Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd): MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd) fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 4.4 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 912 individual Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd) tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 72.3% first-time pass rate means roughly 28 in every 100 Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd)s 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 Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd) tested had covered 80,496 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. On a Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd) bought as a 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 Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd) 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 what damaged Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd)s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd)

1. Audible warning inoperative, 2.5% of tests (12x the national rate for this defect)
2. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 4.3% of tests (9.94x the national rate for this defect)
3. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 1.5% of tests (6.81x the national rate for this defect)
4. An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2% of tests (5.98x the national rate for this defect)
5. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.4% of tests (4.33x the national rate for this defect)
6. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 3.1% of tests (3.8x the national rate for this defect)
7. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.6% of tests (1.61x the national rate for this defect)
8. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.4% of tests (1.46x the national rate for this defect)
9. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.4% of tests (1.45x the national rate for this defect)
10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2.2% of tests (1.27x the national rate for this defect)

From 1,337 DVSA-tracked Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd) tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 2.3% of these flagged Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd) defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd) pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd) year:

• 2004 Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd) - 71.1% first-time pass, 461 tests
• 2005 Smart Roadster 80 Auto(Rhd) - 75.2% first-time pass, 230 tests

Other Smart models

• Smart Fortwo Passion Mhd Auto - 75.9%
• Smart Fortwo Pulse Mhd Auto - 76.1%
• Smart City Passion 61 Auto - 67.5%

Models with a similar pass rate

• MG Tf - 72.4%
• Toyota Hi-Ace - 72.3%
• Lexus Rx300 - 72.3%
• Mazda Bongo Friendee - 72.3%
• Ford Mondeo - 72.2%
• Ford Ka - 72.2%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate