2008 Smart Fortwo Powertrain (other) Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SMART FORTWO. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, IT FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF ORLANDO (810 ORLANDO AVE, MAITLAND, FL 32751, (407) 680-0784) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT LEAST FOUR TIMES PREVIOUSLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

NHTSA ID

11292231

Incident

Dec 31, 2019

Mileage

30,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SMART FORTWO. AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WOULD NOT SWITCH TO THE REVERSE POSITION. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

NHTSA ID

11173470

Incident

Nov 1, 2018

Mileage

45,000 mi

IT WILL STOP WORKING AND WILL NOT GO INTO DRIVE AT ALL THE CAR JUST SIT THERE AND WILL NOT DRIVE AT ALL, THIS IS NOT GOOD WHEN SITTING IN TRAFFIC LIGHTS

NHTSA ID

11006774

Incident

Jul 21, 2017

Mileage

5 mi

KNOW ISSUE WITH TRANSMISSION. WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE HALF THE TIME. MAKING IT DANGEROUS IF NEEDED QUICKLY. PARALLEL PARKING ON A BUSY STREET, THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE, HOLDING UP TRAFFIC FOR A VERY LONG TIME. HAVING TO PUSH IT INTO THE SPOT! MERCEDES SAYS IT IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. BUT THAT SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR PROBLEM. MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH AND THE CAR INSTANTLY STARTS FLASHING NEUTRAL AND BEEPING. CAR SLOWS AND WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR. WE NEED THIS CAR TO BE RECALLED! *TR

NHTSA ID

10933698

Incident

Nov 20, 2016

Mileage

84,000 mi

THE CARS TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SWITCH TO REVERSE INTERMITTENTLY ITS AN ELECTRICAL THINGS

NHTSA ID

10925581

Incident

Nov 4, 2016

Mileage

20,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING REAR MOTOR CAUGHT FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10924311

Incident

Oct 17, 2016

Mileage

35,756 mi

WHILE DRIVING CAR WILL DRIVE FINE..STOP TO PARALLEL PARK OR REVERSE...CAR WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE GEAR..OR DRIVE GEAR.... SHUT CAR OFF TO RESET EVERYTHING THEN CAR WILL NOT START UP FOR AWHILE..... IF AT ALL TAKEN TO SMART CENTER TO NO AVIL CALLED SMART ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS GIVE ME A $500 DOLLAR DISCOUNT ON ANOTHER SMART CAR... AND NO ANSWER TO THE CURRENT PROBLEM IM HAVING WITH A CURRENT SMART CAR CAR ONLY HAS 43,277 MILES

NHTSA ID

10883106

Incident

Jun 3, 2016

Mileage

43,277 mi

FAILURE TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE. GEARSHIFT MOVES BUT GEAR DISPLAY GOES BLANK AND CHIME SOUNDS. SOMETIMES IT WILL GO INTO DRIVE. IT MAY BE A SOLENOID PROBLEM. VERY FRUSTRATING AND IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE OVER TIME. I NOW HAVE 38,000 MILES ON THE CAR. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. I EXPECT BETTER OUT OF DAMLIER BENZ. *TR

NHTSA ID

10653909

Incident

Apr 21, 2013

Mileage

28,000 mi

VEHICLE STARTED NOT GOING INTO REVERSE WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE FROM DRIVE. ALSO IF IDLING THEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE IT WILL NOT GO, IT WOULD GO TO NEUTRAL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10632335

Incident

Dec 1, 2008

Mileage

5,000 mi

IN TRAFFIC, ATTEMPTING TO PARALLEL PARK, CAR FAILS TO SHIFT INTO "R" MUST TURN CAR OFF IN MIDDLE OF ROAD, RESTART THREE TIMES TO FINALLY GET CAR TO ENGAGE "R" OR "D" TO MOVE THE CAR SAFELY OUT OF TRAFFIC. 1- THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME MANY DOZENS OF TIMES, I PREVIOUSLY REPORTED A SIMILAR PROBLEM. 2- I SEE MANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL ISSUED? *JS

