The contact owns a 2009 Smart Fortwo. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. The vehicle was turned off, the contact waited, and then restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as needed. The failure had occurred several times while driving. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to brake immediately and drifted to the left. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard for the vehicle to come to a stop. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the ABS was faulty and retrieved Diagnostic Trouble Codes: 1314 and C1443. The contact stated that the front brake pads were replaced by the dealer, and the rear brake pads were replaced by a certified mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired for the failure to accelerate, and the failure persisted. The vehicle was purchased on July 17, 2025, and the seller kept the repair issues with the vehicle from the contact and failed to provide information on the previous repairs. The contact stated that the failure recurred after retrieving the vehicle. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,254.
The worst 2009 smart Fortwo problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine28
- Transmission27
- Electrical14
- Body10
- Fuel system9
- Airbags5
- Seat belts5
- Tires5
- Wheels5
- Brakes3
- Suspension2
- Acceleration1
- Driver assistance1
- Lights1
- Locks1
- Visibility1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2009 smart Fortwo
Fire or smoke 10Won't shift 7Airbag light 5Fuel pump 5Seat belt 5Won't start 5
Recalls 1
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2008-2009 smart fortwo cabrio and fortwo coupe vehicles. The rear insulation mat in the engine compartment may deform, deteriorate, and loosen over time, allowing the mat to contact hot exhaust system components.
- Risk
- If the mat contacts hot exhaust system components, it can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear insulation mat with an improved one, free of charge. The recall began in July 2018. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2018060010.
Recall number 18V273000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2009 smart Fortwo
Defect investigations
Engine Compartment Fire
On April 30, 2018, Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, (Mercedes-Benz) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to the federal safety agency regarding a defect that could result in a vehicle fire starting from the engine compartment in 42,781 model year (MY) 2008 and 2009 Smart Fortwo cabrio and coupe vehicles (451 platform).According to Mercedes-Benz?s DIR, ?the rear insulation mat within the engine compartment might deform, deteriorate, loosen and over time, subsequently be able to contact hot components of the exhaust system.This could lead to an ignition of the insulation mat and possible fire in the engine compartment.?The US-specification exhaust system has an external catalytic converter packaged close to the insulation mat, where temperatures in the vicinity of the insulation mat reach high values.Over time, these temperatures can lead to a change in the insulation mat's material characteristics and ultimately allow the material to deform. Depending on the magnitude and the specific location of the deformation, the insulation mat could contact hot components of the exhaust system and ignite.Mercedes-Benz will replace the rear insulation mat on the affected vehicles with the improved mat first implemented in the United States in MY 2010 vehicles.ODI?s analysis of fire incident field data reported to the federal safety agency and Mercedes-Benz show an increasing trend of non-crash fires in the subject vehicles that begins after 4 years of service and accelerates after 7 years of service.The analysis shows that this trend is driven by fires occurring in the engine compartment.Forensic investigations of fires occurring in the past year identified the insulation mat as a likely or possible cause of most of the fires originating in the engine compartment.This investigation is closed based on Mercedes-Benz insulation mat recall.For more information about field data trends and fire investigations, see the closing resume in the document file for this investigation.
EA17003
Engine Compartment Fire
On December 16, 2016, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE16-016 to investigate eight complaints alleging incidents of engine compartment fire while driving or shortly after engine shutdown in model year (MY) 2008 through 2009 Smart Fortwo vehicles.The complaints appeared to indicate an increasing trend, with all eight fires occurring since January 2015.As part of PE16-016, ODI analyzed information related to incidents reported to the Office by consumers, analyzed field data and technical information submitted by Mercedes-Benz USA (Mercedes) in response to the PE16-016 information request letter, and analyzed non-crash vehicle fire claim data provided by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).To date, ODI's analysis of incidents reported by consumers and provided by Mercedes has identified 27 incidents of open flame fires originating in the engine compartments of the subject vehicles, 14 of which were reported to ODI by Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and 18 involving complaints or field reports to Mercedes (5 of the incidents were reported to both ODI and Mercedes).One incident reported to Mercedes includes an allegation of an injury from smoke inhalation.Nineteen (19) of the incidents occurred since January 2015.Mercedes has only investigated 2 of the 27 fire incidents, and the company was unable to identify a vehicle-based cause for either incident.To further assess incident rates and trends, ODI requested fire claim data for the subject vehicles and eight peer vehicles from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).HLDI collects insurance claim data from companies representing over 80 percent of the market for private passenger vehicle insurance in the United States.ODI?s analysis of the HLDI data, which covered the period from 2010 through late-2016, found that the MY 2008 Fortwo vehicles had a significantly higher claim frequency than its peers and, similar to ODI?s complaint trend, experienced a sharp increase in claims in 2015.This investigation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA17-003) to continue to investigate the high frequency and increasing trend of non-crash engine compartment fire incidents in the subject vehicles.The VOQs associated with the opening of this investigation were:10676359, 10780222, 10790017, 10820891, 10872656, 10944676, 10916505, 10924311, 10924637, 10939504, 10945296, 10993895, 11011100, 11011565.
