2009 Smart Fortwo Cabrio Problems

FAN BLOWER MOTOR WILL NOT WORK TO MOVE HEAT TO WINDSHIELD TO DEFROST IN WINTER. I CAN NOT SEE OUT OF WINDSHIELD.

HAD BEEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY FOR APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES WHEN A STRONG ODOR OF ELECTRICAL WIRING BURNING BECAME EVIDENT. WINDSHIELD WIPERS, HORN, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND DASH LIGHTS BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. PULLED CAR TO SIDE OF ROAD AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM DASH. DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE AND THEN FLAMES BECAME EVIDENT FROM DASH AND FRONT AREA OF CAR. CAR BURNED COMPLETELY, TOTAL LOSS. *TR

REVERSE DOESN'T ENGAGE WHEN SHIFTING THE GEAR TO R, EITHER I HAVE TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE OR GO THE MANUAL SHIFTS THEN EVENTUALLY THE REVERSE GEAR WILL ENGAGE. SOMETIMES IT TAKES MINUTES TO ENGAGE AND IT BECOMES PROBLEMATIC WHEN CONDUCTING IN TRAFFIC AND IT IS VERY HAZARDOUS.

(1) POWER TRAIN ISSUE; NO RHYME OR REASON THE VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. AFTER SOME TIME, I DISCOVERED THAT YOU MUST SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND RE-START TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION INTO GEAR. THIS SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING MORE OFTEN OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS! I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN AFTER PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND TRYING TO PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO R OR D, I HAVE TRIED PLACING THE CAR INTO N AND BACK TO EITHER R OR D WITH NO LUCK, AGAIN HAD TO RE-START WHILE BLOCKING TRAFFIC! THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING ON A NEWER VEHICLE. (2) ELECTRICAL ISSUE; NO RHYME OR REASON THE HEATER/AC BLOWER WILL NOT POWER ON AND IS INTERMITTENT ISSUE. AFTER SOME TIME NOW, I HAVE DETERMINED THAT I HAVE TO RAP ON THE DASH BY THE GLOVE BOX TO START THE BLOWER. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE BLOWER STOP WORKING WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AFTER HITTING A POT HOLE OR A BIG BUMP. IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A SHORT IN THE WIRING, BUT I,M UNABLE TO LOCATE IT. REALLY WORRIED ABOUT A VEHICLE FIRE OVER TIME? (3) ELECTRICAL ISSUE; I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLAMPS SEVERAL TIMES SINCE OWNERSHIP OF VEHICLE. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ISSUE OF THE FIXTURE NOT SEALING CORRECTLY. LUCKILY, I HAVE ONLY LOST ONE HEADLAMP AT A TIME, WHY HAS THEN NOT BEEN ADDRESSED? *TR

BLOWER MOTOR OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES IT WILL COME ON AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T, NO RHYME OR REASON TO IT. HEATER AND AC FUNCTION PROPERLY, BUT WITHOUT A FORCED AIR SYSTEM. THIS BECOMES A MAJOR PROBLEM WHEN THE WINDOWS FOG UP DURING RAINY OR COLD WEATHER AND THERE IS NO WAY TO CLEAR THEM. I HAVE READ OF MANY OF THESE COMPLAINTS ONLINE EVEN ON THE SMART CAR FORUM. SMART DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEM. OUT OF 20 OR SO CARS IN MY LIFE I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN ISSUE OF THIS NATURE AND IT CAN CREATE A HAZARD DUE TO INABILITY TO SEE WHILE DRIVING. *TR

BLOWER MOTOR BECAME INTERMITTENT THEN FAILED AT ONLY 16,000 MILES. CAUSES SAFETY ISSUE WITH INABILITY TO DEFROST WINDSHIELD AND SIDE WINDOWS, DRIVER DISTRACTION FIDDLING WITH CONTROLS, DRIVER DISCOMFORT AND DISTRACTION FROM HIGH HEAT IN CABIN DUE TO LOSS OF AIR CONDITIONING IN OVER 100 DEGREE F WEATHER. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SMART FORTWO CABRIO. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V273000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS 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. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

MY HEAD LIGHTS KEEP ON BURNING OUT ABOUT EVERY 6 TO 7 MONTHS ONE AT A TIME AND NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT 14 DOLLARS EACH TIME. *TR

I OWN THE 2009 BRABUS MODEL SMART WHICH COMES WITH LOW PROFILE TIRES THAT IN THE 5000 MILES THAT I HAVE DRIVEN, I HAVE BENT OR CRACKED ROUGHLY 7 RIMS TO THE POINT OF REPLACEMENT. I AM PRESENTLY ON MY 7TH AND 8TH BROKEN RIM WITH THIS CAR AND ON OCTOBER 18TH OF LAST YEAR I LOST CONTROL OF MY SMART ON THE HIGHWAY LEADING TO A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. ONE SECOND I WAS GOING PERFECTLY STRAIGHT, THEN I COULD NOT TURN AT ALL. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A JUNK YARD WHERE THE FRONT WAS PRETTY MUCH MISSING. WHAT STOOD OUT WAS THERE WAS BASICALLY HALF A RIM ON THE RIGHT FRONT AND NO TIRE. I HAVE HELD ONTO THE RIM AND AFTER THE ACCIDENT CONTACTED SMART SO THAT THEY COULD LOOK FOR METAL FATIGUE, OR SOME FORM OF CAUSE FOR THE RIM TO BE IN THAT SHAPE. I SENT SMART MY PHOTOS OF THE CAR, THE RIM ETC., THEY RECEIVED THEM AND I NEVER HEARD BACK. I KEPT THE RIM AT HOME WITH THE HOPES OF ONE DAY THEY WOULD CONTACT ME, NOTHING. RECENTLY, I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK IN BECAUSE THE FRONT TIRE WAS "WOBBLING" AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS BADLY DENTED AND SO WAS THE BACK RIM AS WELL. THESE ARE EITHER RIMS 7 AND 8 OR 8 AND 9 THAT NEED REPLACEMENT. THE DEALER COULD CARE LESS ABOUT MY ISSUES, MY ACCIDENT OR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS THAT MIGHT HAVE THIS SIMILAR PRODUCT. MY CAR IS AT THE DEALER NOW, TWO DENTED RIMS AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A "REFURBISHED" REPLACEMENT FOR ONE RIM AND THE OTHER DOES NOT WARRANT REPAIR ACCORDING TO THEM. IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRIMINAL HOW THEY DISMISS MY ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. NEITHER THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, OR WHATEVER USELESS SMART CUSTOMER CARE NUMBER THEY GAVE ME DO ANYTHING. HELP! I AM EITHER GOING TO GET KILLED IN THIS THING, OR SOMEONE ELSE WILL HAVE THE SAME ISSUES AS ME AND GET HURT. THIS IS NOT TO MENTION, WE NEVER DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT IS ALWAYS IN THE SHOP. *TR