While driving on the highway and we noticed sudden smoke within the car. The car got very hot. We stopped and opened the engine compartment in the trunk and noticed that the insulation mat in the engine compartment was on fire. We did not notice any causes that could have lead to the burn besides the mat itself.
2008 smart Fortwo engine complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 45, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 smart fortwo. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling). Frank fletcher imports (3111 e 32nd st, joplin, mo 64804, (417) 297-0821) was contacted and it was stated that the dealer was unable to provide the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact to the jackie cooper imports (9393 s memorial dr, tulsa, ok 74133, (918) 615-2185) a two and a half hour drive away. The contact was informed that a the vehicle was eligible for pickup and that a representative would call to make the arrangements which was still pending. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 smart fortwo. The contact stated while her son was driving the vehicle at 45-55 MPH he unexpectedly smelled burning plastic in the vehicle. The contact's son continued to drive the vehicle when he discovered the vehicle emitted smoke from the rear. Shortly after coming to a complete stop the contact's son opened the rear hatch and noticed fire. The fire was extinguished with a water hose and the fire department was not called. There were no injuries. The vehicle was totaled. The dealer was not notified of the fire. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,000 the contact stated received the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling) after the failure occurred.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercedes-benz smart for two. The contact received a recall notification for the federal safety agency recall number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling), and stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer mercedes benz of palm beach, 4000 okeechobee blvd, west palm beach, fl 33409, confirmed that parts were not available. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 smart fortwo. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling). Also, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there were no local dealers near the contact. The failure mileage was 126,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 smart fortwo. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to motorworld mileone auto group (150 motorworld dr, wilkes-barre, pa 18702, (866) 591-7116), but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
2008 mercedes-benz smart car. Consumer writes with concern for vehicle catching fire while idle in drive-way following recall and repairs by manufacturer. *as
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 smart for two. The vehicle was taken to euro motorcars devon mercedes-benz (214 w lancaster ave, devon, pa 19333, (610) 687-1500) to be repaired per the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling). After leaving the dealer and driving 35 MPH, the contact detected a burning odor inside the vehicle. The contact also mentioned that the brakes failed as the vehicle lost power. The contact detected smoke coming out the rear of the vehicle, which resulted in a fire. A police report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 37,988. *tt updated 11/19/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 smart fortwo. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called smart center albuquerque at (877) 316-3208 (located at 1220 s renaissance blvd ne, albuquerque, nm 87107) and was informed that the part was not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue, but did not assist. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
I learned of a recall on my vehicle earlier this year - I never received a letter because I had moved since I bought the car. The recall was for a sagging insulation mat in the engine compartment, which had apparently caused fires in other smart cars. I contacted my dealer, keeler of latham, who told me the parts were not in for the repair, and suggested I call mercedes, the manufacturer. I called them, gave my updated address, they told me they'd be in touch when the recalled parts were available. I had my car serviced for an unrelated reason a month or so later, they never checked my vehicle to see if the recalled parts were affected. I asked about it, they told me the parts were not yet available. I received a letter from mercedes stating the recall fix was not ready but that it was safe to continue to drive the car. On 7/31/18, my car caught fire. I don't know exactly when, but about an hour after I parked the car at my friend's home, his wife came inside and said "your friend's car is on fire". We went outside, smoke was coming from the back of the car. The fire department came and put out the fire. My car is now totaled. Thankfully no one was hurt. Insurance will pay for part of what it would cost to get me into a new used car, but mercedes has offered only to pay my $500 deductible, or to take a small discount off my purchase of a mercedes or smart car from an authorized mercedes dealer. Mercedes has accepted responsibility for the fire, as their investigation showed it was caused by the sagging insulation mat. I was hoping that something in the law would help force mercedes to make me whole. I just want to be back in a reliable used car without a car payment. If they had repaired the recall in a timely manner, I would still have my car, which was in great shape and had no payment. I don't want to buy a new mercedes car. I thought I should report this. Thanks. - (recall related incident) ts
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 smart fortwo. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency 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. Mercedes-benz of cincinnati (8727 montgomery rd, cincinnati, oh 45236, (513) 984-9000) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Received recall on rear insulation mat fire hazard
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 smart fortwo. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called mercedes-benz manhattan at (212) 629-1600 (located at 770 11th ave, new york, ny 10019) where it was confirmed that the part was not available. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 smart fortwo. While driving 25 MPH, smoke emerged from the air vents and flames appeared under the hood. There were no warning indicators illuminated. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The contact's father extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was awaiting diagnostic testing and repairs. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 smart fortwo. The contact stated that the vehicle would inadvertently turn off when the ignition key was accidentally touched. The location for the key was placed between the driver and front passenger seats. The contact also mentioned that the engine overheated when driving at various speeds. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact called midstate auto group inc. At (508) 832-8886 (located at 810 washington st, auburn, ma 01501) and was informed that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The contact also stated that the convertible roof did not completely close. The dealer was made aware of the convertible roof failure and informed the contact that the warranty had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Trunk inside the car is very hot , engine they don't have a power if I drive I feel car have a 20hp , I do not fell my car have a 70hp
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 smart fortwo. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact experienced the failure listed in the recall three years ago. The manufacturer was contacted and refused to pay for the repairs, stating that the contact failed to maintain the vehicle at a dealer. The dealer (keeler motor car company, 1111 troy schenectady rd, latham, ny 12110) was contacted; however, the parts were not available for the recall repair. The failure mileage was 48,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercedes-benz smart fortwo. While waiting to make a turn, the contact noticed smoke emerging from the rear of the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and exited the vehicle as it became engulfed in flames. The police arrived and called the fire department to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and retreived by the insurance company. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The contact researched online and found the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v273000 (engine) for the first time. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 smart fortwo. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called mercedes-benz of san francisco at (415) 553-4280 (located at 500 8th st, san francisco, ca) and was informed that the part was not available. The manufacturer informed the contact that the part would become available at the end of june of 2018 and referred the contact to the federal safety agency. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 mercedes-benz smart fortwo. While the vehicle was parked in a parking garage, the garage attendant called the contact and informed him that smoke was emerging from under the hood. The vehicle caught fire without warning or impact. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but the cause of the fire was not determined. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 205,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 smart fortwo. The contact stated that the vehicle burst into flames after it was parked. The contact was unaware of how the fire started or where it originated, but it was believed to be near the engine compartment. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an insurance auto auction. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. A local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,400.