PE16016
Technical service bulletins for the 2009 smart Fortwo 51
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60MPH. NOTE: Although the symptom is...
- Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors
- Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end)
- There are several types of complaint about noises or poor windshield wiper wiping performance: A: Wiper...
- Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged
- Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end)
- Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged
- Headlamps leaking or fogged
- During a phone call, the called party has difficulty understanding/cannot understand the driver, or...
- Washer fluid system leaks
2009 smart Fortwo fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0L 3‑cyl | RWD | 33 | 41 | 36 |
What 2009 smart Fortwo owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz Smart ForTwo. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V273000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer scheduled an appointment at the dealer; however, the dealer contacted the contact and decline to honor the recall repair appointment. The contact contacted two dealers and was informed that they do not perform repair on Mercedes-Benz Smart Cars. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz Smart Fortwo. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V273000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer and several unknown dealers were contacted and informed the contact that they did not service Smart vehicles. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
When starting the car, the transmission will not respond to the shifter being put into any gear. A computer diagnostic says it is a communications issue. Mercedes, who sold the car to me new, refuses to do any repair work as they have discontinued Smart sales in the US. If the communications for the transmission fails during operation, this will be very dangerous. There are numerous reports on the internet of similar issues and owners trying to repair this themselves. Mercedes needs to be forced to repair what they have sold and represented. If this is a software update issue, who has the software to fix this issue? It is outrageous that the federal safety agency has not enforced these issues with Mercedes Benz of America.
The contact owns a 2009 Smart ForTwo. The contact stated that on multiple occasions when the vehicle was parked and the gear shifter was shifted, the transmission would only shift into neutral. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond when the accelerator pedal was depressed. Additionally, the tire pressure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact also received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V273000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, parts to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
2008 Smart Fortwo has a recall open for reprograming the transmission computer because of rough shifting and bucking while shifting and lugging the engine to much before down shifting. Mine is a 2008 but the VIN was not included in the recall and I am having the same problems with mine. Can mine be added to the recall?
The contact owns a 2009 Smart ForTwo. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light was illuminated and would not turn off. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the driver’s side air bag replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The independent mechanic had to order the parts for the repair. The dealer was contacted however, the dealer was unable to confirm when the part would be available. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
Fuel pump connectors cracked leaking fuel.
Electric fuel pump inlet and outlet nipples to fuel hoses broke and caused fuel leakage.
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz Smart ForTwo. The contact stated while attempting to have the vehicle repaired under the federal safety agency 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.
Compare the 2009 smart Fortwo
Other model years
Questions about the 2009 smart Fortwo
Is the 2009 smart Fortwo reliable?
Owners have filed 100 complaints about the 2009 smart Fortwo, 12.5 times a typical Fortwo model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 smart Fortwo?
Engine and cooling, with 28 complaints, typically around 50,000 miles. Next is transmission (27).
How many recalls does the 2009 smart Fortwo have?
1 recall, covering engine and engine cooling.
Was there a recall on the 2009 smart Fortwo engine?
Yes, 1 recall: 18V273000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the smart Fortwo have bad engine?
The smart Fortwo model years with the most engine complaints are 2008 (45 complaints) and 2009 (28 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2009 smart Fortwo get?
Official estimates for the 2009 smart Fortwo range from 36 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.0L 3-cyl, RWD) gets 33 city and 41 highway.
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