Car statistics by year
2002 Smart City
Smart City cars first registered in 2002: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven. Compared with every car first registered in 2002, so like is set against like.
- MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 56.4% All 2002 cars 59.7%
- Typical mileage at the MOT 65,800 miles; all 2002 cars 99,400
- Tests finding a dangerous defect 7.8% All 2002 cars 9.0%
- Tests with an advisory 64.5% All 2002 cars 68.6%
- MOT tests in 2025 589 normal tests in Great Britain
How do 2002 Smart Citys do at their MOT?
In 2025, at about 23 years old, 56.4% of 2002 Smart City MOT tests were passed first time, against 59.7% for all cars first registered in 2002. 2002 Smart Citys did worse than average for their age, by 3.3 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 58.2% of the time (all 2002 cars 58.3%).
MOT pass rate by year of first registration: Smart City vs all cars
Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each Smart City bar with the all-cars bar beside it.
| First registered | Smart City | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| ’02 | 56.4% | 59.7% |
| ’03 | 59.3% | 58.9% |
| ’04 | 62.4% | 57.9% |
| ’05 | 60.7% | 57.7% |
| ’06 | 58.0% | 56.9% |
| ’07 | 57.9% | 57.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT failures on the 2002 Smart City
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect was the most common single reason a 2002 Smart City failed, on 17.9% of about 300 failed tests. By area of the car, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment failed most often (56.0% of failed tests; all 2002 cars 48.3%). 7.8% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 9.0% for all cars first registered in 2002. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Most common reasons for failure
Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 17.9% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 14.4% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 13.6% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.8% |
| Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 10.9% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 7.8% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 7.8% |
| Catalyst emissions: hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.2% |
| Horn: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.2% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 6.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Failure categories: Smart City vs all 2002 cars
The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.
| Category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 56.0% |
| Visibility | 30.0% |
| Suspension | 28.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 23.7% |
| Brakes | 19.5% |
| Tyres | 12.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.3% |
| Steering | 7.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT advisories on the 2002 Smart City
An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 64.5% of 2002 Smart City tests had at least one (all 2002 cars 68.6%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.
Most common advisories
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 17.3% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 15.4% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 14.8% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 13.9% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 9.8% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 8.1% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 8.0% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 4.6% |
| Individual direction indicators: slightly discoloured Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.2% |
| Headlamp: product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What mileage is normal for a 2002 Smart City?
Half of the 2002 Smart Citys tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 65,800 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 48,600 and a quarter more than 88,000. For all cars first registered in 2002, the middle figure was 99,400 miles, so 2002 Smart Citys have been driven 33.8% less far than average.
Mileage at the 2025 MOT
Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.
| 10% | 25% | Median | 75% | 90% | Cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Smart City | 36,700 | 48,600 | 65,800 | 88,000 | 105,800 | 545 |
| All 2002 cars | 48,900 | 70,700 | 99,400 | 133,600 | 168,800 | 161,894 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Other years of the Smart City
6 years of the Smart City, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2004 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (62.4% passed first time) and the 2002 cars worst (56.4%).
| Year | Registered | Left | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | – | – | 56.4% |
| 2003 | – | 1,358 | 59.3% |
| 2004 | – | 1,868 | 62.4% |
| 2005 | – | 1,014 | 60.7% |
| 2006 | – | 1,082 | 58.0% |
| 2007 | – | 748 | 57.9% |
Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left: licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025. Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT results and mileage | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 589 MOT tests of 2002 Smart City cars | 15 September 2026 |
- MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of Smart City cars first registered in 2002; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2002.
- Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
- Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
- Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
- DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.