but was a long time before it repeated itself after the first incident. They are happening more recently & a couple of times in heavy highway traffic & now my wife refuses to ride with me. I talked with smart rep when car was new & he stated that "reprograming the transmission" was option but this procedure is not covered by warranty. I have appointment to have this 'reprogramming' done at the dealership but have been told it may only solve the "reverse" selection problem. They are not aware of my problems happening in other models or of any recalls, so maybe other owners are slow to complain like me.
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 work, and turning off and waiting 10 minutes seems to allow gear shifts. This is dangerous especially in the reverse to drive failure as when coming out of a driveway on a busy road, it may cause an accident. This has occurred after warranty and i was told there is a mercedes benz software upgrade meant to solve it. But this is a charged service. As a safety issue, i implore that this should not be a charged but required safety recall. Upon viewing the complaints it seems a few other suffer the same degree of failures. As the car is a niche brand, the consumer base is smaller and you do not have as large a complaint pool as a honda accord, which is fairly popular and has a large consumer base. I humbly request the nhsta make daimler ag and mercedes benz usa responsible to repair this and have every smart on the road's transmission software upgraded free of cost.
Vehicle doesn't always shift into reverse from park.sometimes will not go into drive from park many people with same problem online. Please please help us get the manufacturer the fix this. This is not normal wear and tear.
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 at least getting it into neutral. A series of pumping the brake, turning the start key and trying to move the shifter back and forth through gears. Eventually, the car will start. Unfortunately, the three bars of death (as nicknamed on the smart car forums) can happen for any numerous types of faults such as weak battery to faulty communication with the transmission, to heater/air conditioning operating unit is defective. The list is long. The problem is my car has completely stopped working in the middle of the road without warning and this could be very dangerous.
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 same failures occurred multiple times. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 41,000. Updated 12/12/18
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 this car will get me smushed.smart needs to do a major recall on this!i am only the second owner of this car and got it with only 18,000 miles on it.i now have 35,025 miles on it.took it to a mechanic and gives a po803 code, which states a clutch sensor.smart cars code says it needs a new clutch!wth!??and if it needs a new clutch then why does this only occurr in the colder weather and not the summer!!??!!i am so pissed!smart car take responsibility for your screwup in the design of this car!this has happened so many times!!!
On five occasions, suddenly and without warning, my smart car shifted in to neutral by itself while driving on the highway.while the shifter was in drive, the indicator below the speedometer was blank, and the car would not move.this problem always seems to occur after driving at higher speeds.i took the car into the dealership and they claimed to have repaired the problem with a computer reprogram.after the "repair" the car had the same problem.this is a very serious safety issue because the car without warning completely loses power and on more than one occasion i have almost been rear ended.
Drivers seatbelt buckle does not latch at all. Mercedes will not pay for it or fix it and want us to pay out of pocket .
Car doesn't shift from park to reverse or it goes into neutral this is a safety issue .im not the only person with this issue and apparently smart knows of this problem.this problem is putting people into neutral when they start and leaving you in the road..they need to be held responsible and knowingly putting people at risk. I was sitting in a parking lot when i couldn't shift into reverse . I've read and heard from others smart is saying a software error
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 fixedbut i insisted that it's a safety issue and i shouldn't be driving from their shop without having it fixed. So frustrating safety issues that no one wants to take care of it until somebody's dead.
Drivers seatbelt buckle does not latch at all. Mercedes will not pay for it or fix it and want us to pay out of pocket .
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.
Seat belts for both driver and passenger sides became twisted within the first couple of years of ownership. Despite attempts by service technicians to untwist and repair the mechanism the seat belts remain twisted. Seat belt latch on driver's side finally failed at about 25,000 miles. Both seat belts had to be completely replaced at our expense. Also, the car doesn't always shift from park to reverse properly. It sometimes takes several attempts to get the transmission to engage.
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The dealer stated that the driver side seat belt retractor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 14,724. Updated 11/21/14 updated 5/7/2015
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 made aware of the failure.the failure and current mileage was 4,600.
