2009 SMART FORTWO Electrical System Problems

APPEARS THAT MY 2009 SMART FORTWO PASSION AND OTHERS ON THE INTERNET ARE BEING CONFRONTED WITH MANY OF THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS. VEHICLE WILL NOT GO INTO R (REVERSE) AT TIMES AND THE KEYFOB MAY NEED TO BE REPROGRAMMED FOR NOT WORKING IN THE VEHICLE AT ALL. DON'T KNOW IF IT IS THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE, TRANSPONDER, OR WHAT. I DO KNOW THAT MANY OWNERS ARE FACING THE SAME CHALLENGE. NO NEED FOR A KEY REMAKE, THE KEYS JUST DO NOT TURN THE CAR ON AT ALL. THE PROGRAMMING EQUIPMENT AND OR ALL THAT TROUBLESHOOTING YET MERCEDES TOP EXECUTIVES HAVE NOT AND WILL NOT ADDRESS OWNER CONCERNS. I CAN PULL INTO A PARKING LOT, HANDLE MY BUSINESS IN LETS SAY A SUPERMARKET. COME BACK OUT TO THE CAR AND PUT IN REVERSE AND ONLY N (NEUTRAL) APPEARS. I HAVE TO GO FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE THEN REVERSE FOR THE VEHICLE...

POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE WITH SMARTCAR 2009, VIN: [XXX] INTERMITTENT ISSUE WITH GEARBOX SHIFTER NOT ALLOWING CAR TO BE SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN TRYING TO BACK INTO A PARKING SPACE, OR LEAVE A PARKING SPACE. IF A SIMILAR SMARCARS ARE STUCK ON TRAIN TRACKS, AND CANNOT MANEUVER TO GET OFF THE TRACKS THIS COULD BE A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THIS IS NOT A ONE OFF ISSUE, IT IS NOTED ON MULTIPLE INTERNATIONAL SMARTCAR BLOGS, HTTPS://WWW.SMARTCAROFAMERICA.COM/FORUMS/F4/REVERSE-DOES-NOT-ENGAGE-140961 HTTPS://WWW.SMARTCAROFAMERICA.COM/FORUMS/F353/WON-T-GO-INTO-REVERSE-SOMETIMES-33556/ HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=4IWBPVZKSZE ADDITIONALLY, THE CONSOLE WILL SHOW A FLASHING "D" AND WRENCHES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ELECTRICAL FUSES TEND TO CAUSE ELECTRICAL SHORTS, WITH A/C COMING ON AND OFF AT ANY GIVEN TIME, OFTEN WHEN I HIT SPEED BUMPS. THE LIGHTS CAN BE CAUSED BY THIS AS WELL HITTING THE SIMPLE RIGHT CORNER TURN CAN POP THE LIGHT RIGHT OUT. I HAVE REPEATEDLY TOLD THEM THAT IT NEEDS BETTER SHOCKS. I HAVE REPLACED THE LIGHTS BOTH FRONT AND BACK AT A VERY MINIMUM OF 12 TIMES A YEAR. THAT'S RIDICULOUS IN MY EYES.IT SHOULD BE SMARTER THAN THAT!!!!

I WAS ON MY WAY TO SCHOOL, THE CAR BEGAN MAKING A GRINDING NOISE, AS I MOVED TO THE SHOULDER IT DIED AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, THE RADIO CUT OFF, THE HORN STAYED ON, ALL THE WIPERS WENT FULL FORCE AND THE DOORS LOCKED. WHEN I FINALLY KICKED THE DOOR OPEN I WENT TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND OPENED THE GOOD. I BEGAN SO SMELL BURNING PLASTIC AND WENT TO THE DRIVER SIDE AGAIN. WHEN I GOT THERE, THERE WERE FLAMING DRIPS COMING FROM UNDER THE PANELS. I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THEM OUT BUT IT WAS FUTILE. I REMOVED MYSELF FROM THE SITUATION AND CALLED FIRE RESCUE. THE WHOLE THING TOOK 2 MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR WAS TOAST

MY 2009 SMART FORTWO CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE YESTERDAY AND BURNED. WHEN I WAS PULLING INTO THE LOCAL POST OFFICE, THE CAR?S WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON BY THEMSELVES AND THEN THE HORN BEGAN TO HONK AS WELL. I GOT INTO A PARKING SPACE AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. I SAW SOMETHING COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR BUT NO FLAMES. I GOT OUT AND WENT INTO THE POST OFFICE TO GET MY MAIL. WHILE IN THERE I HEARD SEVERAL PEOPLE YELLING THAT A CAR WAS ON FIRE. I RUSHED OUTSIDE TO SEE MY CAR FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I LOST ALL MY THINGS IN THE CAR; LAPTOP, TABLET, CELLPHONE AND MOST OF ALL ALL MY BUSINESS PAPERWORK, CONTACTS, ETC.

