Smart Fortwo owners have reported 4 vehicle speed control related problems since 1996. Table 1 shows the 1 most common vehicle speed control problems. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's vehicle speed control (4 problems). For details of each of the problem category, use the links in the table.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control problems |
Within the space of three months, in the middle of driving my Smartcar, my dash display has gone from showing d (for drive) to n and then flashing three vertical bars. I have lost all control of driving the car and luckily there was space on the side of the road to coast to a stop. When trying to turn the car back on, the three bars remain. There is a way through the shifter to restart the car or at least getting it into neutral. A series of pumping the brake, turning the start key and trying to move the shifter back and forth through gears. Eventually, the car will start. Unfortunately, the three bars of death (as nicknamed on the Smart car forums) can happen for any numerous types of faults such as weak battery to faulty communication with the transmission, to heater/air conditioning operating unit is defective. The list is long. The problem is my car has completely stopped working in the middle of the road without warning and this could be very dangerous.
I was driving on the freeway (5 lane) in my 2012 Smart Fortwo passion coupe in the middle lane at 65-70 mph. All of the sudden my accelerator was no longer functional. I looked down and saw that my speedometer and gear indicator were also non-functional. I was able to coast (despite heavy traffic) to the shoulder of the fast lane - it was impossible for me to get to the slow lane shoulder due to heavy traffic. I was able to use the breaks once I hit the shoulder (unsure if power brakes or not) and once stopped was unable to use automatic windows. I could not move the car out of drive for approximately two minutes. After 2 minutes I tried again to move the car out of drive and was able to put it in park. At that point I was able to re-start the car and accelerate enough to get back on the freeway. I consider myself very lucky to have been able to reach the shoulder (as it ended about 200 yards down the freeway). The experience was absolutely terrifying.
Tl- the contact owns a 2013 Smart Fortwo. The contact stated that the motor hesitated and the accelerator pedal was slow to respond and pick up speed as the failure progressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the spark plugs, brakes and rotors but the failure continued. The contact constantly had to put the gear in shift and change gears back and forth due to the transmission being slow to change over. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact took the vehicle to more than two independent repair shop for further inspection and diagnosis. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was unable to supply a permanent remedy to the dealer to repair the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 11,000. Dyd.
Stopped at a red light behind other car. Vehicle rolled forward while foot was on brake into other stopped vehicle.