I have a 2009 smart for two passion model on 7/21 i went to go into a parking place at a small shopping area and the brakes slowed me down but would not allow me to come to a complete stop. I was going very slow but could not stop thus i hit the window of a furniture store. It broke the window and the only damage to my car wee cuts in the plastic from the falling glass as it took them 2 hours to pick it up. The police filed a report, no onewas injured, the air bags did not deploy, and i went such a shortdistance i did not have time to think about putting on theemergency brake. There was no warning that i am aware of. All i remember is pushing the brake pedal all the way to the floor and it would not stop. There are factory floor mats in the car and i have many pictures. It has been at the dealer since the accident and they said they cannot find anything wrong. Smart is suppose to send a representative to see it. I really have little faith in this dealership and you can never reach anyone to talk to all you get are voicemails and no call back. Finally got through on wed 7/28 when they said they found nothing wrong. It is still at smart of trevose (pa).
The paint on my 2009 red smart car is peeling. Some smart cars have been recalled for bad paint which could lead to loss of the windshield or roof; the adhesive is laid over the paint and if the paint some off the adhesive will too; thus is a safety issue. My car was ordered in 2008, but i purchased it in 2009. I have contacted the dealership, and the smart headquarters and spoke with adam. I had the estimate of how much it would cost to repaint or replace the panels on the car. This was part of a "goodwill out of warranty gesture." adam from headquarters called me today and informed me that they would not honor the repairs. I'm so sad. I'm a senior and i saved up for 3 years to get that car new. I have taken impeccable care of it, and if you google "red smart cars with peeling paint issues" you will fine many postings. I'm stuck with this crappy looking car. It looks awful. I'm not good on the computer, but will try to get someone to take photos and send them in. I have been the soul owner of the car, i had wash it with water, and it is garage kept. I only have 54,000 miles on it. The stress has made me quite depressed as getting in thecar i have to be reminded of how it looks. This car was to be my last car due to my age. So now, when someone asks how i like my smart car, i give them the tour around my car so they can see for themselves. They just shake their heads in amazement. I then tell them that mercedes/smart will not make it right. This is wrong. Very poor customer service.
I bought the car and less than two weeks the transmission went there was flashing and beeping and the car would not go into gear.i bought a 2009 and in 2008 there was a recall on that model for that transmission problem sometimes the car won't start sometimes now and the hood latch is broken
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact stated that the vehicle had mold damage due to water penetration from a crack in the roof. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a crack in the seal between the roof and the body. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,500.
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 bracket connects).removing the batterythen exposed corroded floor paint from battery acid. In attempting to clean up the mess, i had to remove the battery vent tube exiting the floor. This tube had a spider nest inside about 2" from opening. Wd40 did not penetrate nests end seals & had to extract spider & nest manually. I can not prove this is safety related but im wondering if other vented battery cars have this vent blockage-corrosion problem and also if these blocked fumes were toxic to occupants of my car? i took some phone photo evidence.on unrelated problem. In the last 1-2 years i also have the peeling top clearcoat problem reported by other owners of 2009 red paint (non metalic) which is primarily on hood panel & other top surfaces exposed to direct sun which leaves the dull red base color of the plastic panels. (this is only exhibited on 2009 red models).
The panoramic roof on my passion model has begun to separate from the rest of the car in the front driver side corner. It rattles when the vehicle goes over a bump and wind noise from the panel lifting occurs at 50 mph and above. Due to the force exerted by the wind and the fact that this panel is merely glued to the rest of the vehicle -not bolted, screwed, or otherwise fastened- the condition is worsening and will continue to do so until i imagine the roof separates completely in a high-speed incident. (of course i will have the roof repaired before this occurs, however, the vehicle's two-year warranty has expired.) i find this potentially extremely hazardous defect to be completely unacceptable.
There is this horrible problem with the 2009 smart fortwo rally red! the clearcoat is peeling for no reason and there is at least 60 people around the country with the same exact issue with proof and statements to prove it! mercedes/smart should issue a recall or replace these panels free of charge! this ruins the integrity of the car and even the dealership wont help out because the car is out of warranty or im not "loyal enough" to the dealership! my and everyone else with a red fortwos clear coat is peeling for no exact reason at all, this is a major design flaw with very thin clear coat, i understand if it was just a few cars but we are talking more than 60 cars and lets not forget the safety recall that was made in 2008 for messed up paint as well! fix this mercedes! i honestly believe something bad can happen in this car, makes me feel very unsafe
I was driving my smart car to work at 1:30 am.there was some snow on the roads so i left 10 minutes earlier than normal so i could drive slowly. I had to go up a hill and the car fishtailed and crashed into the steel rail.i was going 43 mph in a 55 mph zone when the car fishtailed. I hit the steel rail almost head on. The car is a total loss yet the airbags did not deploy.i hit my head and have a sore back and knee plus i missed a day of work. I do not believe these cars are safe to drive in winter due to the rear wheel drive and the air bags that do not work. Thanks for reading my story.