NHTSA ID

10579489

Incident

Apr 12, 2014

Mileage

47,000 mi

THE CAR JUST SHUTS OFF AT ANYTIME WHILEDRIVING IN D YOUR JUST A SITTING DUCK CANT USE GEAR TO UNLOCK TRAMMISSION SO IT COULD BE MOVED OUT OF WAY OF ON COMMING TRAFFIC, THERES NO WARNING THE CARS IS IN THE SHOP NOW, THIS HAS HAPPEN TO OTHER SMART FORTWO OWNERS, ITS A DEATH TRAP WATING TO HAPPEN NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE MORE PEOPLE LOSE THERE LIFE, LOOK AT GM .54CENT COULD HAVE SAVED MANY LOSE LIVES. PLEASE HELP THE PUBLIC,, *TR

NHTSA ID

10577830

Incident

Apr 5, 2014

Mileage

43,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT AT ABOUT 45 MILES PER HOUR, I WAS SHIFTING INTO FIFTH GEAR AND THE CAR JUST WENT BLANK. THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND ALL NOISE CEASED TO EXIST. AT FIRST IT WAS A BIT OF A SHOCK, SO I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF OF THE ROAD ONTO THE DIRT. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO CARS AROUND AS THE SUDDEN LOSE OF POWER COULD HAVE CAUSED SOMEONE TO RUN INTO ME, AS I HAD NO LIGHTS. AFTER LOOKING AROUND THE INSDE OF THE CAR I NOTICED THAT THE KEY WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. THE KEY ON THIS CAR IS IN THE MIDDLE CONSOLE, RIGHT NEXT TO THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR. I DETERMINED THAT UPON SHIFTING MY JACKET SLEEVE HAD BRUSHED AGAINST THE KEY, AND BECUASE THE KEY IS SO EASY TO TURN OFF FROM THE ON POSITION, THE KEY JUST TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING. THIS WAS THE FIRST OCCURRANCE OF THIS, AS IT HAPPEND ONE MORE TIME. I HAVE HAD TO REMEMBER NOT TO LEAVE MY HAND DOWN BY THE SHIFT LEVER, IN FEAR OF TURNING OFF THE KEY WITHOUT KNOWING IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10577754

Incident

Mar 17, 2013

Mileage

82,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SMART FORTWO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE GEAR AND THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 29,942.

NHTSA ID

10577091

Incident

Jan 1, 2012

Mileage

27,000 mi

PUT CAR INTO REVERSE. DISPLAY WOULD NOT SHOW REVERSE NOR WOULD IT GO INTO REVERSE. I TURNED CAR OFF, WAITED UNTIL COMPUTER RESET THEN TURNED THE KEY. CAR SEQUENCED THROUGH THE GEARS TO 'RELEARN' THE SEQUENCE. I STARTED THE CAR AND IT STILL WON'T FIND THE REVERSE GEAR. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. CLUTCH WAS REPLACED BY DEALER 5 MONTHS AGO AND SOFTWARE WAS UPGRADED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10566887

Incident

Mar 2, 2014

Mileage

63,000 mi

THE 2008 SMART CAR, HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY, SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL, WHILE DRIVING, USUALLY, WHEN ENTERING, OR EXITING A HIGHWAY, OR AT AN INTERSECTION (SPEED CHANGES). THE CAR SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL, AND THEN USUALLY SHUTS DOWN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE REAR ENDED, FROM UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS BEHIND THIS VEHICLE..THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN THE CAR, WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE, WHILE PARKED..SMART OFFERED A SOFTWARE FIX, TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE. HAD THAT DONE, THEN PROBLEM PROGRESSED, TO SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING, AND STALLING OUT...AT TIMES CAR, WOULD RESTART, BUT IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR, INDICATING ONLY A FLASHING NEUTRAL POSITION. AT TIMES, CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL, BECAUSE WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT GEAR IT WAS IN...IF WAITED 10-20 MINUTES, OR SEVERAL HOURS, IT MIGHT RESTART, AND SHIFT, FOR A SHORT PERIOD, BEFORE IT DID THE SAME THING AGAIN...APPARENTLY IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM, WITH THE SMART CAR FORUMS, FULL OF COMPLAINTS, ABOUT THE 2008 YEAR, WITH SMART CO., AT TIMES, AUTHORIZING REPAIRS, AND REPLACEMENT WITH 2009 MECHANISMS, THAT DO NOT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE 2008 MODEL YEAR. THERE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A RECALL FOR THE 2008 SMART CAR, MODEL YEAR, BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED, ENTERING, EXITING A HIGHWAY, AT A RAILROAD CROSSING, OR AT AN INTERSECTION, WHERE THE CAR, SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL, WON'T SHIFT OUT, AND SHUTS OFF... THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ID

