2008 SMART FORTWO Power Trainautomatic Transmission Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SMART FORTWO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE CLUTCH COUPLING MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,150.

I HAVE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WITH MY 2008 PASSIONFORTWO, WHICH HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES IN THE 28 MONTHS AND 13K MILES OF OWNERSHIP. I'M HAPPILY DRIVING ALONG UNTIL I REACH MY DESTINATION, THEN I NEED TO GO INTO REVERSE TO PARK. THE SHIFTER WORKS FLAWLESSLY AND THE DISPLAY CLEARLY SHOWS THE CORRECT POSITION OF THE SHIFTER. BUT, THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE, NOR WILL IT ENGAGE IF I RESELECT DRIVE. THE FIRST TWO TIMES THAT THIS HAPPENED, I EVENTUALLY TURNED OFF THE KEY AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND ALL WAS WELL. THE LAST TWO TIMES, THAT WORK-AROUND HAD NO EFFECT. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND LET IT SIT FOR FIVE MINUTES AND ONE HOUR, RESPECTIVELY, AND THEN HAD NO PROBLEM SELECTING ANY GEAR. A CAR THAT SUDDENLY WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR IS DANGEROUS. *TR

IT'S A PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS ABOUT ONCE A WEEK, THE CAR WON'T GO INTO REVERSE, AND SOMETIMES WON'T GO INTO ANY GEAR AT ALL. THIS HAS BEEN RECURRING FOR 2 YEARS, AND THE DEALERSHIP PRETENDS THERE IS NO PROBLEM. THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS WHEN IN A BUSY STREET, OR IN A SLOPE WHEN YOU EXPECT TO BACK UP WHILE THE CAR ROLLS DOWN THE HILL. *TR

THE CAR WILL NOT ENGAGE REVERSE AT ALL AND SOMETIMES JUMPS BETWEEN N, D, OR A BLANK DISPLAY ON THE DASH READOUT. WHEN THIS HAPPENS YOU CAN MOVE THE SHIFTER AND IT WILL NOT SELECT REVERSE AND THERE IS A BEEPING NOISE AUDIBLE FROM THE DASH. THE CAR MUST BE ROLLED BACK DOWN A HILL IN NEUTRAL OR PUSHED. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 4 TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK. NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE BY REPLACING PARTS OR REPAIRING PARTS. CAR HAS ONLY ABOUT 27K MILES. *TR

ON MY 2008 SMART CAR PASSION AT 36,585 MILES THE CLUTCH PLATE AND ACTUATOR BECAME DEFECTIVE AFTER ONLY THREE MONTHS OF DRIVING. I REPAIRED THIS ISSUE AND AT 81,000 MILES THE SAME ISSUE ON THE SAME PART BECAME DEFECTIVE. I PUT ON HIGH MILES DO TO THE NATURE OF MY BUSINESS WHICH IS A COURIER COMPANY. I AM WORRIED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY DRIVERS. I HAVE EXPRESSED THIS ISSUE TO THE SMART DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS THE NATIONAL REPS. THEY HAVE NO INTEREST IN EXPLORING THAT THIS COULD BE A MAJOR DEFECT WITH THEIR CAR. BRAKES ARE A ISSUE I TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY SINCE THE AMOUNT OF DRIVING MY EMPLOYEES DO. *TR UPDATED 03/15/10

SINCE NEW. CAR HAS PROBLEM MOVING FROM PARK INTO GEAR, EITHER REVERSE OR DRIVE. EVEN WHEN GEARSHIFT MOVES AND INDICATOR LIGHT SHOWS GEAR, DOES NOT ENGAGE. SAME PROBLEM MOVING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE. GEARSHIFT STICKS ON OCCASION AND IS DIFFICULT TO MOVE. *TR

GEAR SHIFT LEVER FREEZES IN PARK & THEREFORE WILL NOT ALLOW CAR TO MOVE. *TR

THE FAILING PART IS IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER. THE SHIFT LEVER RELEASE BUTTON BEGINS TO GET RESISTIVE IN IT'S OPERATION AND THEN FAILS TO ACTUATE ALL TOGETHER. IN MY CASE THIS RESULTED IN THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAVING TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SHIFT LEVER ASSEMBLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 8400 MILES. IT HAS BEEN ABOUT 500 MILES SINCE THE REPAIR AND I CAN FEEL THE LEVER BECOMING RESISTIVE AGAIN. *TR

MY CAR'S SHIFTER IS STUCK IN PARK. I CANNOT SHIFT TO N (NEUTRAL), D (DRIVE), OR R (REVERSE). THIS EFFECTIVELY RENDERS THE CAR INOPERABLE. *TR