HELLO. I SAW ON THE NEWS THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION ABOUT 2008/2009 SMART CARS. MINE CAUGHT COMPLETELY ON FIRE IN APRIL OF 2012 WHILE DRIVING. I DID NOT KNOW WHERE TO COMPLAIN TO OTHER THAN THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL I SAW THE NEWS. I BOUGHT MY SMART CAR IN DECEMBER OF 2009. WITH IN 9 MONTHS I STARTED HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES. IT WOULD START TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING THE TURN BACK ON ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER. I TOOK IT IN 4 TIMES AND THEY COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT WAS WAS WRONG WITH IT AND WOULD RETURN IT BACK. ON THE 4TH TIME I DID BRING UP THE LEMON LAW AND THEY KEPT MY CAR FOR A COUPLE WEEKS. A COUPLE MONTHS LATER I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AND MY CAR STARTED GOING ELECTRONICALLY HAYWIRE. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE GOING CRAZY AND THE DASHBOARD WAS TURNING OFF AND ON. I PULLED...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SMART FORTWO. THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE AND SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL THE VEHICLE UNDERNEATH THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONTACT PARKED AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE KNOCKING SOUND AND SMOKE CONTINUED. THE HORN AND ALARM BEGAN TO SOUND. THE CONTACT DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND FLAMES APPEARED UNDERNEATH THE DASHBOARD. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DECLARED UN-DRIVABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000.

I AM ORIGINAL OWNER SINCE FEB 09 (MANF 12/08) AND ITS NOW 7 YRS OLD AND REQS NEW BATTERY. LIFTING UP FLOOR MAT TO REMOVE OLD BATTERY I NOTICED STICKY RED OILY SUBSTANCE (UNKOWN SOURCE BUT NOW SUSPECT BATTERY VAPOR CONDENSATION) AROUND TOP OF COMPARTMENT (MOSTLY WHERE HOLDDOWN BRACKET CONNECTS). REMOVING THE BATTERY THEN EXPOSED CORRODED FLOOR PAINT FROM BATTERY ACID. IN ATTEMPTING TO CLEAN UP THE MESS, I HAD TO REMOVE THE BATTERY VENT TUBE EXITING THE FLOOR. THIS TUBE HAD A SPIDER NEST INSIDE ABOUT 2" FROM OPENING. WD40 DID NOT PENETRATE NESTS END SEALS & HAD TO EXTRACT SPIDER & NEST MANUALLY. I CAN NOT PROVE THIS IS SAFETY RELATED BUT IM WONDERING IF OTHER VENTED BATTERY CARS HAVE THIS VENT BLOCKAGE-CORROSION PROBLEM AND ALSO IF THESE BLOCKED FUMES WERE TOXIC TO OCCUPANTS OF MY CAR? I TOOK SOME PHONE PHOTO EVIDENCE. ON UNRELATED PROBLEM. IN THE...

THE VEHICLE FAILS INTERMITTENTLY TO SHIFT FROM BRAKE TO REVERSE OR FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS, ALL THAT IS SEEN ON THE FRONT DASHBOARD IS A BLANK SCREEN AND THE CAR ALERT SYSTEMS LETS OUT A CONTINUOUS BEEPING DENOTING THE FAILURE OF THE SHIFT. IT SOMETIMES REQUIRES IMMEDIATE TURNING OFF OF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING IN ORDER TO GET TO THE DESIRED GEAR. SELDOM THAT DOES NOT WORK, AND TURNING OFF AND WAITING 10 MINUTES SEEMS TO ALLOW GEAR SHIFTS. THIS IS DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY IN THE REVERSE TO DRIVE FAILURE AS WHEN COMING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY ON A BUSY ROAD, IT MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAS OCCURRED AFTER WARRANTY AND I WAS TOLD THERE IS A MERCEDES BENZ SOFTWARE UPGRADE MEANT TO SOLVE IT. BUT THIS IS A CHARGED SERVICE. AS A SAFETY ISSUE, I IMPLORE THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE A CHARGED BUT REQUIRED...

