Dacia Spring vs Smart Forfour: which is more reliable?
According to the MotorFiable Score, the Dacia Spring (7.3/10) has fewer serious documented faults than the Smart Forfour (6.1/10), mainly because of the faults in the rest of the car (suspension, brakes, electronics…).
| Item | Dacia Spring | Smart Forfour |
|---|---|---|
| Segment | City car | City car |
| Years | 2021–today | 2014–2021 |
| MotorFiable Score | 7.3 out of 10 | 6.1 out of 10 |
| Engine score | 7.1/10 | 6.4/10 |
| Most recommended engine | Dacia Spring · With caution | 1.0 SCe (B4D) · With caution |
| Score for the rest of the car | 7.6/10 | 5.8/10 |
| Suspension | No documented faults | 7.0 out of 101 faultCritical severity |
| Brakes | 8.9 out of 101 faultHigh severity | 7.8 out of 101 faultHigh severity |
| Gearbox and clutch | 8.6 out of 101 faultMedium severity | 7.9 out of 101 faultHigh severity |
| Electrical system | No documented faults | 8.6 out of 101 faultMedium severity |
| Electronics and infotainment | 9.3 out of 101 faultLow severity | No documented faults |
| Climate control | 9.3 out of 101 faultLow severity | No documented faults |
| Bodywork and interior | 9.3 out of 101 faultLow severity | 8.0 out of 100 faults |
| Airbags and safety | 8.6 out of 101 faultCritical severity | 7.9 out of 101 faultHigh severity |
Scores out of 10: the higher, the fewer serious documented faults. How we calculate them
Main faults of the Dacia Spring
Outside the engine
- Critical severityFrequency: RareAirbags and safetyCampaign for the rear right seat belt retractor (built April to October 2022)Dacia issued a recall in November 2022 for Spring cars built between April and October of that year because the rear right seat belt retractor could malfunction, which reduces its restraining capacity in an accident.
- Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalGearbox and clutchHard knocks from the driveline when accelerating and lifting off the throttleAt least four of the 73 reports on fiches-auto.fr and several CarWiki readers describe sharp knocks when pressing or releasing the accelerator; two CarWiki owners place the onset between 5,000 and 20,000 km and say the noise grows with mileage.
- High severityFrequency: RareBrakesOccasional loss of braking force (vacuum pump relay)Two sources record cases of brake loss on the Spring: at least three fiches-auto.fr reports (one with the vacuum pump relay flagged) and a CarWiki owner whose problem recurred after that relay was replaced. These are isolated cases.
In their engines
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalDacia SpringSerious traction battery alerts and their management (BMS)Fiches-auto.fr counts about 9 serious traction battery alerts in 73 Spring testimonies, including faults a year into ownership and cars off the road for weeks in the workshop; Autoheute.de adds that the Spring has no active battery cooling.
- Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalDacia SpringFaults in the on-board charger and charging portOn Fiches-auto.fr, 11 of the 73 Spring testimonies cite the on-board charger and 6 the charging port: charging refused or cut off, in some cases leaving the car immobilised. The source does not specify the exact component.
Main faults of the Smart Forfour
Outside the engine
- Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalSuspensionFront left hub carrier with insufficient strength (2017 campaign)A Safety Gate alert (41/2017) and the DVSA cover Forfours and Fortwos built between March and June 2017 whose front left hub carrier may lack the necessary strength and break, with loss of control. It is checked and replaced if necessary at an official dealer.
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalBrakesHandbrake: the lever gains travel because of the cable adjustment and may not hold the carYes: a Safety Gate alert (39/2017) covers type 453 Forfours built between November 2014 and October 2015 because the cable adjustment part of the parking brake weakens and the lever gains travel, so the brake may not apply the necessary force. It is checked at an official dealer.
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalAirbags and safetyRear seat backrest anchorage with insufficient strength in a frontal crashIn 2016 Safety Gate published an alert (A12/0766/16) because the rear seat backrest anchorage of the Forfour, built from September 2014 to December 2015, may not withstand a frontal crash with a heavy load behind it. The backrest could come loose and fold forwards.
In their engines
- High severityFrequency: Common0.9 TCeCoolant leak at the thermostat housingThe 0.9 TCe can lose coolant through the thermostat housing (calorstat) gasket. It is the most-cited fault of this engine: if not detected in time, the low level can end up damaging the head gasket.
- Critical severityFrequency: Occasional0.9 TCeTiming chain or tensioner failureThe 0.9 TCe's timing chain tensioner can lose effectiveness over time. It is a minority of cases, but when the chain jumps the damage is serious: there is a documented case with a complete engine replacement at 80,000 km.
- Medium severityFrequency: Occasional1.0 SCe (B4D)Clutch that slips or judders, especially when coldThe 1.0 SCe can have a clutch that slips or judders, especially with a cold engine. It is the issue that recurs most in the sources consulted, documented independently on the Sandero II, the Logan II and the Twingo III, without being described as a fault that damages the engine.