10552991

Incident

Nov 7, 2013

Mileage

71,350 mi

THE 2008 SMART CAR, HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY, SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL, WHILE DRIVING, USUALLY, WHEN ENTERING, OR EXITING A HIGHWAY, OR AT AN INTERSECTION (SPEED CHANGES). THE CAR SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL, AND THEN USUALLY SHUTS DOWN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE REAR ENDED, FROM UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS BEHIND THIS VEHICLE..THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN THE CAR, WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE, WHILE PARKED..SMART OFFERED A SOFTWARE FIX, TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE. HAD THAT DONE, THEN PROBLEM PROGRESSED, TO SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING, AND STALLING OUT...AT TIMES CAR, WOULD RESTART, BUT IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR, INDICATING ONLY A FLASHING NEUTRAL POSITION. AT TIMES, CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL, BECAUSE WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT GEAR IT WAS IN...IF WAITED 10-20 MINUTES, OR SEVERAL HOURS, IT MIGHT RESTART, AND SHIFT, FOR A SHORT PERIOD, BEFORE IT DID THE SAME THING AGAIN...APPARENTLY IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM, WITH THE SMART CAR FORUMS, FULL OF COMPLAINTS, ABOUT THE 2008 YEAR, WITH SMART CO., AT TIMES, AUTHORIZING REPAIRS, AND REPLACEMENT WITH 2009 MECHANISMS, THAT DO NOT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE 2008 MODEL YEAR. THERE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A RECALL FOR THE 2008 SMART CAR, MODEL YEAR, BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED, ENTERING, EXITING A HIGHWAY, AT A RAILROAD CROSSING, OR AT AN INTERSECTION, WHERE THE CAR, SHIFTS INTO NEUTRAL, WON'T SHIFT OUT, AND SHUTS OFF... THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ID

10552988

Incident

Oct 17, 2013

Mileage

71,300 mi

SMART CAR HAD HISTORY OF NOT GOING IN REVERSE. "R" WOULD NOT COME UP ON SCREEN, CAR WOULD JUST ROLL FORWARD, HITTING VEHICLE(S) IN FRONT. THEN FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, (2 YEARS) CAR WOULD GO INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING, (EVEN ON HIGHWAY) COAST FOR A WHILE, THEN SHUT DOWN, AND NOT RESTART. IF YOU WAITED 10 MINUTES, IT WOULD USUALLY RESTART. IF TRIED SOONER, IT EITHER WOULD NOT RESTART, OR ONLY GO INTO NEUTRAL. IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO ANY OTHER GEAR. THE OTHER DAY, AFTER APPROACHING HILL, AT RED LIGHT, CAR WENT INTO NEUTRAL, THEN SHUT DOWN, AND BRAKES WOULD NOT RESPOND QUICK ENOUGH SINCE CAR TURNED OFF, AND HIT TWO (2) PEDESTRIANS, CROSSING IN INTERSECTION. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART, WAITED 1 1/2 HOURS, WOULD RESTART AT TIMES, BUT STAYED IN NEUTRAL, (10/2013). HAD TO BE TOWED TO SMART/MERCEDES CENTER, QUOTED ME $3000, TO CHANGE ACTUATER, CLUTCH MOTOR, CLUTCH PRESS, CLUTCH PLATE, AND MAYBE MORE IF NEED TO REPLACE CLUTCH. SMART FORUMS ARE ALL FULL OF THE SAME PROBLEMS, WITH THE SMART CARS, ESPECIALLY THE 2008. MANUFACTURER MUST HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE BY NOW, BUT IS IGNORING THE PROBLEM, APPARENTLY CHANGED DESIGN AND CLUTCH PLATE ASSEMBLY FOR 2009 SMART CARS. BUT HAS NOT RECALLED 2008 YEAR WHERE PROBLEMS ARE COMMON, AND VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10548291