UPON STARTING CAR, ATTEMPT TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE. CAR SHOWS EITHER A BLANK WHERE THE GEAR (P, R, N, D) WOULD NORMALLY APPEAR, OR SHOWS 'N' WHEN SHIFTER IS IN THE 'R' POSITION. IF 'N' IS SHOWING, CAR BEGINS BEEPING AS IT WOULD IF SEATBELT WEREN'T FASTENED. SHIFTING INTO 'D' MAKES NO DIFFERENCE, CAR CAN ONLY HAVE 'N' OR 'P' SELECTED AT THIS POINT. CAR MUST BE SHIFTED INTO PARK AND THEN TURNED OFF AND BACK ON (SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES) FOR THE PROBLEM TO RESOLVE.

WHEN I START MY CAR AND PUT IT IN DRIVE IT SHOWS REVERSE ON THE SCREEN OR NOTHING AT ALL. THEN MY CAR WILL BACK UP INSTEAD OF GOING FORWARD. I ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT A FEW TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO ME MORE THAN ONCE. THE AIR TUBES IN THE ENGINE ALREADY HAVE CRACKS IN THEM LIKELY BECAUSE A CHEAP MATERIAL WAS USED TO PRODUCE THEM, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT CAN LEAD TO ENGINE FIRES IN MANY OF THESE VEHICLES. IN ADDITION, SOMETHING SEEMS TO BE ALREADY WRONG WITH MY TRANSMISSION AND THE CAR IS NOT EVEN THAT OLD. *TR

OK THE MOTION SENSOR STOPPED WORKING, THE RADIO WAS DRAWING 870MA WHILE CAR IS SHUT OFF SO HAD TO GET THAT DISCONNECTED. THE HEATER FAN WENT THEY REPLACED THE HEATER FAN FROM MY EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT THE OTHER TWO THINGS WAS NOT SO NOW IM WITH OUT A RADIO THAT WAS PUT IN BY THE SMART CAR PEOPLE AND WHEN MY TOP IS DOWN I HAVE NO MOTION SENSOR THE RADIO DREW SO BAD OF A DRAW THAT THE BATTERY WOULD DIE OVER NIGHT WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF YES THE CAR WAS OFF AND SO WAS THE RADIO. I AM UP SET THAT BEING IT WAS NOT MY DOINGS AT ALL OF THE MISS HAPS OF THE RADIO AND MOTION SENSOR THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO GO WITH OUT A RADIO OR SENSOR IN MY 2009 CAR IM NOW AFFRAID TO DRIVE IT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS AND THAT...

THE CAR HAS A PROBLEM WITH NOT GOING IN REVERSE WHEN YOU PUT THE GEAR SHIFTER IN 'R' POSITION? USUALLY AFTER DRIVEN AND THE CAR IS WARMED UP. THE CAR JUST ROLLS WHEN PUT IN REVERSE, AS IF THOUGH IT'S IN NEUTRAL.. WHEN GIVING GAS IT JUST REVS THE ENGINE AND NOTHING HAPPENS.. THE CAR IS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AND IT CAN BE DANGEROUS PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE IF IT'S ON A SLOPE. THE VEHICLE CAN ROLL. THIS IS A NORMAL PROBLEM WITH THE 08-09 YEAR. THIS SHOULD DEFIANTLY BE A RECALL ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR TAKEN THE TIME TO READ MY COMPLAINT. *TR

AFTER GETTING HOME FROM SCHOOL, COMING IN SAYING HELLO TO THE FAMILY I WENT BACK OUT TO MY CAR TO GET MY BAG. WHEN I APPROACHED MY CAR I COULD HEAR WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE MY RADIATOR FANS STILL RUNNING DESPITE THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. MY LOGIC WAS "MAYBE A GLITCH IN THE COMPUTER." SO I PROCEEDED TO SIMPLY TURN THE CAR ON AND THEN OFF TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HELP. NOPE, THAT DIDN'T DO THE TRICK. PUZZLED I CAME INSIDE TO INFORM MY DAD WHAT WAS GOING ON, WHILE I WAS TALKING TO MY DAD I COULD HEAR THE FACTORY ALARM GOING OFF, THEN IT STARTED HONKING, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE RUNNING. WHEN I APPROACHED MY CAR TO SEE IF THE THERE WAS A CHANCE THAT I LEFT SOMETHING ON. WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR, I SAW SMOKE COMING UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE CONSOLE, THEN SPARKS,...