Car statistics by year
2005 Smart Forfour
Smart Forfour cars first registered in 2005: 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 2005, so like is set against like.
- MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 59.3% All 2005 cars 57.7%
- Typical mileage at the MOT 95,100 miles; all 2005 cars 103,800
- Left at the end of 2025 1,087 28.9% of the 3,756 at the end of 2014
- Tests finding a dangerous defect 10.0% All 2005 cars 9.9%
- Tests with an advisory 70.5% All 2005 cars 70.3%
- MOT tests in 2025 810 normal tests in Great Britain
How do 2005 Smart Forfours do at their MOT?
In 2025, at about 20 years old, 59.3% of 2005 Smart Forfour MOT tests were passed first time, against 57.7% for all cars first registered in 2005. 2005 Smart Forfours did better than average for their age, by 1.6 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 55.9% of the time (all 2005 cars 56.6%).
MOT pass rate by year of first registration: Smart Forfour 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 Forfour bar with the all-cars bar beside it.
| First registered | Smart Forfour | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| ’05 | 59.3% | 57.7% |
| ’06 | 55.4% | 56.9% |
| ’15 | 66.1% | 72.6% |
| ’16 | 70.6% | 75.6% |
| ’17 | 75.8% | 79.1% |
| ’18 | 79.5% | 81.8% |
| ’19 | 80.9% | 84.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT failures on the 2005 Smart Forfour
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect was the most common single reason a 2005 Smart Forfour failed, on 13.3% of about 300 failed tests. By area of the car, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment failed most often (55.8% of failed tests; all 2005 cars 49.6%). 10.0% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 9.9% for all cars first registered in 2005. 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 | 13.3% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.8% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 11.8% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 9.4% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 8.5% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 8.2% |
| Door condition: cannot be opened from outside the vehicle Body, chassis, structure | 7.3% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.3% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.7% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 6.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Failure categories: Smart Forfour vs all 2005 cars
The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.
| Category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 55.8% |
| Brakes | 27.6% |
| Suspension | 27.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 20.9% |
| Visibility | 20.9% |
| Tyres | 17.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 13.6% |
| Steering | 13.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT advisories on the 2005 Smart Forfour
An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 70.5% of 2005 Smart Forfour tests had at least one (all 2005 cars 70.3%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.
Most common advisories
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 17.7% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 14.9% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 14.7% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 13.6% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.0% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 7.8% |
| Headlamp: product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.5% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 6.7% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 5.4% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What mileage is normal for a 2005 Smart Forfour?
Half of the 2005 Smart Forfours tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 95,100 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 71,600 and a quarter more than 120,600. For all cars first registered in 2005, the middle figure was 103,800 miles, so 2005 Smart Forfours have been driven 8.4% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Smart Forfour | 54,500 | 71,600 | 95,100 | 120,600 | 143,200 | 763 |
| All 2005 cars | 53,000 | 75,300 | 103,800 | 136,000 | 168,500 | 411,156 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
How many 2005 Smart Forfours are left?
At the end of 2014, 3,756 2005 Smart Forfours were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom (these counts start in 2014). By the end of 2025, 1,087 were: 670 licensed and 417 declared off the road (SORN). That is 28.9% still on the record, against 29.5% for all cars first registered in 2005.
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%.
| Year end | 2005 Smart Forfour | All 2005 cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| 2015 | 96.1% | 95.9% |
| 2016 | 93.4% | 91.2% |
| 2017 | 88.3% | 83.5% |
| 2018 | 81.2% | 74.6% |
| 2019 | 72.0% | 65.8% |
| 2020 | 63.3% | 58.1% |
| 2021 | 53.8% | 50.0% |
| 2022 | 47.0% | 44.0% |
| 2023 | 40.0% | 38.7% |
| 2024 | 33.3% | 33.6% |
| 2025 | 28.9% | 29.5% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated
Recalls that may affect cars built around 2005
None of the Smart Forfour’s 5 recalls in DVSA’s records has build dates that include 2005. 1 has no build dates, so could apply to any year.
The 2005 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2005 may have been built in 2004, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.
Every Smart Forfour recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls
Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Other years of the Smart Forfour
7 years of the Smart Forfour, 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 2005 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (59.3% passed first time) and the 2015 cars worst (66.1%).
| Year | Registered | Left | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | – | 1,087 | 59.3% |
| 2006 | – | 1,015 | 55.4% |
| 2015 | 5,793 | 5,341 | 66.1% |
| 2016 | 5,109 | 5,149 | 70.6% |
| 2017 | 4,196 | 4,685 | 75.8% |
| 2018 | 3,867 | 3,752 | 79.5% |
| 2019 | 1,988 | 1,890 | 80.9% |
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 | 810 MOT tests of 2005 Smart Forfour cars | 15 September 2026 |
| Cars on the record | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of 2025 | 1,087 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) | 15 September 2026 |
- MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of Smart Forfour cars first registered in 2005; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2005.
- 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.