I represent the owners of this 2009 smart fortwo vehicle. My client drove the vehicle home after work and parked in the garage. Approximately 30 minutes after parking the vehicle in the garage, my client was awoken by his son who smelled smoke. My client followed the smoke to the garage where he found the vehicle on fire. It appeared the fire started in the engine compartment. The fire spread quickly throughout the garage and into the house. The property damage is extensive, including totaling both vehicles in the garage and extensive property damage to the home.
The contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo. The contact stated that the vehicle had mold damage due to water penetration from a crack in the roof. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a crack in the seal between the roof and the body. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,500.
The polycarbonate roof has crazing or spiderwebbing throughout. This is only noticeable when the sun is out. I fear the roof will fracture and fall into the car. I have contacted smart about replacing the roof. They have offered to give me a new roof and i will need to pay for the installation and sealant which will cost around $500! from what i have read on line there was a defect in the manufacturing of these roofs in 2008 and some of the 2009 cars also have this issue. Mine being one of them. I do not feel it is right for smart to ask me to pay for this repair. I have tried talking with their headquarters about the issue stating i feel it is their responsibility to fix this roof. They told me my car is out of warranty so it is my responsibility. I maintain the part was defective from manufacture and feel it is their responsibility. After requesting to speak with a supervisor numerous times the customer service rep put in a request for me. His supervisor called me and said either accept the offer or he will rescind the offer. Obviously smart will not stand behind their product. The bottom line is that i have a car with a defective roof which i believe presents a big safety issue. I've read of other cars having sunroofs that have crazed and then explode. Seeing how the entire roof of my car is crazed, i have serious concerns about my safety as well as any passenger in the car. Should the roof fracture or explode while i'm driving this would most certainly cause a serious accident. I'm not sure what it takes to have a manufacturer do a safety recall, this is something that definitely needs looking into. Thank you.
While a body panel was being replaced on a 2009 smart fortwo passion, the mechanic discovered that, unbeknownst to the car's owner, the mechanism securing the tailgate in place had corroded so badly that the tailgate was in danger of, literally, falling off the vehicle.he reattached the tailgate but was sincerely concerned that it had been in danger of falling off or--given the right conditions, like open windows and highway speed--flying off and perhaps hitting another vehicle or being hit by another vehicle.the mechanic advised filing a report in case this corrosion problem affects other similar models.more details and photographs are available from the mechanic.to contact the mechanic, simply email or call the filer of this report.
The right front coil spring broke without impact to the suspension. The spring is clean with no rust or corrosion at the break point. The spring paint still looks new. There is no other damage to the vehicle.i do not believe that a spring should break at such a low mileage. There are other reports on the internet for springs breaking, sometimes multiple times, on smart vehicles. The break was at the lower portion of the spring which may puncture a tire under certain circumstances or possibly jam the hub and throwing the vehicle out of control.if the spring broke while the vehicle was at speed the driver and passenger may be at risk.
The left front coil spring broke while the vehicle was sitting in the driveway. This is the second coil spring to break within a one year period. Updated 09/10/15*lj..updated 12/02/15
The valve stems are cracking and if they fail while driving a driver may lose control. The cracked valve stems were noticed when the wheels were removed for service. Photos are available if needed.
On january 1st 2013, i was driving home with my preowned 2009 smart car brabus, i hit a average size pot hole but didn't really think about it much because i'm used to hitting these potholes. But as i drove on for another minute, the car started shaking violently to the point where i have to stop on the middle of the highway. And slowly pull over. Come to find out that my tires were popped, the rims are bent. After doing some research on the wheels, i found that there is not enough cushion to withstand impacts such as a decent size pothole or bump. I also went on the smart car of america forums, other smart car brabus owners also is going through what i'm going through. It is really weird for me especially i've driven the car for only 130 miles. The size of the tire(215/35r17) clearly shows that there is not enough cushion for any type of decent size impact.
I was driving from work when the front drivers side tire blew out. I purchased 4 new tires after this, thena couple of days after the purchase,the rear passenger tire blew out.both times the pressure monitor in the valve let go. This lead to an immediate loss of tire pressure.very dangerous i wrote smart, but the never responded.
