Smart EQ Forfour Prime Exclusive
Registered from 2020 to 2021.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2020 electric. 25 of 304 tests failed, 8%.
Better than 50% of 2020 cars. The typical one fails 8%, across 906 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres and wheels | 40% | 10 |
| Visibility | 36% | 9 |
| Lights and electrics | 16% | 4 |
| Brakes | 12% | 3 |
| Body and structure | 8% | 2 |
| Suspension | 4% | 1 |
The defects inspectors cite
- A tyre seriously damaged
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
- A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
- A body panel or body component damaged or corroded and likely to cause injury when grazed or contacted, or insecure
- A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- A door will not open using the relevant control or close properly
Where it stands out against its peers
- Visibility: failed more often than 90% of 2020 cars — 36% of its 25 failed tests, where an ordinary 2020 car has 14%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Tyres and wheels — 40% of its failures
- A tyre seriously damaged
- A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber
- Brakes — 12% of its failures
- Lights and electrics — 16% of its failures
- A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
- A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- Visibility — 36% of its failures
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
- Body and structure — 8% of its failures
- A body panel or body component damaged or corroded and likely to cause injury when grazed or contacted, or insecure
- A door will not open using the relevant control or close properly
- A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber