While the smart car has exceeded all sales expectations and created a nice following, it has also had some quality issues, especially the transmission. Owners complain about rough and slipping shifts between gears. MBUSA and smart USA is listening to the smart owners and is now sending letters to 24,622 owners of the 2008 smart car models; urging them to make an appointment at their local dealer to get a free software upgrade in hopes to smooth out the rough gear shifts.
“We will upgrade your transmission software to the new 2009 operating mode which provides improved shifting dynamics as well as instant changing between automatic and paddle shifting just by touching the up or down shift paddles,” reads the letter to one owner.
Smart spokesman Ken Kettenbeil acknowledges “a little hesitation between gears” in the ‘08 models, the first year that the Smart car was on sale, and that the software fix will bring about a “smoother transition.” The letter says the fix takes about 90 minutes.
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