2014 Smart Fortwo 1.0L Petrol · CV64 DHX

A pattern of late-life component wear is emerging on this 2014 Smart Fortwo, with the latest pass on 4 November 2025 carrying an advisory for worn front anti-roll bar bushes and the prior pass on 31 October 2024 flagging a binding nearside rear service brake and an offside front tyre worn heavily on its inner edge. The October 2024 test is particularly informative because a day earlier, on 30 October 2024, the vehicle failed outright on two majors: an exhaust leak of sufficient severity to fail the gas integrity check, and an emissions test that could not be completed. The exhaust was clearly repaired between the 30th and 31st to secure a pass, but the underlying pattern of advisories on suspension, braking and tyre wear across two consecutive tests suggests a chassis that is beginning to show its age rather than a one-off repair job. There are no advisories relating to corrosion, structural integrity or drive components, which is reassuring, but the recurrence of the same type of wear items year on year is the defining story for this car. With 61,467 miles spread across twelve years, annual accumulation works out at roughly 5,100 miles per year, which is well below the national average and points to either short urban trips or extended periods of standing. There is a conspicuous gap between the December 2021 pass and the January 2023 test, suggesting the car may have covered little or no mileage in the intervening thirteen months, and the relatively modest jump between the 2023 and 2024 tests reinforces the impression of light, intermittent use. Mechanically, this kind of profile is double-edged. Lower annual mileage typically means the engine, clutch and gearbox have seen less mechanical fatigue than a high-mileage car of the same age, and the Fortwo's rear-mounted three-cylinder is unlikely to have suffered significant bore wear. However, light use with extended standing periods accelerates the failure modes that this MOT record is actually beginning to show: brake calipers and mechanisms seize or bind from lack of use, rubber suspension components deteriorate through age rather than mileage, and tyres develop uneven wear patterns from sitting on one spot. The binding rear brake noted in 2024 is the textbook symptom of this very phenomenon. A prospective buyer should treat the binding rear brake as a priority physical inspection point. On a test drive, listen for a scraping or dragging noise from the rear axle when the car is first moved off, and feel whether the car pulls noticeably to one side under light braking, as this is a classic symptom of a rear caliper that is not releasing cleanly. The nearside rear drum or disc area should be checked by hand after a short drive for residual heat, which would confirm the binding, and the handbrake should be tested to ensure it does not feel slack or require excessive travel, since binding mechanisms often coexist with stretched or seized handbrake cables on cars of this age and mileage. Budget should be set aside for a rear brake overhaul, including caliper slide pins, pistons and possibly a new carrier or shoes, because once binding has been recorded it tends to recur within a short mileage window. The front anti-roll bar bush advisory from the latest test warrants close attention on a road test over uneven surfaces. The Fortwo uses a comparatively soft front end and the anti-roll bar is a key contributor to its slightly surprising cornering ability, so worn bushes typically manifest as a dull clonking or knocking from the front when traversing speed bumps, kerbs or potholes, accompanied by a vague, wandering sensation in the steering that is worse over rougher tarmac. Stand on the nearside front wheel with the car parked and rock it vertically while watching the anti-roll bar link and bushes for free play; any visible movement or perished rubber confirms the advisory needs addressing. The inner-edge tyre wear recorded in 2024 is also worth verifying by inspecting the current front tyres for uneven shoulder wear, which on the Fortwo is most often linked to worn suspension components or tracking issues rather than driving style, and a four-wheel alignment check should be considered if new tyres are fitted. Finally, given the major exhaust leak that caused the previous failure, the full exhaust system from manifold gasket through downpipe and rear silencer should be inspected for black soot deposits, hanging heat shields or audible tapping under acceleration, as Smart exhaust components are known to corrode from the inside out and a repeat repair within the next test cycle is a realistic possibility.