Ownership Cost for 2008 smart fortwo (passion cabrio)
Estimated: $33880 over the next 5 years
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Total
Depreciation
$1701
$817
$715
$647
$578
$4458
Insurance
$1584
$1640
$1697
$1757
$1818
$8496
Fuel
$1054
$1086
$1124
$1169
$1221
$5654
Maintenance
$2763
$1596
$885
$594
$2291
$8129
Repairs
$977
$1138
$1298
$1417
$1627
$6457
Taxes & Fees
$464
$464
$464
$464
$464
$687
Total Ownership Costs
$8544
$6329
$5786
$5626
$7596
$33880
Air Bag Loc Front: 1st Row (Driver & Passenger)
Body Class: Cabriolet/Convertible
Displacement CC: 1000.0
Displacement CI: 61.02374409473
Displacement L: 1.0
Engine Configuration: In-Line
Engine Cylinders: 3
Engine HP: 69.733136
Engine KW: 52
Fuel Type Primary: Gasoline
Make: SMART
Manufacturer: MERCEDES-BENZ CARS
Manufacturer Id: 1042
Model: Fortwo
Model Year: 2008
Other Restraint System Info: Load limiter
Plant City: Hambach
Plant Country: France
Pretensioner: Yes
Seat Belts All: Manual
Series: Fortwo
TPMS: Direct
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2008
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ATTEMPTING TO LEAVING STORE PARKING LOT, ENTERED CAR, STARTED ENGINE, MOVED GEAR SHIFT TO "R" BUT TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE AND THE "R" DOES NOT APPEAR IN DASHBOARD DISPLAY. TRY MOVING SHIFTER TO "D" BUT STILL NO TRANSMISSION ENGAGEMENT OR DASH DISPLAY.. SHIFT BACK TO "P" THAT NOW DISPLAYS ON DASH. TRY "R" AGAIN, NOTHING. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE TRANSMISSION FAIL, TURN ENGINE OFF, AND RESTART. NOW IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING CORRECTLY. THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE HAS HAPPENED MANY, MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR. CAN'T IDENTIFY WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THIS ISSUE, I.E. COLD ENGINE, HOT ENGINE, RAIN, HOT SUMMER DAY, COLD WINTER, IT HAPPENS UNDER ANY UNEXPECTED SITUATION.
2008
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2008 SMART WITH UNRESOLVED COMPUTER CONTROL PROBLEMS. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE FIRST ISSUE INVOLVED A WARNING CHIME THAT ACTIVATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. IT HAPPENED UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS AND WOULD NOT TURN OFF UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON AND OFF AGAIN. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PROBLEM WAS A SOFTWARE ISSUE. THE CONSUMER SUSPECTED THAT WHEN THE COMPUTER WAS AT A PARTICULAR CYCLE POINT IN ITS SERIES OF SYSTEMS CHECKS, IT WAS WAITING FOR A SIGNAL FROM SOME SENSOR WHICH WAS NOT RECEIVED WHEN THE POWER TO THE PARTICULAR SENSOR WAS SHUT OFF PRIOR TO THE COMPUTER WARNING SYSTEM POWERING OFF. THE SECOND ISSUE INVOLVED THE INTERMITTENT WIPER SYSTEM SOMEWHERE ON THE LINE B38 TO THE SAM CONTROL UNIT. ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS, THE WIPERS WOULD GO THROUGH WHAT APPEARED TO BE A START UP ROUTINE OF 5 RAPID WIPES FOLLOWED BY 3 SLOW WIPES AND THEN RETURN TO OPERATING AS DESIGNED. OCCASIONALLY, THE ISSUE WAS CORRECTED BY TURNING THE WIPERS TO THE OFF POSITION AND BACK TO INTERMITTENT, BUT IT DIDN'T ALWAYS CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED BOTH OF THE ISSUES WERE A COMPUTER CONTROL ISSUE THAT DID NOT LEAVE ERROR CODES THAT WOULD ALLOW THE DEALER TO IDENTIFY AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE AT A STOP, THE CLUTCH REMAINED ENGAGED FOR AN UNUSUALLY LONG PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE DISENGAGING AND RELEASING PRESSURE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED IT WAS A NORMAL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, WHEN THE SPEED SENSOR WAS REPLACED, THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS AT STOPS BY DISENGAGING THE CLUTCH IMMEDIATELY AND NOT CONTINUING TO RIDE THE CLUTCH WHILE STOPPED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE DISENGAGING. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE RIDING BEHAVIOR WAS A RESULT OF THE INITIAL FAILING OF THE SENSOR. ALSO, THE AXLE BOLT THAT SECURED THE HUB FAILED. UPDATED CONSUMER LETTER 04/14/11