NHTSA Complaint #10316475 — 2008 SMART FORTWO

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