Where do i begin? after about a year of owning my smart car, i was driving on the highway doing about 70 mph when suddenly i feel my car pull to the right and start shaking. I pull safely to the shoulder to find the valve stem for my tire had detached and my tire was now flat. Not having a spare, i had to call a tow truck. The same issue happened to the remaining 3 tires in the following months to a year. While driving the valve stem would detach and all air depleting from the tires. I called the smart dealer to be told this was impossible because the valve stems were bolted to the rim, well clearly not since it had happened to every tire.i have had multiple cylinder misfires with this car. I have had to replace the fuel pump. I have had to replace the alkaloid timing sensor. I have had to replace the blower motor for my heat and a/c. My headlights go out every other month. Car has stopped because a wire came loose in the battery. When i turn right or go on an onramp, i hear this awful clunking sound as if something is hitting a tin. When i go over bumps my car makes a squeaking sound. When going from park into reverse...car will not go into gear. My car will read p and n. I have to turn my car off/on multiple times as well as mess with my shifter for about 5 minutes before i can go anywhere. The cherry on top happened today on my way home to akron from columbus. As i am driving on the highway with a semi truck behind me my car started losing speed, even when pushing the gas. I almost was struck by the semi due to the sudden decrease of speed but thankfully was able to pull off the highway. Once stopped, all lights came on and car shut off. Put my car in park to try to start my car again, nothing. My engine will rev but the engine will not turn over. Will find out what that is tomorrow hopefully. Car was brand new when purchased and bought the car 5yrs and 1 month ago.
While driving on 2/7/2018 the vehicles blower motor stopped working. On returning home it was discovered that many vehicle owners also have had the blower motors fail on their vehicles. One person reported 3 failures. Another reported that his dealership advised that several "bad" blower motors were sent out. Was forced to drive home on -4 degree weather without defroster.
The factory installed alarm from smart goes off for no reason intermittently. I am not the only one. So many people have this issue. It should be recalled or complimentary fixed!
There is this horrible problem with the 2009 smart fortwo rally red! the clearcoat is peeling for no reason and there is at least 60 people around the country with the same exact issue with proof and statements to prove it! mercedes/smart should issue a recall or replace these panels free of charge! this ruins the integrity of the car and even the dealership wont help out because the car is out of warranty or im not "loyal enough" to the dealership! my and everyone else with a red fortwos clear coat is peeling for no exact reason at all, this is a major design flaw with very thin clear coat, i understand if it was just a few cars but we are talking more than 60 cars and lets not forget the safety recall that was made in 2008 for messed up paint as well! fix this mercedes! i honestly believe something bad can happen in this car, makes me feel very unsafe
I am having a problem with my 2009 smart fortwo passion's transmission. We picked up our car on saturday for the following problem: i was driving along & all of a sudden, the car seems to think it's in n. Even changing the gears prompts an "n" in the gear position. Once i turned the car off, it wouldn't start again & the dreaded three bars appeared. We tried the "teach-in" fix & it worked temporarily before acting up again.we had our car towed to the dealer for service and picked it up on saturday after the service department supposedly fixed it. The service department did a diagnostic check and a code appeared. They then reset whatever need to be reset for $112.98. We were also offered a software upgrade for $75 on the basis the service manager did not know what the upgrade does, but he did know it wouldn't fix the problem. Obviously, we turned down the upgrade.i have contacted mercedes to absorb the cost of fixing this defect. Our warranty expired only 6 weeks ago. Since there is a method to "limp" to a safe place in the user manual, it seems they anticipated this problem to begin with.from reading blogs about this, i was not surprised when the same problem started again on sunday. Now we are having it towed in for service again. I urge mercedes-benz to activate a recall on this model! sooner or later this defect is going to kick in on the freeway and someone will be rear-ended or even killed. This is not simply a nuisance malfunction!
I was on my way to school, the car began making a grinding noise, as i moved to the shoulder it died and the steering wheel locked up, the radio cut off, the horn stayed on, all the wipers went full force and the doors locked. When i finally kicked the door open i went to the front of the vehicle and opened the good. I began so smell burning plastic and went to the driver side again. When i got there, there were flaming drips coming from under the panels. I attempted to put them out but it was futile. I removed myself from the situation and called fire rescue. The whole thing took 2 minutes before the car was toast
Smart car recalli contacted the dealership on august 3, 2018 and they were suppose to contact me back - i am still waiting.they said they would contact me once they had parts available for the recall.
Driving to a friends house, about a 10-15 min. Drive... Friend say he smells smoke, look to the right side onto the mirror and its smoke coming from the back side of my car. Open the back to look at the engine - a lot of smoke is coming out and as the smoke is clearing my friend sees flames and we quickly after grab a hose and call 9-1-1. Don't know what caused the fire, firemen said not to start the car called aaa.firemen said we got lucky it didn't reach the gas tank.
