2008 Smart Fortwo Electrical System Problems

We were driving in Greensboro NC this afternoon on the way to my husbands birthday dinner when off of Bridford? Parkway our 2008 smart car passion for two started malfunctioning all lights flashing on instrument panel & brakes quit & another motorist drove up beside us with window down screaming GET OUT YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE!!! We managed to stop on side of road at woods & jumped out car was on fire looked like under back tires and engine in back! We grabbed what we could save & ran. 911 was called & fire and police came. 2 Witnesses also to event we have photos & videos. Our car burned all the way down to frame! Total loss! We could have died because we couldnt see the fire behind us under car & if not for the man we may have blown up!!

.........I NOT THE CURREN OWNER FOR THIS VEHICLE BUT, MY SMART IS AFFECTED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM OR FAULT-DEFECT. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=31877430&ROWNUMBER=9&LOADRECENT=TRUE . .........VEHICLE WON'T START. ..........FUSE BOX. FAIL. .......... ......... THANK YOU.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SMART FORTWO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INADVERTENTLY TURN OFF WHEN THE IGNITION KEY WAS ACCIDENTALLY TOUCHED. THE LOCATION FOR THE KEY WAS PLACED BETWEEN THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEATS. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE ENGINE OVERHEATED WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V273000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT CALLED MIDSTATE AUTO GROUP INC. AT (508) 832-8886 (LOCATED AT 810 WASHINGTON ST, AUBURN, MA 01501) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE CONVERTIBLE ROOF DID NOT COMPLETELY CLOSE. THE DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE CONVERTIBLE ROOF FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 39,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

AN HOUR OR HOUR AND A HALF AFTER PARKING THE CAR WE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. THE CAR HAD SMOKE AND A ELECTRICAL FIRE SMELL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. THEY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND THE SMOKE STOPPED. THE ACTUAL SOURCE COULD NOT BE IDENTIFIED. THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. DO I HAVE ANY LEGAL RECOURSE?

MY SON WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN HE NOTICED SMOKE IN THE FLOOR BOARD. HE WAS ABOUT .5 MILES FROM OUR HOUSE AND WENT TO TURN AROUND WHEN HE NOTICED FIRE IN THE BACK/ENGINE AREA OF THE CAR. HE WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR AND RAN TO A HOUSE TO CALL 911. AS THE HOME OWNER WAS CALLING THEY HEARD THE CAR EXPLODE. THE ENTIRE CAR BURNED WITH ONLY THE METAL FRAME OF THE CAR, SEATS, ETC. LEFT STANDING. IN SEPTEMBER THE CAR PASSED THE STATE INSPECTION. WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I ARRIVED (WHICH WAS ONLY MINUTES FROM IT HAPPENING SINCE WE WERE ONLY .5 MILES AWAY) THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THANKFULLY MY SON WAS ABLE TO GET OUT. I'M ALSO THANKFUL FOR THE RAIN THAT HAD JUST STARTED BECAUSE IT SOAKED THE PREVIOUSLY DRY LEAVES AND TREES THAT COULD'VE BEEN ALSO ENGULFED IN THE FLAMES AND CAUSED HOME/PROPERTY DAMAGE TO OTHERS.

IN MY GARAGE I TRIED TO START CAR AFTER EMPTYING WATER FROM FLOODED BATTERY BOX AND ALLOWING TO DRY FOR 4 DAYS. ELECTRICAL CABLE RUNNING THROUGH BATTERY BOX CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED COMPLETELY THROUGH, SEE PICTURE. BATTERY BOX FLOODED FROM A/C CONDENSATION TUBE DISCONNECT IN BATTERY BOX, SEE PICTURE, WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE ON SMARTUSA BLOG.

VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE, FOUND VEHICLE BATTERY BOX AND PASSENGER SEAT FLOODED DUE TO THE AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSATION TUBE JOINT LOCATED IN THE BATTERY BOX DISCONNECTED. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, VEHICLE WILL NOT START, EVEN AFTER EMPTYING THE WATER FROM THE BATTERY BOX AND RECHARGING THE BATTERY. HAVE A READ MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THIS ISSUE ON THE SMART BLOG. POSSIBLE ELECTRIC SHOCK ISSUE AS WELL AS ALL ELECTRICAL AND LIGHTS OUT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SMART FORTWO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE, THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO REMAIN IN THE CORRECT GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000.

HEATER BLOWER MOTOR FAILURE, RANDOM OCCURRENCE OF FAILURE TO OPERATE HEAT OR DEFROST, FOGGING/FREEZING WINDOWS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SMART FORTWO 451 COUPE. WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO RESET THE COMPUTER FOR THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT CONNECTION BECAUSE IT WAS LOOSE. THREE MONTHS LATER THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE HE PAID $150 FOR THE FIRST REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 13,400.

WHEN I DRIVE BY AN INTERSECTION WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF RADIO, SATELLITE AND CELL PHONE TOWERS, THE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN MY CAR IS IMMOBILIZED. BY THAT I MEAN THAT THE CAR IS IN "D" BUT WON'T MOVE. I PUSH OR COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURN THE CAR "OFF." I WAIT A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND RESTART. THE WARNING LIGHTS STAY ON BUT IT WILL ALLOW ME TO DRIVE OFF IN "D." I THEN PARK, DO MY ERRANDS AND COME BACK TO THE CAR. I START IT UP, ALL WARNING LIGHTS STAY OFF AND IT DRIVES NORMALLY. THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED ON BOTH OCCASIONS WHEN I HAVE DRIVEN BY THIS INTERSECTION (MT. PLEASANT AVENUE AND PROSPECT AVENUE IN WEST ORANGE, NJ.) THE CAR IS A 2008 SMART PASSION COUPE. *TR

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