2016 Smart Fortwo Coupe 0.9L Petrol · S8 OFM

The 2016 Smart Fortwo Coupe presents a mixed mechanical picture with a clearly worsening maintenance trend heading into its most recent test cycle. The vehicle passed its October 2025 MOT at 114,199 miles, but only after a failure on the same day revealed several concurrent defects. The tester flagged excessively worn suspension arm bushes on the offside front, both front brake discs worn and pitted, and both front tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. A service brake fluctuation advisory also appeared on both the initial failure and the pass, suggesting a persistent hydraulic or caliper issue that was not fully resolved. The October 2025 pass is recent relative to today's date of June 2026, so the current certificate is valid, but the failure-to-pass sequence on a single visit indicates the car entered a state of neglect before being patched up for retest. Mileage accumulation tells a consistent story of regular use. The car recorded 70,638 miles in June 2023, 94,918 miles in June 2024, and 114,199 miles in October 2025, representing roughly 24,000 miles per year over the last two years. That is nearly double the annual average implied by the 10-year total of approximately 11,420 miles per year. The sharp uptick suggests either a change in ownership or usage pattern from mid-2023 onward, which aligns with the increasing defect density in the later MOT records. The 2023 test at 70,638 miles was completely clean, making the deterioration in 2024 and 2025 all the more pronounced. A buyer inspecting this vehicle in person should focus on the front suspension and braking systems. The June 2024 failure recorded a fractured offside front coil spring with a damaged top mount, a serious structural fault that demands close visual inspection of both front struts, top mounts, and spring seats for cracks or corrosion. The excessively worn rear bush on the offside front suspension arm flagged in October 2025 suggests the entire front suspension linkage needs checking for play. Brake discs were pitted and worn at the last test, so expect near-immediate replacement is needed, and the persistent brake fluctuation points to a binding caliper or uneven hydraulic pressure that requires a proper diagnostic check. Both front tyres were illegal at the October 2025 failure, so current tread depth and sidewall condition should be verified. The damaged undertrays noted in 2024 may still be in place and could be concealing corrosion or fluid leaks underneath, making an underside inspection essential before purchase.