AI Damage2009 Smart Fortwo Cabrio: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Smart Fortwo Cabrio filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 11
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 55% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 27% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 18% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 9% of all complaints
- 6 Wheels 9% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (55% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (27% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (9% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 11 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I am presently on my 7th and 8th broken rim with this car and on october 18th of last year I lost control of my smart on the highway leading to a horrible accident. One second I was going perfectly straight, then I could not turn at all.
As I pulled up to the garage and opened the garage door I noticed a banana slug on the ground, so I backed up and put the car into park. I exited the vehicle and left the car running to pick up the slug and move it. As I was doing so, the car started moving towards me up the incline of the driveway.
Reverse doesn't engage when shifting the gear to r, either I have to turn off the vehicle or go the manual shifts then eventually the reverse gear will engage. Sometimes it takes minutes to engage and it becomes problematic when conducting in traffic and it is very hazardous.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 smart fortwo cabrio. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 18v273000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
Windshield wipers, horn, check engine light, and dash lights began to malfunction. Pulled car to side of road and noticed smoke coming from dash. Driver exited the vehicle and then flames became evident from dash and front area of car. Car burned completely, total loss.
Have also had issues with transmission not going into gears right, always have to look to be sure I'm in right spot on shifter, because it doesn't do anything sometimes when you shift into drive or reverse.also, constantly buying headlights! Noticed on hills these cars have a tendency to roll when you're in park!
(2) electrical issue; no rhyme or reason the heater/ac blower will not power on and is intermittent issue. After some time now, I have determined that I have to rap on the dash by the glove box to start the blower.
My head lights keep on burning out about every 6 to 7 months one at a time and need to be replaced at a cost of about 14 dollars each time.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 10,520 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Fortwo Cabrio has 14 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 11, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Smart Fortwo Cabrio?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, visibility. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (27%), headlights and tail lights (18%), smoke, burning smell, fire (18%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Smart Fortwo Cabrio?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2009 Smart Fortwo Cabrio from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2009 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.