Smart (Mcc) City Coupe: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Smart (Mcc) City Coupe fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 10.4 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 4,269 individual Smart (Mcc) City Coupe tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate66.3%
UK national average76.7%
Difference-10.4 points
Tests analysed4,269
Average mileage at test68,033 miles
Average year of manufacture2004
Reliability rank1,845 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 66.3% first-time pass rate means roughly 34 in every 100 Smart (Mcc) City Coupes presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Smart (Mcc) City Coupe tested had covered 68,033 miles and was built around 2004.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Smart (Mcc) City Coupe sits 10.4 points below the national average, ranked 1,845 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Smart (Mcc) City Coupe rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Smart (Mcc) City Coupes at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Smart (Mcc) City Coupe

  1. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 4.5% of tests (8.81x the national rate for this defect)
  2. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 2.1% of tests (6.02x the national rate for this defect)
  3. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 12.1% of tests (5.16x the national rate for this defect)
  4. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.5% of tests (4.13x the national rate for this defect)
  5. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 6.3% of tests (3.72x the national rate for this defect)
  6. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 4.5% of tests (3.63x the national rate for this defect)
  7. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 4.3% of tests (3.15x the national rate for this defect)
  8. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2.6% of tests (2.41x the national rate for this defect)
  9. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 4.7% of tests (2.08x the national rate for this defect)
  10. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 3.8% of tests (1.7x the national rate for this defect)

From 4,269 DVSA-tracked Smart (Mcc) City Coupe tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 2.8% of these flagged Smart (Mcc) City Coupe defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Smart (Mcc) City Coupe

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Smart (Mcc) City Coupe before it actually fails on it.

  1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 5.4% of tests (9.66x the national rate for this advisory)
  2. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 6.9% of tests (5.03x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
  3. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 4% of tests (3.64x the national rate for this advisory)
  4. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 21.4% of tests (3.45x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
  5. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 4.4% of tests (3.32x the national rate for this advisory)
  6. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 7.3% of tests (2.75x the national rate for this advisory)
  7. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 12.1% of tests (2.18x the national rate for this advisory)
  8. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 10.2% of tests (2.17x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
  9. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 9.3% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this advisory)
  10. A tyre seriously damaged, 21.3% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this advisory)

From 4,269 DVSA-tracked Smart (Mcc) City Coupe tests, 2024.

Smart (Mcc) City Coupe pass rate by model year

From its 2002 to its 2007 model year, the Smart (Mcc) City Coupe's first-time pass rate has fallen 2.8 points, from 67.2% to 64.4%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each Smart (Mcc) City Coupe year:

Other Smart (Mcc) models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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Smart (Mcc) City Coupe MOT pass rate badge: 66.3%

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/smart-mcc-city-coupe"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/smart-mcc-city-coupe.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Smart (Mcc) City Coupe MOT Pass Rate: 66.3% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

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Smart (Mcc) City Coupe most common MOT failure: Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer (4.5% of tests)

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/smart-mcc-city-coupe"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/smart-mcc-city-coupe.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="Smart (Mcc) City Coupe most common MOT failure: Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer (4.5% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate