- Vehicles
- 5,058
- Built between
- Jan 2014 – Jul 2014
- Models
- 4
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 8 May 2015
- Repaired
- 82%
- Unrepaired
- 916
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 2014 and July 2014. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2014-2015 Smart Fortwo ConvertibleBuilt January 2014 to July 2014
- 2014 Smart Fortwo Convertible ElectrBuilt February 2014 to July 2014
- 2014-2015 Smart Fortwo CoupeBuilt January 2014 to July 2014
- 2014 Smart Fortwo Coupe ElectricBuilt January 2014 to May 2014
Repair progress
916 of 5,058 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q3 2016.
82% repaired — 4,142 of 5,058 reported
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Smart Fortwo Coupes and Convertibles, and 2014 Fortwo Coupe Electric and Fortwo Convertible Electric vehicles. The affected vehicles have steering gear mounting bolts which may break during vehicle operation.
What could happen
If the steering gear mounting bolts break, vehicle handling could be affected, increasing the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear mounting bolts, free of charge. The recall began on May 8, 2015.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 2014 to July 2014
- Recall reported to NHTSA31 March 2015
- Owners notified8 May 2015
- Latest repair reportQ3 2016 — 82% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 31 March 2015.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact Smart customer service at 1-800-762-7887.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 2015040002
- Recalling manufacturer
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.