Car statistics by year

2007 Smart City

Smart City cars first registered in 2007: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2007, so like is set against like.

A year of the Smart City. “2007” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
518 MOT tests of 2007 Smart City cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 57.9% All 2007 cars 57.3%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 64,300 miles; all 2007 cars 105,600
  • Left at the end of 2025 748 67.3% of the 1,111 at the end of 2014
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 6.2% All 2007 cars 10.3%
  • Tests with an advisory 63.9% All 2007 cars 70.3%
  • MOT tests in 2025 518 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2007 Smart Citys do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 18 years old, 57.9% of 2007 Smart City MOT tests were passed first time, against 57.3% for all cars first registered in 2007. 2007 Smart Citys did about as well as average for their age. A year earlier the same cars passed 56.3% of the time (all 2007 cars 56.8%).

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.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, Smart City compared with all cars
First registered Smart CityAll 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 2007 Smart City

Coil spring: fractured or broken was the most common single reason a 2007 Smart City failed, on 17.0% of about 200 failed tests. By area of the car, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment failed most often (62.8% of failed tests; all 2007 cars 49.1%). 6.2% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 10.3% for all cars first registered in 2007. 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.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2007 Smart City tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension 17.0%
Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 14.7%
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 13.8%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility 11.0%
Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks 10.6%
Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 9.6%
Headlamp: not working on main beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 9.2%
Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 9.2%
Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 8.3%
Horn: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 7.3%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: Smart City vs all 2007 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2007 Smart City MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2007 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 62.8%
Suspension 35.3%
Visibility 21.6%
Brakes 17.9%
Noise, emissions and leaks 14.7%
Tyres 14.2%
Body, chassis, structure 12.4%
Steering 10.1%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2007 Smart City

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 63.9% of 2007 Smart City tests had at least one (all 2007 cars 70.3%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2007 Smart City tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 13.3%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 13.1%
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 11.4%
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes 11.2%
Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks 10.2%
Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories 9.3%
Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering 7.3%
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle 6.0%
Coil spring: corroded Suspension 5.2%
Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension 4.2%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2007 Smart City?

Half of the 2007 Smart Citys tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 64,300 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 49,800 and a quarter more than 80,200. For all cars first registered in 2007, the middle figure was 105,600 miles, so 2007 Smart Citys have been driven 39.1% 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%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2007 Smart City and all 2007 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2007 Smart City 37,700 49,800 64,300 80,200 97,400 487
All 2007 cars 55,500 78,100 105,600 136,000 166,100 745,627
miles

Half of the 2007 Smart Citys tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 64,300 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2007 Smart Citys are left?

At the end of 2014, 1,111 2007 Smart Citys were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom (these counts start in 2014). By the end of 2025, 748 were: 576 licensed and 172 declared off the road (SORN). That is 67.3% still on the record, against 42.4% for all cars first registered in 2007.

Share still on the record since 2014

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2014. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2007 Smart Citys on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2014, compared with all 2007 cars
Year end 2007 Smart CityAll 2007 cars
2014 100.0%100.0%
2015 98.6%97.9%
2016 97.7%95.9%
2017 96.8%92.5%
2018 93.9%87.7%
2019 92.2%81.8%
2020 88.6%75.9%
2021 84.9%68.5%
2022 82.1%61.9%
2023 76.2%55.5%
2024 71.2%48.5%
2025 67.3%42.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 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%).

Smart Citys by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
2002 56.4% 59.7%
2003 1,358 59.3% 58.9%
2004 1,868 62.4% 57.9%
2005 1,014 60.7% 57.7%
2006 1,082 58.0% 56.9%
2007 748 57.9% 57.3%

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

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 518 MOT tests of 2007 Smart City cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 748 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) 15 September 2026
  • MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of Smart City cars first registered in 2007; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2007.
  • 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.
  • Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
  • 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.