Smart is a French carmaker founded in 1994, now part of Geely Holding Group. The cars themselves are another matter: across 1 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 1 country — Germany 100%. 2 models are tracked here (2008–2026). Reliable? yes, on balance — 4.0 out of 5 across 2 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Smart
smart Automobile is a Sino-European electric vehicle brand headquartered in Hangzhou, China, with European operations in Hambach, France. Founded in 1994 as a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler and Swiss watchmaker SMH (Swatch) — hence the original Swatch Mercedes ART acronym sometimes attributed to the name — smart launched the original two-seat City-Coupé (later renamed Fortwo) in 1998. After a 2019 restructuring, smart became a 50/50 joint venture between Mercedes-Benz Group and Geely Auto, with Geely leading vehicle engineering and Mercedes-Benz leading design. The Fortwo (1998-2024) was the smallest production car sold in the United States during its 2008-2019 run there. Modern smart vehicles are battery-electric crossovers built in China: the smart #1 (2022), smart #3 (2023) and smart #5 (2024). The brand exited the US and Canadian markets in 2019 after Daimler ended Fortwo production but continues to expand in Europe and Asia under the new joint-venture structure. smart's parents Mercedes-Benz Group and Geely Holding trade on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Stock Exchange respectively. Recall data for every smart VIN sold in the US prior to 2019 is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any smart VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original MSRP.
The smart brand originated in Nicolas Hayek's 1991 Swatchmobile concept — a small affordable urban car combining Swatch's manufacturing scale with Mercedes-Benz engineering. Daimler-Benz and SMH (Swatch parent) formed Micro Compact Car AG in 1994. The 1998 Smart City-Coupé was the production result, offering 8.7-foot length, two seats and an entirely modular body. The 2008 Fortwo entered the US market and reached peak US sales of 24,622 units in 2008 before Daimler discontinued the brand in North America in 2019.
| Smart | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founded by | Mercedes-Benz, SMH (Swatch) |
| Headquarters | Hambach, France |
| Owned by | Geely Holding Group |
| Slogan | «open your mind» |
| Models tracked here | 2 (2008–2026) |
| Assembled in | 1 countries |
Technology it is known for: smart OS infotainment (Geely-developed), 800V electric architecture (#3, #5), BRABUS performance variants, Pilot Assist driver assistance, Pure / Premium / Pro / Brabus trim hierarchy.
This page covers smart (lowercase by official styling), the Geely-Mercedes joint-venture EV brand — not the SMART acronym in business or any other smart-named trademarks.
Where Smart cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 248 vehicles on record, 1 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | WME | 2008–2019 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Smart beginning WME was assembled in Germany.
All Smart models 2
Every Smart model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Smart More models 2
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Fortwo | 2008–2026 | 12 | 148 | 108 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Smart EQ Fortwo | 2018–2026 | — | — | 108 mpg | 4.5/5 |
Smart by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Smart | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 12 campaigns | Most recalled: Structure:frame And Members |
| Owner complaints | 148+ filed | Most reported: Fortwo |
| Fuel economy | 108 mpg best | Leader: Fortwo |
| Insurance | $706/yr typical | Cheapest: Fortwo |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Smart hybrids & electric models
Smart's electrified lineup — 2 electric / plug-in. Click any model for its full powertrain, MPG and range by year.
Smart electric & plug-in 2
| Model | Years | Best figure | Recalls | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Fortwo | 2008–2026 | 108 | 12 | 3.5/5 |
| Smart EQ Fortwo | 2018–2026 | 108 | — | 4.5/5 |
Electrified variants from EPA fueleconomy.gov powertrain data. A model may offer gas, hybrid and electric versions across years.
Get a Smart window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Smart's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Smart window stickers →How to read a Smart VIN
Every Smart built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Smart and the country it was built in (real Smart codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- ChinaR4N
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. Our VIN decoder breaks all seventeen positions down — year codes, country of assembly and the plant that built the car.
Who owns Smart, and what you get
Smart belongs to Geely Holding Group. smart positions in compact and subcompact electric vehicle segments primarily for European, Chinese and Asian urban markets. The brand exited North America in 2019 and has not announced plans to return. Modern smart vehicles compete against MINI Cooper SE, Renault 5 E-Tech and BYD Dolphin. The BRABUS sub-brand provides performance-tuned variants of every smart model.
| Smart | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | France |
| Ownership | Geely Holding Group |
| Basic warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | Germany |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when Smart models actually start to break →
Smart — frequently asked
Is Smart french?
Smart is a French company, headquartered in Hambach and founded in 1994. The cars are a separate question: 100% of the Smart vehicles in our records were assembled in Germany.
Where are Smart cars made?
Across 1 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: Germany (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Smart?
Smart is part of Geely Holding Group.
How many Smart models are there?
We track 2 Smart models spanning 2008–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Smart warranty?
New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Smart reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Smart model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.