Smart (mcc)
Cabriolet
1,631 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Cabriolets pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 6.6 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
70.9%
Pass-after-fix
5.5%
Fail
23.0%
Avg miles
69,824
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
The picture
Cabriolet: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 1,107 MOT tests, the Cabriolet returns 68.7% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is headlamp aim out of spec. A broken or weak spring and a defective headlamp lens round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 67,089, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
61 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 02
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
52 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 03
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
38 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 04
Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
36 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 05
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
33 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 06
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
32 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 07
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
31 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
- 08
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
30 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 09
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
29 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 10
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
22 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures
£140–£490
If every one of this Cabriolet's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Buying or keeping a Cabriolet?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Cabriolet and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.