While driving my vehicle, i had reached about 40 miles per hour and the car just died. I hadn't done anything, the car simply died. When i first attempted to turn the car back on, it wouldn't crank. The lights, air everything electrical came on, but the car didn't crank. After waiting a few minutes, i tried again and luckily the car started. But this scared me and should not have happened.
Six weeks out of warranty - i was driving along & all of a sudden, the car seems to think it's in neutral, won't let me change gears - was only able to coast to a safe area off the highway. Any gear i shifted to kept coming across the dash as the neutral position. Once i turned the car off, it wouldn't start again & the dreaded three bars appeared. We tried the "teach-in" fix recommended in the user manual & it worked temporarily before acting up again. From the internet blogs i've read, this was a problem in the 2008 model - an upgrade was provided for a fix. My car is a 2009 and i feel smart usa should recall the 2009 model due to this obvious defect. It's absolutely ridiculous i would have to pay for something like this when the car is only six weeks past warranty! our dealer keeps transferring us to mercedes-benz financial since they're the one who approve the warranty issue. No one from mercedes is answering or returning our calls.
My 2009 smart fortwo car caught on fire yesterday and burned. When i was pulling into the local post office, the car?s windshield wipers came on by themselves and then the horn began to honk as well.i got into a parking space and turned off the car. I saw something coming from the front of the car but no flames. I got out and went into the post office to get my mail.while in there i heard several people yelling that a car was on fire.i rushed outside to see my car fully engulfed in flames. I lost all my things in the car; laptop, tablet, cellphone and most of all all my business paperwork, contacts, etc.
I was driving my smart car to work at 1:30 am.there was some snow on the roads so i left 10 minutes earlier than normal so i could drive slowly. I had to go up a hill and the car fishtailed and crashed into the steel rail.i was going 43 mph in a 55 mph zone when the car fishtailed. I hit the steel rail almost head on. The car is a total loss yet the airbags did not deploy.i hit my head and have a sore back and knee plus i missed a day of work. I do not believe these cars are safe to drive in winter due to the rear wheel drive and the air bags that do not work. Thanks for reading my story.
Hello. I saw on the news there was an investigation about 2008/2009 smart cars. Mine caught completely on fire in april of 2012 while driving. I did not know where to complain to other than the dealership until i saw the news. I bought my smart car in december of 2009. With in 9 months i started having electrical issues. It would start turning off while driving the turn back on about 30 seconds later. I took it in 4 times and they could never figure out was was wrong with it and would return it back. On the 4th time i did bring up the lemon law and they kept my car for a couple weeks. A couple months later i was on the freeway and my car started going electronically haywire. The front windshield wipers were going crazy and the dashboard was turning off and on. I pulled over onto the emergency lane immediately. My shifter was stick for a couple of seconds and once i put it on park, i took out the keys. When i turned the car back on the wipers started going crazy again, the dashboard went blank, the doors were locking and unlocking and the horn was going off. There was a weird smell and i looked up and there was smoke coming out of by the inside of my windshield. I got scared and immediately go out once the locks unlocked. As i opened the passenger door to get my purse, i noticed flames by the pedals and a black box that melted through the car. I called 911 as i poured water from my water bottle. That did not help. The front of the car by then was on fire. I grabbed my two boxes from my trunk and walked the the emergency lane as far as i could until the fire department arrived. I have saved all the times i took my car to get checked at the dealership. That is the only place i took my car
While driving on the highway the car the car began to decelerate and i had to pull over to the side of the road, i noticed the car was on fire behind me and i jumped out of the car as the fire engulfed the remainder of the car.
Failure to reverse transmission softwarecar is in park will not go into gear
I am writing to you to voice a complaint i have with mercedes-bends usa, llc's recall of their smart vehicles, recall campaign # 2018060010.it calls for replacement of the rear insulation mat, that if not replace could potentially cause a fire in the engine compartment.i have called several of the local mercedes-bends dealerships and have found that the nearest dealership that can replace the mat is either in salt lake city, utah or seattle washington.i reside in helena montana which is 485 miles from salt lake and 590 miles from seattle.these distances are totally impractical for me to drive to with this vehicle.please require mercedes-bends to establish a smart maintenance facility in closer proximity to helena.
