Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Smart Fortwo submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The 90 degree fittings(integral to the fuel pump) on top of the fuel pump cracked and leaks gasoline leading to a potential fire that could cause bodily injury for the driver and passenger. It is noticeable because of strong gasoline smell inside and outside of the car. There are many of the same complaints from Smart Car drivers in various forum.
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
DURING ROUTINE DRIVING, GRADUALLY SMELLED STRONGER GASOLINE ODORS. ODOR REMAINED WITH CAR WHILE PARKED & UNUSED FOR SEVERAL DAYS. SMELLED STRONG GASOLINE ODOR WHEN ENGINE RUNNING WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. OBSERVED GASOLINE IS SLOWLY DRIPPING UNDER CAR, FORWARD OF THE REAR-MOUNTED ENGINE COMPARTMENT, FROM HOLE LOCATED IN PLASTIC UNDERCAR SHIELD. HAVE READ THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM LIKELY WITH FUEL TANKS THAT SMARTUSA OR MERCEDES REQUIRED TO BE MODIFIED BY G&K FOR AN EMISSIONS SYSTEM UPDATE PRIOR TO RETAIL SALE, MANY OWNERS REPORT GAS TANK CRACKS WHERE MODIFICATION HOSE FITTING ADDED, OR LEAKS AT THE MODIFIED FITTING DUE TO ADHESIVE OR SEALANT FAILURE. WORST-CASE, RAW GASOLINE OR GASOLINE VAPORS DRIFTING REARWARD ONTO HOT ENGINE COMPONENTS LIKE EXHAUST MANIFOLD REPRESENT A SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD. I DON'T YET KNOW THE EXACT SOURCE OF GASOLINE LEAK. THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF THE SMART FORTWO CATCHING FIRE DURING OPERATION. PRAY THIS DEFECT WILL RECEIVE ATTENTION PRIOR TO FATALITY.
2008 SMART PASSION, 116K MILES, MAINTAINED AT RECOMMENDED SERVICE INTERVALS: CONDITION: VEHICLE IN USE, VARIOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS: "OLD GAS" SMELL INSIDE VEHICLE AFTER A BREAK FROM USAGE OF ~4-8 HOURS. "FRESH GAS" SMELL OUTSIDE VEHICLE NEAR THE REAR, AFTER VEHICLE IS USED. NO SMELL INSIDE OR OUTSIDE IF VEHICLE IS LEFT TO STAND 2-3 DAYS. INSPECTION: NO FLUID LEAKS OBSERVED UNDER CAR. CONDITION IS REPEATING/REPEATABLE. UPON REMOVING RH REAR LAMP INSPECTION PLATE, GAS SMELL WAS FOUND TO BE GREATER. NO VISUAL EVIDENCE OF OVERFILL ON THE FUEL FILLER TUBE OBSERVABLE INSIDE INSPECTION COVER. NO WET OR MOIST DUST/DIRT FOUND IN OR NEAR SAME. INSPECTED UNDER-CAR, FORWARD OF ENGINE FOR EVIDENCE OF LEAKING, NONE FOUND. INSPECTED ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUEL RAIL AND FUEL RETURNS. NO LEAKS/SEEPS FOUND. NO INSULATION DEGRADATION FOUND, NO MODIFICATIONS OR FOREIGN MATERIAL FOUND. CONCERN: SIMILAR YEAR/MODEL/MILEAGE SMARTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS HAVING CAUGHT FIRE "IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT". ONE ONLINE RESOURCE HAS DOCUMENTED CRACKED/BROKEN FUEL PUMP OUTLET/INLET/BYPASS NIPPLES (WHICH RESULTED IN AN OBSERVED POOL OF GAS UNDER THE CAR). ACTION: FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE FUEL TANK, PUMP AND VAPOR-RECOVERY SYSTEMS ARE PLANNED.
TOP OF FUEL PUMP CRACK AFTER CAR HIT BUMPY ROADWAYS LEAKING FUEL FILLING WITH GASOLINE FUMES
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 NHTSA 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.
FUEL LEAK
FRACTURE IN THE PLASTIC NIPPLE AT THE TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP WHICH CONNECTS THE FUEL PUMP OUTPUT TO THE ENGINE. THIS CONDITION ALLOWED GASOLINE TO SPRAY ALL OVER THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER'S FIELD REPRESENTATIVE WHO WAS PRESENT WHEN THE DEFECT WAS DISCOVERED STATED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND WAS NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR
INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) VEHICLE INFO 2008 SMARTCAR STYLE: PURE COLOR: SILVER VIN: [XXX] PURCHASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 20, 2008 PURCHASE PRICE: $17,000.00 BEGINNING MILEAGE: 417 DEALER INFORMATION [XXX] DESCRIPTION/EXPLANATION OF EVENTS BEGINNING IN JUNE 2008 TO SEPTEMBER 20, 2008, I SPENT TIME DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE REGARDING THE NEW SMARTCAR AND THE PERFORMANCE POSSIBILITIES IT WOULD HAVE IN MY FORESTRY CONSULTING BUSINESS. I TYPICALLY DRIVE 4,500 TO 5,000 MILES PER MONTH AND MY FORD F-150 WAS USING APPROXIMATELY 26 GALLONS OF FUEL PER DAY AT A COST OF $4.25 PER GALLON. THIS DUE DILIGENCE INCLUDED MEETING WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER OF SMART CENTER SEATTLE AND GIVING HIM A FULL DESCRIPTION OF WHAT WORK I WOULD BE DOING AND DETERMINING HOW I THOUGHT THE CAR WOULD HOLD UP. WE EVEN MEASURED THE CLEARANCE OF A SHOWROOM CAR WHICH WAS ACCEPTABLE. I WAS SCHEDULED FOR A TEST DRIVE AND WAS COMPLETELY SOLD ON THE CAR AND THE BENEFITS OF UTILIZING THIS VEHICLE IN MY PROFESSION. I ORDERED A CAR AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD TAKE UP TO 15 MONTHS BEFORE MY CAR WOULD BE BUILT AND DELIVERED. THERE IS A PROGRAM WHERE THE DEALERSHIP CAN SELL CARS THAT WERE ORDERED AND NOT PURCHASED FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. THE CAR I EVENTUALLY PURCHASED WAS ONE OF THESE CARS. I WAS CALLED TO SEE IF I WOULD LIKE TO BUY THIS ONE INSTEAD OF WAITING THE MONTHS FOR MY CAR TO BE MANUFACTURED. WITH THE CURRENT COST OF FUEL AT THE TIME, I DECIDED TO PURCHASE THE CAR AND SURPLUS MY ORDERED CAR WHEN IT CAME INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THE COST OF THE VEHICLE WAS $17,000.00 PLUS THE DEALER PREP, TAX AND SO ON, FOR A TOTAL PRICE OF $19,000. THE VEHICLE HAD A STANDARD 24,000 MILE WARRANTY AND I WAS GIVEN THE OPTION TO PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR AN ADDITIONAL FEE, APPROXIMATELY $2000 IF I RECALL CORRECTLY. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH MILEAGE I DRIVE EACH YEAR, APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES, I DECIDE. *TR
GAS GAUGE ON 2009 SMART FORTWO WILL NOT REGISTER FULL ON FILL UP. CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES TO HAVE REPAIRED AND THEY HAVE REPLACED EVERYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ISSUE. STILL CANNOT FIX. *TR
GAS GAUGE DOES NOT REGISTER FULL ON FILL UPS. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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