2002 smart ForTwo Cabrio reviews

Smart ForTwo Cabrio 2002

I’ve found my Smart car to be economical on fuel, tax, insurance and reliable. I couldn’t fault it except one major recent problem. After 6 years of happy driving and virtually no problems, the softtop roof failed - through no fault of my own the top has buckled and the wires have snapped. Mercedes tell me it can’t be repaired and have quoted me nearly £3,000 for a new roof! A staggering amount of money given that the car is mechanically sound. They have offered no goodwill, they say due to the age of the vehicle (despite being only 6 years with low mileage). My argument that the roof should last the lifetime of the vehicle has been ignored and I am left with a hefty bill or a car I can only drive on hot days! When I asked if they would at least waive the labour cost (£500 so goodness knows how much they pay their mechanics) they told me and I quote "Why would we do that?" Unbelievable. My advice is think very carefully before buying a soft top from Mercedes. And remember that a Smart is a specialist car and only Mercedes have the parts so I can’t go elsewhere to get it done cheaper. Just remember when you go in their flash showroom and waiting area, the fresh coffee, tea and cakes is paid for by the customer who pay inflated rates for repairs and servicing. They couldn’t care less about their customers.