I believe most of these were eventually addressed by the owner’s dealership
Battery problems – Typicallyloose connections or faulty alternator. Warranty Issue!
Shifter cable problems – Inherent to new vehicles, there is no vehicle wide recall.
Shifter lever problems – See response above, warranty issue.
Front brake pad excessive dust problem – Give me a brake!
ECU problems – Re-flash or replace at the dealer covered under warranty.
Fuel system problems – Again, covered under warranty.
Dealer support problems – I agree with this one!! Not a show stopper.
Tire inflation problems – People unfamiliar with monitoring system.
Strange noise problems – Like a loose license plate holder or outside mirror?
Loose or missing hardware problems – Werethese not dealer corrected?
Radio problems – Agreed, though adequate, the stock radio is fair at best!
Lack of interior lighting problems – Switch in the wrong position, fuse, lamp?
Wander or instability problems – Small wheel base, this was expected.
Fuel efficiency problems – I too have a problem with 39 mpg!
Transmission behavior problems – People who have never driven a clutch car!
Servicing cost and frequency problems – Haven’t gotten to a service interval yet.
Extended warranty purchasing problems – Bought mine from the dealer $995 6/60,000.
Dealer add on markup problems – Adding $2 to a $15K Car just to get some profit, yes; greed is a problem!
Documents fees markup problems – Kind of like dealer Pac. All new popular, high demand models get this special treatment!
Dealer ability to extend temporary license plate problems – What?
Tire change and jacking problems – Unfamiliar with jacking points. Front and rear tires are a different size.
Over torqued oil drain plug and filter problems – Geesh! Before or after DIY oil change?
Paint blister problems – This is a REAL issue and must be addressed by Dealer and smartUSA!!
Lack of some important info in the owners guide problems – Minor, most have been addressed here!
Lack of maintenance manuals problems – Unless the buyer is going to service his/her own vehicle, this is a dealer concern, not a problem with the car.
Dealer technician training or ignorance problems – Again ,a dealer problem.
Customer communication problems – Anissue with some dealerships and smartUSA, Agreed!
Insurance problems – Didn’t insure my car with smartUSA or the Dealer!
Financing problems – Not a problem if you have even fair credit!
and I am sure there are a few I missed like: aftermarket support problems – The aftermarket will grow as the owners of smart cars demand more performance, styling, wheel choices, etc. This is not a manufacturer or dealer issue.
Each of us will have different values to assign each of these real or perceived problem areas. - Agreed!
Some of these are not really problems and some are significant and may be deal breakers...Maybe for some Fred but most issues are minor and although I wish these cars were perfect, they ain't perfect!! I agree it is a PITA dealing with these problems!
To all who took the time to actually read and comprehend my observation, a warm thanks
to some others who respond in some judgmental way...
I will re state, with some added emphasis so you can better understand:
Each of us will have different values to assign each of these real or perceived problem areas
Some of these are not really problems and some are significant and may be deal breakers...
For the record I am STILL in line for my 2008 reserved Blue and Black on Black smart fortwo....
That should tell you that I personally can live with most of the PROBLEMS as reported because I do not yet see any clear trend that this particular model has any more or less problems then any other first year vehicle.
However, part of my comfort zone is the fact that I am a master mechanic and this will NOT be the only transportation vehicle in the stable.
In my opinion, this is a poor vehicle choice for a young person, with a family, and relatively low income, living some distance away from a dealer, with little or no mechanical ability, who needs reliable daily commuter transportation
But to ask "what problems?" implying there are no problems, is really not helping foolofsand any IMO
Fred,
Thanks AGAIN for keeping things in prospective. I for one, value your opinion and have been watching and learning along with everyone else. Thanks again, mate.
Then you shouldn't call them problems, duh. Comprehension works both ways; if you're using the wrong word - like 'problem' in connection with something that's at best a complaint (and not even related to the car or the dealership) - then the compehension issue doesn't lay with the reader, it lays with the writer; it's the writer's problem.
As someone with a car that's been out of service for a WEEK waiting for issues to be figured out, I have to say ... my definition of a problem is something that IS WRONG with a brand new car. Period.
To Duderunner, I have to point out from my experience, a warranty issue is still a PROBLEM, a hassle, a nuisance, a trip to a dealer, time wasted, which gets back to his question, "is it worth it?". The original poster wants opinions and certainly, he can extrapolate that there are people who define the word differently.
Most of us still think (me included -with conditions) that the smart is worth it.
After reading this forum for over a month I would say there are overwhelmingly more positive comments than negative. One thing that always cracks me up with all auto forums is most people write in the first week or so how great the car is. It is nice to finally see some comments from people that have now had their cars a while. Most of the other forums after the first month or so the newness and excitment goes away and they never report back in on how real life day to day is with their car.
So for all you lucky people that actually have a Smart keep us who are anciously waiting for ours to arrive informed on the real life with a Smart. Thanks for all the interesting stories and input.
Each of items on my INCOMPLETE laundry list, will hold a different perception, value, annoyance factor, serious, or not so serious issue, for different people. Much depends on their individual perceptions, point of view, technical training, threshold for problems, or customer expectations with a "New Car"...
I deliberately used the pejorative "problem" or the impact it has...
I can argue or defend each of my list as a problem, annoyance, or non issue, depending on perspective
However to be more clear; I should have said that:
Craven, Had my smart one week. Taking the first ROAD trip Wednesday (300m) I'll let you know how it goes. Thus far I prefer D to a manual shift. If someone is used to a manual trans., it is the exact same feel. However, a LOT less power than the Mini S..............AL
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