I represent the owners of this 2009 smart fortwo vehicle. My client drove the vehicle home after work and parked in the garage. Approximately 30 minutes after parking the vehicle in the garage, my client was awoken by his son who smelled smoke. My client followed the smoke to the garage where he found the vehicle on fire. It appeared the fire started in the engine compartment. The fire spread quickly throughout the garage and into the house. The property damage is extensive, including totaling both vehicles in the garage and extensive property damage to the home.
Upon starting car, attempt to shift into reverse. Car shows either a blank where the gear (p, r, n, d) would normally appear, or shows 'n' when shifter is in the 'r' position. If 'n' is showing, car begins beeping as it would if seatbelt weren't fastened. Shifting into 'd' makes no difference, car can only have 'n' or 'p' selected at this point. Car must be shifted into park and then turned off and back on (sometimes multiple times) for the problem to resolve.
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 at least getting it into neutral. A series of pumping the brake, turning the start key and trying to move the shifter back and forth through gears. Eventually, the car will start. Unfortunately, the three bars of death (as nicknamed on the smart car forums) can happen for any numerous types of faults such as weak battery to faulty communication with the transmission, to heater/air conditioning operating unit is defective. The list is long. The problem is my car has completely stopped working in the middle of the road without warning and this could be very dangerous.
While driving on 2/7/2018 the vehicles blower motor stopped working. On returning home it was discovered that many vehicle owners also have had the blower motors fail on their vehicles. One person reported 3 failures. Another reported that his dealership advised that several "bad" blower motors were sent out. Was forced to drive home on -4 degree weather without defroster.
On january 1st 2013, i was driving home with my preowned 2009 smart car brabus, i hit a average size pot hole but didn't really think about it much because i'm used to hitting these potholes. But as i drove on for another minute, the car started shaking violently to the point where i have to stop on the middle of the highway. And slowly pull over. Come to find out that my tires were popped, the rims are bent. After doing some research on the wheels, i found that there is not enough cushion to withstand impacts such as a decent size pothole or bump. I also went on the smart car of america forums, other smart car brabus owners also is going through what i'm going through. It is really weird for me especially i've driven the car for only 130 miles. The size of the tire(215/35r17) clearly shows that there is not enough cushion for any type of decent size impact.
Where do i begin? after about a year of owning my smart car, i was driving on the highway doing about 70 mph when suddenly i feel my car pull to the right and start shaking. I pull safely to the shoulder to find the valve stem for my tire had detached and my tire was now flat. Not having a spare, i had to call a tow truck. The same issue happened to the remaining 3 tires in the following months to a year. While driving the valve stem would detach and all air depleting from the tires. I called the smart dealer to be told this was impossible because the valve stems were bolted to the rim, well clearly not since it had happened to every tire.i have had multiple cylinder misfires with this car. I have had to replace the fuel pump. I have had to replace the alkaloid timing sensor. I have had to replace the blower motor for my heat and a/c. My headlights go out every other month. Car has stopped because a wire came loose in the battery. When i turn right or go on an onramp, i hear this awful clunking sound as if something is hitting a tin. When i go over bumps my car makes a squeaking sound. When going from park into reverse...car will not go into gear. My car will read p and n. I have to turn my car off/on multiple times as well as mess with my shifter for about 5 minutes before i can go anywhere. The cherry on top happened today on my way home to akron from columbus. As i am driving on the highway with a semi truck behind me my car started losing speed, even when pushing the gas. I almost was struck by the semi due to the sudden decrease of speed but thankfully was able to pull off the highway. Once stopped, all lights came on and car shut off. Put my car in park to try to start my car again, nothing. My engine will rev but the engine will not turn over. Will find out what that is tomorrow hopefully. Car was brand new when purchased and bought the car 5yrs and 1 month ago.
I was driving from work when the front drivers side tire blew out. I purchased 4 new tires after this, thena couple of days after the purchase,the rear passenger tire blew out.both times the pressure monitor in the valve let go. This lead to an immediate loss of tire pressure.very dangerous i wrote smart, but the never responded.
The valve stems are cracking and if they fail while driving a driver may lose control. The cracked valve stems were noticed when the wheels were removed for service. Photos are available if needed.
As i was driving to work on a highway at 55 mph, my car's right front wheel got ripped apart and my car got unstable to the point i almost killed myself. My car was towed and i was told that the car's tpms stem valve holder broke off while driving. This is not the first time it happens. The quality of the stem holders is bad and breaks all the time. Smart should recall these cars and change the pieces that could save lives.
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