Common problems
Smart Roadster suspension problems
How often MOT testers find suspension faults on the Smart Roadster at each age, against all cars of the same age, and which items come up most. From 10,369 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 19 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- At 19 years, 7.9 of every 100 MOTs of the Smart Roadster found a suspension fail (n=2,777), against 16.9 for all cars of that age (n=2,479,858).
- It is level with or below the all-car rate at every age with at least 1,000 tests.
- The gap is widest at 17 years: 7.5 per 100 MOTs against 17.2 for all cars.
- The suspension fail item recorded most often at 19 years: coil spring broken, on 1.4 per 100 MOTs.
- The most common suspension advisory or minor defect: coil spring: corroded, on 7.9 per 100 MOTs.
Suspension fails by age
Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.
| Age | Tests (n) | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 years | 1,347 | 7.5 | 17.2 | 24.2 | 34.7 |
| 18 years | 2,612 | 8.3 | 17.2 | 25.9 | 35.3 |
| 19 years | 2,777 | 7.9 | 16.9 | 26.9 | 35.4 |
| 20 years | 2,225 | 8.4 | 16.5 | 26.9 | 35.2 |
| 21 years | 1,408 | 8.0 | 15.9 | 30.1 | 35.0 |
Suspension fail items at 19 years
| Item | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coil spring broken | 1.4 | 2.8 | £64 to £236 per spring (rough guide) |
| Suspension ball joint worn | 1.3 | 2.4 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
| Suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | 1.0 | 1.1 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
| Wheel bearings: rough when rotated | 0.9 | 0.8 | £103 to £276 per wheel (rough guide) |
Suspension advisories and minor defects at 19 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: corroded | 7.9 | 7.9 | |
| Shock absorbers: has a slightly worn bush | 4.9 | 0.7 | £122 to £484 per axle (pair) (rough guide) |
| Suspension arm ball joint: ball joint has slight play | 3.9 | 2.7 | £75 to £237 per side (rough guide) |
| Wheel bearings: has slight play | 3.4 | 1.4 | £103 to £276 per wheel (rough guide) |
| Linkage ball joints: ball joint has slight play | 2.7 | 2.6 | £33 to £102 per link (rough guide) |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened | 2.6 | 5.0 | |
| Macpherson strut pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement | 1.7 | 0.7 | |
| Suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 1.6 | 2.1 | |
| Suspension arm pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement | 1.5 | 8.1 | £92 to £237 per arm (rough guide) |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
What to check on a viewing
On the Smart Roadster, the suspension items testers fail most are coil spring broken; suspension ball joint worn; suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt.
- Listen for knocks or clonks over speed bumps and rough roads on the test drive.
- Push down hard on each corner: the car should settle at once rather than keep bouncing.
- Look behind the wheels for broken or heavily rusted coil springs and split rubber bushes.
- Check that the car sits level and that no tyre is worn on one edge only.
Ask for the car's MOT history: a suspension advisory that repeats from year to year has not been fixed. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the common suspension problems on the Smart Roadster?
At 19 years (2,777 MOTs), the suspension fail items testers record most often are coil spring broken (1.4 per 100 MOTs), suspension ball joint worn (1.3 per 100 MOTs), suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (1.0 per 100 MOTs). The most common suspension advisories or minor defects are coil spring: corroded (7.9) and shock absorbers: has a slightly worn bush (4.9).
Does the Smart Roadster have more suspension problems than other cars?
At 19 years it has 7.9 suspension fails per 100 MOTs against 16.9 for all cars of the same age (9.0 fewer). It is level with or below the all-car rate at every age with enough tests.
What does a suspension repair cost on the Smart Roadster?
For coil spring broken, an independent garage estimate is £64 to £236 per spring (rough guide). This is a guide built from the national median garage labour rate and estimated labour hours, not a quote.
More on the Smart Roadster
Suspension problems on other Smart models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a Smart Roadster?
These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.
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Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
Source
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources