I thought sure as hell when you opened the engine compartment there would be three squirrels running on a treadmill

What an absolute treat to see our smart car featured on the Car Wizard! My wife and I towed it on a trailer from Nebraska on the 6th (Saturday) and left it down there after talking to Dave the scheduler. This Smart car was an ebay purchase and it was originally a leased vehicle out of Alabama. It's been in a wreck in the past and I had to pound the steering shaft back down to get the turn signals to auto cancel and replace the clockspring. The sensor Dave speaks of is under there under one of the fenders I think. Since someone had been under there before me, I found a dangling sensor underneath it all and moved it somewhere off to the side so I don't think he's going to find a pinched wire from my horn bracket. The problem didn't manifest itself until sometime later after the horn install. The other problem I mentioned is after the car warms up, it will go into a limp mode and cut out so bad you can barely do 10mph along the highway and since my wife drives it daily 100 miles round trip into Lincoln, it's not a safe position to be in. I'm just as big of a guy as scheduler Dave and I've had this Smart up to 80mph on interstate 80 numerous times. When I did my code scan on it last year, I got a code for a lean condition on one of the cylinders (can't remember which one) which made me immediately suspect intake gaskets. We carry a spare tire in a bag in the back area and Dave evidently removed it for the video shoot. We carry a jack and tire wrench in the tailgate. Now you know why that ring was in the carpet.

I live in europe and my neighboors have 2 of these. One of them comes home later when there's no avaiable spots but these little shjts are so small that they can park in just 1 bay lol

Hi Wizard, I had a smart car for 3 years and I loved it for around town. I paid $4500 for it. Drove it 3 yrs and sold it for $4500, it was a great car and it never broke down. Thanks Wizard 👍

Had one come in our shop just for tires. The salesman said we don’t work on them. I was a mechanic, but did a lot of sales because, well, when it is slow in the back, I get bored and look for something to do. I chased the guy out into the parking lot and invited him back in. Found him some tires. Then he looked at the brakes and asked to get them replaced. Might as well do the struts while it is here. Didn’t have to sell him anything. He just got tired of no at other shops, and wanted to get everything done when he could.

Tiny car with a big-rig air horn blaster? I LOVE IT!!! 🤯📢🤣

I worked with a big guy that had a smart car as his daily driver. He was t boned at an intersection by a fast moving full sized car and he was not injured , but the smart car was totaled. He was told that due to his light weight car being pushed along through the intersection with little resistance and the steel protection cage he escaped injury

I love that horn! I wonder how many people thought they were going to get run over by a truck when that was used? 🤣

I got 2 of these convertible smarties and its like driving a street legal roller coaster car... so much fun!

The blower motor in my BMW was an 8 hour job to replace! Brilliant Smart Car designers!

I had a 2005 450 Cabrio. In Canada, they started arriving (only diesels) in late 2004 when we bought ours. Did all $ervice$ at M-B - quite a shock since I also had a 2005 CTS which was under a four year full maintenance program (standard at the time and Cadillac took care of EVERYTHING). The idea behind the Tridion shell is that it was made of extremely strong Boron alloy steel - the car was designed to bounce away from crashes with VERY minor collapse. Inside, you were protected by very strong seats with pyrotechnic belt tensioners, again, the idea that the car would keep you properly in your seat. Add standard stability control, anti-lock brakes and air bags all over the place and you were quite safe. ANY small car is not going to fare well against a semi, but if I had to choose which small car to be in if a crash was going to happen, the smart would be it, hands down. I drove it Toronto to Tampa twice and even did a lap of the Indianapolis 500 track during race week one year. Surprisingly competent on the highway. People who think otherwise simply have not had seat time in one. The 450 a/c broke completely five times in four years, but all repairs were under warranty (had an extended package). It was a perfect city car too and with paddle shifters quite fun to drive. M-B service was horrible and based on my experience, I will never buy a M-B product again. By air, by land, by sea, Mercedes ain't getting any more from me!

Actually fun fact. the motor in the 451 smarts are not Dailmer motors, they are provided from Mitsubishi. since the 450 smarts had issues with their motors.

Remove the opposing vane to balance it since it's SO easy to service if the motor DOES fail in three months. $150 is not cheap for most people, especially on an old car.

These cars are all over Paris. Very popular there.

My daughter has had one for about 12 years and has had a pretty good experience. I've driven it and it's a bit better than I expected. It actually feels surprisingly roomy and bright, and then you turn to look behind you and nearly find your nose on the back window. Great around town.

All right! Up to now I’m the only person I know that used the “soccer ball” analogy! The Power Ranger reference made me spit my coffee! 😂😂😂 Love the Wizard!

For a car that's so simple and cheaply made, it's a shame Mercedes wanted almost $20k for these cars when they were new. If Mercedes would have priced these cars at around $10k new, it probably would have outsold the Volkswagen bug.

Absolutely go OEM. I made the mistake of buying a cheap Chineseium blower assembly and the pos was out of balance and vibrating brand new!

You're handed me the first complementary description of a Smart for Two I've ever heard, for which I Thank You!

The train horns made me happy. I have a set on my 1981 Seville… stock.

Hi Wizard, great honest review of the smart. Love your work. I live in Lisbon, and this smart, is my companion every day to go to work. Mine is a little bit more complicated, because it's a diesel (CDI). You are right, not all mechanics deal with this kind of car, because in the engine bay, it is very tight. Fortunately, I have a "wizard" here in Portugal, that is an expert in these kinds of cars. If it’s necessary, he can easily that the engine out, with the removal of some plastics, bolts and trims... The worst is the gearbox, like you said it is a manual with an automatic actuator, and has a mind of it’s own :) Sometimes it can reach far into my nerves, and my only wish is to put him in a ditch, but then I remember that, no other car moves around town like this, is very economical, park’s everywhere, and it's surprisingly spacious inside for the size. Makes me forget the gearbox and harsh ride... Keep up the good work. Regards from Lisbon.

Still safer than a moped

Damn, what a good mechanic.

Citroen, Buick Regal Grand National, Lada, and Smart. That’s some automotive diversity you’ve got there! I rented a Smart very similar to that one, and thought I was going to die within the next five miles. But, once I was used to it, no problem. Got it up to 100 mph on a straight country road. Really neat little cars.

I’ve actually had 2 of these. The 451 model, albeit in cabrio form. Here in SA 🇿🇦 it’s (bizarrely) sold as a slightly premium product, which further limited appeal. But we do get a turbo version of the same motor which vastly improves performance. Fascinating to see things like manual window winders and a “Park” position, we never had those. Both my smart cars were utterly problem free. Mechanically they’re simpler than the 450 version. The motor is actually a Mitsubishi unit, fairly robust and very reliable. The transmission is simpler too (5 speeds vs 6), although it’s still an AMT so shifts are mostly an exercise in patience. They can be fun to drive, especially in turbo form. It has way more cornering ability than it has any right to possess 😅 It’s a niche product, always will be. But if you have space for one of these in your life, it can be useful fun in the right situations.

A friend of mine had a diesel smart car (we're Canadian) it had to be fueled with Super Diesel but it was a great car. He commuted daily from Oshawa to Toronto Pearson Airport on the Highway with no issues. He downloaded the shop manual and did all his own work easily. He is an AME. I helped out on a few mods to improve the creature comforts inside. I'm a shade tree hot rodder. Lol. They are super reliable and easy to work on. In Europe they had a sweet roadster version I wish we got here.

What a lot of people don't know is that this Smart sat with a dead battery for a few months and the day before we took it down there, I installed a new battery so any codes it had would have more than likely been erased. What it will eventually do is go into limp mode on the highway and throw a lean code on one of the cylinders. I suspect intake gaskets. It's all in my notes I left him and Dave simply didn't cover it because he's not that far into it yet. The sensor thing is new - never saw that code before and the horns have been in there for about 6 years now.

You don't need to worry about grandpa getting short of breath walking around this car. Hilarious comment from Mrs. Wizard about the horn. Loved it!

Quite a few rv’ers use these to puts around when they’re parked. They fit on the back of a class 8 tractor and still have room for a fifth wheel trailer.

I have a 2008 passion, loaded with all the options. Changed the valve cover gasket, put new plugs and ignition coils myself. Bit hard to reach a few valve cover bolts but not impossible. Added more speakers behind the seats and a backup camera. Getting ready to add round fog/driving lights. Goes like a bat out of hell and way safer than the motocycles i got rid of. And i can drive it in any weather so better than motorcycles. You are sitting in a full titanium roll cage so it is the safest vehicle you can imagine. Safe as a formula one car.

What a great KZfaq channel! Car Wizard is.

I work for a tow company. Had a smart car come in hit by a semi. Car rolled 5 times before coming to a stop. Driver came in the next day to get personal stuff out. A little sore but otherwise unhurt. So they do have very spectacular crashes but the roll cage is remarkably effective at preventing serious injury.

Hey Wizard, how about showing us you completing the repair. Don’t leave us hanging. That’s why we watch KZfaq. You’re slipping Wizard!

The contrast between the horn and smart car is absolutely hilarious to me! LOL Though I was tempted to do something like that for my 08 Mustang, because for some reason people need a bit louder of a horn in my area. I just love the idea of surprising someone with a horn that shouldn't belong on certain cars.

Glad to see the wizard actually doing some work again. Keep it up.

I had an 800cc Diesel one, it was excellent. I then had a petrol 2013 cabriolet one for a while too. We just picked up another 2013 one as a cheap run around here in the UK. They are fun to drive :)

I loved my Smart car. Solid, very safe, reliable, efficient, and fun. It is basically a shopping cart with bigger wheels and a roof. I had matching storage boxes that filled out the trunk. The passenger seat folds down for hauling larger items. Mine also did great on ice and snow. Too bad they did not sell the 70mpg Diesel version here.

We have had two of these. It is FANTASTIC car as long as you realize what it is. It is a go-to-work, grocery getter, run errands 2nd car. It is NOT the car you drive 500 miles to the beach, though I have. The absolute lowest total cost of ownership car you will ever have, as long as you take care of it, and do the scheduled maint. (DO NOT use Mercedes for this!) 2nd one ended earlier this year when it was clobbered from behind at a light by a heavy hybrid at high speed. Thank god for Mercedes Safety Engineering!

The story of the mechanic who ripped off the hood and couldn't find the Smart engine reminds me of the Matra Murena, a mid-engined French sports car of the 1980s, which I bought in the year 2000. It had an unknown service history so I figured an oil change was due and took it to a local Kwik Fit, kind of like Jiffy Lube in the USA. Anyway, the senior mechanic knew what it was and even knew it took a Citroën oil filter, which another senior mechanic grabbed from the shelf while recalling memories to the Matra Bagheera he drove back in the 1970s. They handed the filter to an apprentice and told him to change the oil. The apprentice walked to the car, opened the driver's door, pulled the bonnet release, opened the bonnet and... stared into a void, with only a battery, washer fluid bottle and steering rack. While the onlooking senior mechanics were trying to keep a straight face, the kid looked at me and said "Sir! I cannot find the engine!" I pulled the rear hatch release handle hidden in the B-pillar, removed the engine cover and showed him where the engine was: right behind the seats. The kid had obviously never seen a mid-engined car in his life. Meanwhile, there were two senior mechanics literally rolling over the floor laughing...

I used to love working on smart cars back in my dealership days so simple to work on and diagnose

A while back Wizard had a Smart in the shop that no one could diagnose. He sprayed some starter fluid in it and it fired right up. Smart. Reminds me of a scene in Sling Blade.

Longtime fan. Great episode,Wizard!

When I was bumming around the Minnesota northwoods, I actually saw one of these fitted out with a "Mattracks" track conversion kit! The most ridiculous little car I've ever seen, but in the winter, it'd be a heck of a lot more convenient than getting the snowmobile ready!

Great Video liked Mrs Wizards quick interior engagement and showing us the noise it was making. Love the GM Horns 😂

Biggest obstacle for these are Potholes…..suspension Always bottoms out and damages shocks etc.

Cut a fin out 180 degrees from the missing one.

We had a 2nd gen US market smart and absolutely loved it! The dual clutch transmission made it so much more drivable. 40k miles driven each year. Service was pricey, but as long as we stayed on top of it, no issues. Only reason we sold it was due to moving across country. We miss that xar SO much!

Thanks for featuring the Smart car again. I own two of them along with a 2008 Ford Escape. Those interior seats were definitely covered with an aftermarket seat cover. The engine is made by Mitsubishi and not Mercedes. I have a 2008 Smart that I use as an around town car in Florida and my wife drives a 2013 that we use both in Florida and then Massachusetts in the summer. The general consensus is that the A/C units are fairly awful. On a long trip the A/C seems to shut itself down for awhile in order to not overheat the engine. Works great on short trips, but not so great on a 1,400 mile trip. I've had no engine problems with either vehicle so far. Both have been reliable, but you are right about most mechanics. They don't want to touch them. Would love to see a follow up video on this car and the repairs that you make to it.

Love that horn man lmao!!!!!!

I LOVE that horn!

I love your videos and your knowledge! More shops should work like you!

Living in the UK and working on european cars, these are indeed very simple and just a bunch of rebadged Mercedes parts. They're quite common here, the quality is mid level to good, reliability is pretty good. They are simple engines and so simple to fix. As the UK loves to take everything but your fillings for insurance payments, they are a good choice for cheaper insurance and good on fuel too. As for the tall seats, fun fact, they were originally that tall to improve the safety of passengers during a crash if the car flips or is crushed from above, they sort of "hold back" the roof crushing downwards. But honestly, in a high speed collision, you won't have time to blink before you meet your maker 😅

Hahaha, I know two welthy guys whom each own one of these cars, they've owned them from when they were first introduced they just use them for driving around a small town. These are are dirt cheap to operate they were cheap when they came out, but if you ever want to know how rich people become, and stay that way look at one of these cars.

I have a 2009 smart passion it's a great little car. When I got it, the blower motor had the same issue, I fixed it myself it's like most newer cars except I would say easier because it doesn't have a retaining clip like my 00 silverado

Fun to watch this. I have a 2006 Smart Fortwo diesel Passion and I love it. I'm the third owner (bought it in 2016). I was so pleased to find a local mechanic here in southern Alberta willing to work on it.

He loves that car. The Wizard won't bump his knee with the Smart Car like he did with the Toyota FJ Cruiser. Both are engineered well.

Thanks wizard I'm enjoying the repair parts of your video 👍🇺🇸

It’s very apparent what needs to do to fix this one….. You just have to synchronize Swatches. For those not aware, these were originally built as a partnership between Mercedes-Benz and cool, 80s Swiss watchmaker Swatch. Btw, the original 3-lug car I remember was the Renault LeCar.

Some people call it a 'Smart Car' - I call it an 'Escape pod for a Real Car'. But I do agree that here in the midwest it doesn't make a lot of sense to drive one, but I have seen 1 or 2 on the freeway driving around St Paul, MN. Fortunately for them it was summer, this would be absolutely USELESS in the winter time here, especially given the safety issues point to.

I've always wanted one of these. I had a most similar horn on my adorable little toyota truck I drove in high school. I spent a sweaty hour or so in a local semi truck salvage pulling some air horns to get it. 100% worth it.

I live outside Denver. My smart was a jewel, in city and out. Parking is a dream. Spaces it can fit on means you can alway park.

Learned a lot from this Video, Car Wizard! I will admit, I came into this Video thinking, "Oh, the other places refused to fix them because EV Negativity Bias". But honestly, as much as I find these Smart Cars Baffling, there is some appeal to it that I can understand. Keep up the Great Work!

The adult version of a little tykes car !

wow - I just learned a LOT about the Smart Car! Hope it gets back on the road quickly & cheaply. You da Man!

I totally agree there’s no way I would just replace the hamster wheel and not replace the entire blower assembly. For one thing, you could tell that the bearing was already bad because it wasn’t spinning very well. Being off-balance may have caused the bearing to fail.

How many other cars can you get to the blower motor that easily?

I appreciate the open minded mentality MR Wizard

I agree. I've been a mechanic for 45 years and I have worked on several of these Smarts. I get the same thing with Subaru's, which are very easy to work on. So many technicians hate them.

Panels on car can be replaced easily but now probably can't get these were popular in 08 I wanted one 😮

Swatch Mercedes Art =SMArt. Mercedes collaborated with the swiss company Swatch to make the smart. Before they had approached GM but were turned down.

A friend of mine has one. He loves it. Been super reliable for him and his wife.

Now I have to go hunting for the GM 4 horns in the wrecking yard when I go to Arizona for the winter. Lot easier than keeping a Viair compressor working.

Top Speed : 90mph (governed) Speedometer : always reads 2mph faster than actual You can't see the engine temp w/o an OBDII reader. But if you opt for the accessories gauges, you get a tachometer and an extra clock. The model presented here, smart fortwo 451 (2008-2015) came in pure (shown), passion, and cabriolet. smart : Swatch Mercedes ART Windshield wiper sizes : 23" (driver), 21" (passenger) (front) and 9" (rear) Taillights : (Euro version) has amber turn signals ; One of the backup lights will be a rear fog light Interior : roomy ; I'm 6'5" and find most other cars cramped Spare tire : there isn't one ; there's an inflation kit and the car's battery underneath the passenger's carpet Tailgate : the tailgate has a compartment that can hold a roadside kit, first aid kit, spare bulb kit, compact umbrella, pen flashlight, and owner's manual

When I worked at O'Reilly's there was a young nurse who came in with a smart fortwo that needed a new battery. She already had all the panels off and I realized it wasn't all too different from other domestic cars I had done batteries on. In fact after I did the smart battery I realized I had more trouble doing a Ford Focus ST than the smart!