Went to start car in garagewhen it make an odd sound and smelled of smoke. Tokko car in to dealer and they said top of engine around valves was blown. 46,000 miles on it...been holding on to it waiting for a recall. Car is still in my shed.
As my wife was filling the gas tank it failed to build back pressure that would normally shut off the gas pump. This has occurred twice. Then on mon. The 19th of june after work my wife complained of a strong gas oder inside the vehicle. She drove the car to work on tues. Morning and had the same strong gas smell. She thought that it might be due to overfilling the tank. When she got home on tues. Night we noticed a steady stream of gas pouring out of the vehicle under the car near the passenger side of the vehicle. The gas only streamed out when the engine was running. Once we shutoff the car it would dribble out for a few more minutes then eventually stop. When I turned the car on it would begin flowing fuel onto the ground immediately. I had the car towed to the mercedes benz\smart car dealer located nearest to me. After the car was towed I started to do some research online to determine if this is a common issue. I was surprised to find that there have been many complaints posted to chat room boards regarding a fuel leak and a broken discharge line from the fuel pump to the engine. What I was even more startled to find was literally hundreds of different videos of smart cars catching on fire. I soon discovered that there is an open investigation with the federal safety agency for engine fires on model 2008-2009 fortwo smart cars. The investigation number is pe-16-016 the dealership called me today and stated that the fuel pump is leaking gas on top of the tank and that the fuel pump will need to be replaced. They have not dropped the fuel tank yet. They witnessed the fuel leak using a mirror. It is now friday at 2:15pm pst, and to late for them to start repairing the fuel pump today. The dealership plans to drop the tank and replace the fuel pump on tues. Morning. I will be there to photograph the location of the break on the fuel line and update this complaint after that.
While driving rear motor caught fire.
2008 smart fortwo passion. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle engine light and fuel tank problems. *smd the consumer stated the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle was shaking. The consumer was told the vehicle was not being driven enough and the fuel in the tank was old. Seven months later, the consumer returned to the dealer for the same problem. The dealer stated an inspection at a cost of $414.00 would be needed to determine the problem. After the inspection, it was determined the engine needed to be replaced at a cost of $6,037.
Within 20 miles of the "check engine" light coming on, the catalytic converter overheated and set the car on fire, burning the car to the ground.
Takata recall. I was on my way home from work and looked in my rear view mirror and saw smoke. I pulled over to the side of the road only to find my car was beginning to be engulfed in flames. There was no warning, no previous work done on the car...nothing! I was traveling 45 MPH on the street. There were no changes in my driving habit or anything like that. I called the police and fire dept. They responded and extinguished the fire. The fire department wrote up a report and determined that the fire started in the engine area. Again, before then, I had no issues with the car, engine or anything electrical. My life was put in danger due to this fire. I reported it to my insurance company and it was an obvious total loss. I am attaching a copy of the fire report for your review.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 smart fortwo. After stopping the vehicle, the contact noticed an abnormal odor and observed smoke and flames coming from the engine compartment. The fire department extinguished the fire and determined that the vehicle's insulation caught fire on the heat shield. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,000...updated 02/01/16 *bf the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired.
My 2008 smart has a little over 36,000 miles on it. Since around 06/16/2015, the gear shift would get stuck and not go into reverse or drive. After a few attempts, it would eventually go into the correct gear. On sunday 06/28/2015, regardless of numbers of attempt, it only goes from p to n and will not shift to reverse or drive. I purchased this car the day it came on the market in may 2008 and picked it up from mb of laguna nieguel. I even purchased an extended warranty on it (5yrs, 75,000 miles) which at the time of purchase, I was told begins after the initial manufacture's warrenty expires. I am now told the extended warranty is already expired. How does a car with under 36,000 start to have transmission problems when all it's services were completed by the dealership at the time it was required?! Mb of beverly hills service advisor (john) told me this mornign it would take 2-3 wks be fore I can take the car in and get a loaner car so they can diagnoise the problem, when there are hundreds of smart owners who have complained about this same exact problem on the web. A lego car would probably last longer than this vehicle made by mercedes benz!!
I purchased a 2008 smart car on 21 oct 13. The check engine light came on at the end of december of 13. I took it in to honest 1 to have it serviced, oil changed, all fluids checked, brakes and engine. I was told that all fluids were great and I paid the bill. The engine light was still on and I went back in. The gentleman worked on it for several minutes and then turned it off. On 30 mar 14 I was driving home from church and the car died in the middle of the road with all the dash board lights coming on, by the grace of god I was able to get over to the right side of the road with out incident. At the smart car dealership I am now told that the engine had no water in the radiator, the head is cracked and the engine seized up. Here is the problem..... There was no check engine light and no high temp radiator light show up to say there was a problem. If one had come on you can be sure that I would have had it looked into. I now have to buy a used engine and my concern is that this could happen again.
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