From the "you can't make this stuff up" department.

Of all the possible reasons that a vehicle could be recalled, a poor paint job doesn't at first seem all that newsworthy. After all, cars could theoretically be recalled for exploding gas tanks, runaway engines or any number of horror-inducing problems. Bad paint? No harm, no foul -- just take it back and have it repainted properly. Unless, of course, that paint problem could lead to the loss of your windshield or roof while driving. This is exactly the worry that the NHTSA has with 43 smart ForTwo's, all sold in 2008. It seems that some adhesive was laid over the problematic paint, and if the paint lets go... so does the glue. While it's never happened to us personally, we tend to agree with the NHTSA's assessment that the sudden loss of either the glass in front of you or the ceiling protecting your dome could potentially lead to a crash. Anybody who's concerned can contact their dealer, assuming that they haven't already been notified of the problem.

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cant say its mercedes quality as bmw recalled a few cars because an airbag wouldnt go off :S

crazy stuff

I was behind one today and was thinking how could anyone survive a crash in that tin can. Now that I know they rely on the paint to keep that POS together I feel much better driving my family in my BMW X5.

Just for the record...I would never drive such a dangerous vehicle unless that and bikes were the only transportation on the road. As long as Expeditions and 18 Wheelers are on the public roads I'd never subject myself or my family to that danger to save a few hundred dollars a month in fuel...Even a thousand dollars.

have you seen these body kits

pics for some "new" Smart car body kits -











And one for the G-Wiz fans

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Those look like Micro-Machines.

Cool shrinky dink pics!
When I saw the orig thread title, I thought maybe they were
"recalling" it for it's motor impersonating a car engine. ;>)

Looked it up to see what the actual recall was. 43 vehicles in total. Bad paint, not a bad paint job.

You do know that your BMW windshield is glued in as well, don't you? It certainly contributes to the stiffness of the overall structure, same as the SMART. Your rant is misdirected.

I'd buy, and drive a SMART, as an urban runabout. IIRC, it passed all the safety standards for impact, same as other vehicles on the road. You also have the ability to avoid impacts. Just think of it, if an Expedition wants to hit you, you are a small target. It is much easier to hit another Expedition. Look at the accident and safety statistics for small vehicles and large ones. We are worse off for having large vehicles on the road, not better off.

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2008 535, 6 MT, M Sport, Premium, Space Grey
2007 X3 3.0si, 6 MT, Premium, White

Retired:
2003 X5 3.0 Steptronic, Premium, Titanium Silver
2002 325xi 5 MT, Steel Grey
2004 Z4 3.0 Premium, Sport, SMG, Maldives Blue

The Smart is actually a safe vehicle. It was rated very well by the IIHS (for a microcar).
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=632

Also see this Fifth Gear video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROO7DBW3R0I

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2008 BMW 135i Convertible
2007 BMW X5 3.0si
2007 BMW X3 3.0si
2003 BMW X5 3.0i (retired)

Yeah...Safe by "Micro Car" standards.

In the case of automobiles Size Matters. You can engineer a car to minimize the effects of physics but you can't avoid the consequences of physics. It's not the speed that kills you...Its the sudden stop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?emb=0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2Fv ideosearch%3Fq%3Dsmart+car+impact&v=_n-klYY7kv8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?emb=0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2Fv ideosearch%3Fq%3Dsmart+car+impact&v=35GLdl479Y8