UK vehicle statistics / Smart

How many Smart Forfour cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 23,700 licensed and 1,368 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Smart Forfour generic-model group.

Looking at a Forfour?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular Forfour is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the Forfour disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 26,384 in 2019 Q3 and stand at 23,700 in 2026 Q1, down 10%. That is down 9% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 1,368 are declared SORN — 1 in 18 of the 25,068 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

Forfour MOT pass rate

In 2024, 73.5% of 21,718 Smart Forfour MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 81.5% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 54.5% aged 15–30 years.

  • Exhaust Emissions — 4.9% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Condition — 4.2% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Suspension Arms — 3.8% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Tread Depth — 3.7% of tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Smart Forfour MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Exhaust Emissions — 4.9% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Condition — 4.2% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Suspension Arms — 3.8% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Tread Depth — 3.7% of tests in 2024. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
  • Check the actual Forfour — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q123,7001,368
2025 Q423,8741,349
2025 Q324,0341,301
2025 Q224,1731,276
2025 Q124,4101,236
2024 Q424,5721,204
2024 Q324,7781,154
2024 Q225,0521,137
2024 Q125,2071,135
2023 Q425,4351,116
2023 Q325,5731,082
2023 Q225,6981,063
2023 Q125,8801,044
2022 Q426,0651,019
2022 Q326,157998
2022 Q226,179975
2022 Q126,0711,012
2021 Q426,0271,032
2021 Q325,940988
2021 Q226,0931,003
2021 Q126,0911,038
2020 Q426,168991
2020 Q326,207958
2020 Q226,002988
2020 Q126,254930
2019 Q426,354852
2019 Q326,384854
2019 Q226,123793
2019 Q125,426769
2018 Q424,911723
2018 Q324,604698
2018 Q223,784657
2018 Q122,981637
2017 Q421,553631
2017 Q321,503580
2017 Q220,938522
2017 Q119,515516
2016 Q417,703478
2016 Q316,974447
2016 Q215,557408
2016 Q114,405388
2015 Q413,469332
2015 Q312,311275
2015 Q210,454253
2015 Q18,982231
2014 Q48,062216
2014 Q38,241174

Other Smart models

See how many of every Smart model are left

Common questions

How many Smart Forfour cars are left in the UK?

23,700 were licensed and 1,368 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Smart Forfour cars are SORN?

1,368 are declared SORN — 1 in 18 of the 25,068 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Forfour disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 26,384 in 2019 Q3 and stand at 23,700 in 2026 Q1, down 10%. That is down 9% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 1,368 are declared SORN — 1 in 18 of the 25,068 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Smart Forfour MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 73.5% of 21,718 Smart Forfour MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Forfour fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are exhaust emissions (4.9% of tests), condition (4.2% of tests), suspension arms (3.8% of tests).

Does this say whether one Forfour is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.