They’re fairly common in European cities. I’ve seen several in Prague, including 4-door models.

I have a Smart as a secondary car and drove it from NJ to Florida to use when I’m there for work. Other than the seat getting uncomfortable after several hours it was surprisingly fine. I had it over 80mph at some points and still felt stable, although kinda loud because of the convertible top. I plan to keep it and drive it mostly for fun.

Im 6'2" 130kgs and Ive had 2 of these smart cars. Heaps of space, heaps of headroom. Like driving a go-kart. Very fun little car.

I have owned 15!!!! Of this SMART cars , love them to pieces ❤ Great cars to work on if you know them , it’s so much videos online how to fix

“Holy crap Car Wizard!!!” OMG!!! 😂😂😂😂

I love my smart roadster brabus, I've heard that the US never got that one.

1:51 before I even continue watching the rest of the video, well done for not saying "With further adieu" ! 😉

I told a salesman at a new car show years ago that I wanted the blow up version to keep in the trunk of my car for a spare

I just _love_ these little cars. Around the same year this car was built, 2014, I was in the market for a much smaller used car than my 1.6L ride due to the UK's car tax system, which heavily penalises anything over 1.3L due to emissions, but which _loves_ tiny engines - but I couldn't find a 2nd-hand Smart car. I settled for a 4yr old used Ford Ka, the next best thing - and all my mechanics hate it too, even though it's entirely conventional and is based on either a Fiat or VW, I believe... ah well. Been driving it ever since!

The turbo diesel version gets its engine put into adventure bikes in Holland? They can go anywhere and the mpg is fantastic

I had a 1991 Geo Metro, 3 C, 1L 5 speed manual. When I bought it brand new, it got 65 mpg. When i got rid of it with 145,000 miles on it, it was getting 45 mpg. it was also 1400 pounds and buffetting by trucks could move the car 2-3 feet. I have seen these Smart Cars. I got passed like I was sitting still by one when I was at about 80 mph. Took the cop 5 miles to catch up to him for the ticket.

smart mouse trap included with trim package?

Although it's not my style, it's cool to see some info about it. I've seen just a few in my region.

I love these too and glad to hear they're easier to fix than I thought. One more thing about the safety though, that I don't like. You're right that they 'bounce' off most accidents, even with very little damage most of the time, but that's because it has very poor crumpling and a lot of the force goes straight through it, so to the driver and passenger. It's really not a great car for the highway, but in the city they're almost magic. Wish cities in Europe would give cars like this more of a break like cheaper parking.

You have to be turning work away left and right because you are one of the only reputable and honest mechanic shops I have ever seen. I tell everyone about your channel. I've seen about every episode and I'm a subscriber. Great videos!!!

I'm currently sitting in a 2009 Smart Fortwo Passion while watching this video on my break at work. LOL.

I'd often wondered how you got at the engine on those, so thanks for another interesting video.

I’ve had 2 smart cars and love them! My current is a 2016 Edition #1

just knock out the opposite blade balanced

lol the horn 😂😂😂

Saw them in Europe and wanted one. I placed a reservation the day Penske said that he'd be importing them and had one of the first batch in January 2008. Sold it in 2016 as I was cutting the fleet back and still miss it. It was absolutely the weapon of choice for local errand running. That being said, I did drive it to Florida once and up into New England (from northern Virginia). Never had an issue. May get another.

I had a Smart Car some years ago. It was fun - but service was a problem. There was just one shop on the south side of Indy that would work on it. Having different size tires front and rear always seemed strange to me, but it was a fun little car, anyhow. The design is safer than one might think - but with all of the big SUVs running around, I just decided to join the crowd, and get one of those. I've had little cars (Smart & Fiero) all the way up to a box truck and large luxury cars (like my favorite 2008 Lincoln Town Car). I even had a Nissan Leaf, a while back. That "Leaf" didn't seem to change color in the fall (like the ones on the trees did). The Smart was an experience of its own, and was fun to drive.

Previously, the parts were a nightmare to get. They were expensive and often needed to be ordered from Europe. They are great little cars though!

Easy to park. I had to say something nice!

Wish I had this video years ago when I 1st started messing with some of these

Hi very impressed with your balanced view of my favourite car. I have the 100 mph brabus version, which is my third smarty. My RHD version makes the fan motor difficult to change because the ECM is in the way but still easier than most modern cars. I understand that high performance versions were never offered for sale in the US because they need 98 octane fuel and struggled to make the emissions. Thanks once again for a smart video