Incident

Dec 12, 2011

Mileage

60,000 mi

THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS AFTER STARTING THE CAR, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THE DASH BOARD SHIFT INDICATOR REMAINED ON THE "N" , BUT THE GEAR SHIFT WAS IN REVERSE. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING IT, THEN WENT INTO REVERSE. WE LIVED WITH PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME, BECAUSE WE, AT LEAST HAD A SOLUTION.JUST RECENTLY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2013 MY WIFE CALLED ME FROM A SHOPPING PLAZA TELLING ME THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR (DRIVE OR REVERSE) IT TOOK ME ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF TURNING THE ENGINE ON AND OFF BEFORE THE CAR WAS ABLE TO GO INTO DRIVE AND REVERSE. FORTUNATELY, SHE WAS IN A PARKING LOT AND NOT ON A HIGHWAY OR TRYING TO PARALLEL ON A BUSY STREET. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM, WHICH NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED BY THE MERCEDES PEOPLE. AFTER VIEWING THE INTERNET, THERE ARE MANY SMART CAR 2008 OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE ADVISE IF A CALL BACK HAS BEEN ISSUED OR WILL BE ISSUED. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ID

10542673

Incident

Sep 1, 2012

Mileage

15,000 mi

ATTEMPTING TO LEAVING STORE PARKING LOT, ENTERED CAR, STARTED ENGINE, MOVED GEAR SHIFT TO "R" BUT TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE AND THE "R" DOES NOT APPEAR IN DASHBOARD DISPLAY. TRY MOVING SHIFTER TO "D" BUT STILL NO TRANSMISSION ENGAGEMENT OR DASH DISPLAY.. SHIFT BACK TO "P" THAT NOW DISPLAYS ON DASH. TRY "R" AGAIN, NOTHING. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE TRANSMISSION FAIL, TURN ENGINE OFF, AND RESTART. NOW IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING CORRECTLY. THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE HAS HAPPENED MANY, MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR. CAN'T IDENTIFY WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THIS ISSUE, I.E. COLD ENGINE, HOT ENGINE, RAIN, HOT SUMMER DAY, COLD WINTER, IT HAPPENS UNDER ANY UNEXPECTED SITUATION.

NHTSA ID

10477561

Incident

Oct 7, 2010

Mileage

25,000 mi

IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY AND HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN ONTO RAMP AND CAR WENT OUT OF GEAR (WHILE DRIVING!). SCREEN WENT BLANK. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME ONCE BEFORE IN A SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE SO I PULLED OVER. TURNED OFF CAR AND FOUND ADVICE ON THE SMART CAR FORUM (THIS HAS OBVIOUSLY HAPPENED TO OTHERS AS WELL). AFTER ABOUT 3 TIMES OF COMPLETING THE CYCLE TO REBOOT THE SYSTEM, IT FINALLY WORKED AND I CONTINUED ON MY WAY. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED DEALER DID A SOFTWARE UPDATE AT MY COST ($200+) BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS...WILL SOMEONE NEED TO DIE BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE WITH A RECALL OF THESE CARS? *TR

NHTSA ID

10464578

Incident

Jul 7, 2012

Mileage

54,000 mi

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE ON A HOT DAY. AFTER APPROX. 1 HOUR OF DRIVING, SLOWED DOWN TO CHANGE LANES, PUT ON BRAKES, SCREEN WENT BLANK AND THERE WERE NO GEARS. NOTHING...THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT THERE WAS NO WAY TO MOVE, AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. WENT ONLINE AND FOUND THAT OTHER OWNERS HAD SAME PROBLEM. WENT THROUGH A COMPUTER RESET AND IT RAN FINE. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY CHARGED ME $200 FOR A SOFTWARE UPDATE (AFTER I HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR $300 TO GET HOME). *TR

NHTSA ID

10464576

Incident

Aug 21, 2010

Mileage

30,000 mi

I HAVE A SMART FORTWO HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE REVERSE CALL THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM AND THAT THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THEY HAD TO UP DATE IT SO THE REVERSE WOULD WORK I HAVE CALL MANY SMART CAR DEALERS THRU OUT THE STATES AND IT IS A PROBLEM SO MY QUESTION IS WHY ISN'T THIS A RECALL BECAUSE I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS BECAUSE THE FACTORY WARRANTY IS UP AND MY REVERSE WENT FORWARD TO I DON'T THINK ITS FAIR THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS SINCE THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS PLEASE HELP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10456796

Incident

Apr 19, 2012