2017 smart fortwo
Electric Gas Sports car
The 2017 smart fortwo is sold in the U.S. as a electric and gas sports car with 6 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the fortwo electric drive coupe, is EPA-rated at 58 miles with 108 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 9 complaints, most often about electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fortwo electric drive coupe | Electric | RWD | 60 KW AC Synchronous | 124 | 94 | 108 MPGe | 58 mi | 31 | 3 h | $700 |
| fortwo electric drive convertible | Electric | RWD | 60 KW AC Synchronous | 112 | 91 | 102 MPGe | 57 mi | 33 | 3 h | $750 |
| fortwo cabriolet | Gas | RWD | 0.9L 3-cyl turbo | 33 | 38 | 35 | — | — | — | $2,200 |
| fortwo coupe | Gas | RWD | 0.9L 3-cyl turbo | 33 | 39 | 35 | — | — | — | $2,200 |
| fortwo cabriolet | Gas | RWD | 0.9L 3-cyl turbo | 31 | 38 | 34 | — | — | — | $2,300 |
| fortwo coupe | Gas | RWD | 0.9L 3-cyl turbo | 31 | 39 | 34 | — | — | — | $2,300 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2017 smart fortwo is in the years where high-voltage electronics and module repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
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Recalls (1)
Steering
highProblem: Mercedes-Benz USA LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017 smart fortwo and smart fortwo Cabriolet vehicles. Casting imperfections may result in the failure of the left front axle steering knuckle.
Risk: Failure of the left front axle steering knuckle could affect vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left front axle steering knuckle, replacing any from the affected batch, free of charge. The recall October 13, 2017. Owners may contact smart customer service at 1-877-496-3691.
NHTSA investigations
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds (closed)
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005
Owner complaints
9 complaints filed
0 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2017: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 1
Most-cited components
- Electrical System — 4
- Seat Belts — 2
- Steering — 2
- Power Train — 1
- Visibility/Wiper — 1
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 DR RWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 15% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Other fortwo model years
2019 fortwo
1 recalls · 1 complaints
A2018 fortwo
0 recalls · 1 complaints
B2016 fortwo
2 recalls · 22 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 39192, 39603, 37873, 38461, 37874, 38462). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.