Fiat Punto MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 28 model years and 477,125 tests, the Fiat Punto passes its MOT 72.5% of the time. Against superminis of a similar age (25.1% fail rate), the Punto comes out 2.5pp worse. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Punto years
Ranked across Punto years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 84.9% of 2017 examples pass against 67.3% of 2003 ones.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 17.2% of tests against 11.8% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, position lamp and catalyst emissions — headlamp aim alone was recorded 34,587 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 16.4% in the 0-30k band and 33.4% in the 150k+ band, a 17.0-point spread — more than double.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 27.5% of the time against 28.2% for diesel.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 32.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Punto model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 163 | 68.7% | 31.3% | Brakes |
| 1995 | 372 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Brakes |
| 1996 | 338 | 74.9% | 25.1% | Brakes |
| 1997 | 420 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Brakes |
| 1998 | 773 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 696 | 70.1% | 29.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 1,364 | 68.0% | 32.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 3,323 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 7,422 | 68.6% | 31.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 12,852 | 67.3% | 32.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 21,948 | 68.1% | 31.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 15,484 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 57,131 | 69.5% | 30.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 78,121 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 46,688 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 14,521 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 45,222 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 40,367 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 41,431 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 29,708 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 24,132 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 15,304 | 80.4% | 19.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 10,170 | 83.4% | 16.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 7,282 | 84.9% | 15.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 1,867 | 84.4% | 15.6% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 17.2% | 82,167 |
| 2 | Suspension | 11.8% | 56,464 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.4% | 35,128 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 7.0% | 33,406 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.7% | 31,850 |
| 6 | Visibility | 6.0% | 28,696 |
| 7 | Tyres | 5.5% | 26,465 |
| 8 | Steering | 3.3% | 15,497 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 34,587 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 28,380 |
| 3 | Catalyst emissions | 26,881 |
| 4 | Coil spring | 23,398 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 20,944 |
| 6 | Exhaust system | 19,496 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 18,736 |
| 8 | Individual direction indicators | 18,661 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 32.6% | 155,534 |
| 2 | Tyres | 29.9% | 142,560 |
| 3 | Brakes | 20.9% | 99,589 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 16.3% | 77,817 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 14.9% | 71,249 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 14.1% | 67,519 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 26,579 | 16.4% |
| 30-60k | 113,428 | 22.8% |
| 60-90k | 177,942 | 28.3% |
| 90-120k | 114,318 | 31.4% |
| 120-150k | 32,545 | 32.9% |
| 150k+ | 7,799 | 33.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 458,175 | 27.5% |
| Diesel | 18,931 | 28.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 126,973 | 27.8% |
| 2022 | 108,673 | 27.2% |
| 2023 | 94,263 | 27.3% |
| 2024 | 80,252 | 27.6% |
| 2025 | 66,964 | 27.7% |
What to check before buying a Fiat Punto
- Lighting & signalling (17.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (11.8% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (7.4% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Fiat Punto?
72.5% of the 477,125 Fiat Punto MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 27.5% fail rate, across model years 1994–2021.
What does the Fiat Punto most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 17.2% of tests, then suspension (11.8%).
Which Punto years are best and worst for MOT results?
2017 has the best pass rate at 84.9% and 2003 the weakest at 67.3%, from 7,282 and 12,852 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Punto MOT results?
Fail rates run at 16.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 33.4% for 150k+, a 17.0-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Punto more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 27.5% of the time against 28.2% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 477,125 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.