Pass rate, every year
72.5% Below average
226,310 tests across 19 model years, 2000–2018.
−8.5 pts vs the national average
Fiat Punto MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Check your postcode
Best year to buy
2017 82.2%
The strongest of the 19 years on record. See the 2017 page →
Worst year to buy
2000 67.4%
14.8 points below the 2017 peak. See the 2000 page →
The Fiat Punto MOT pass rate is 72.5%, −8.5 percentage points below the UK average. That is 226,310 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2000 and 2018. This page lists the most common Fiat Punto MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
Fiat Punto MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The Fiat Punto passed on its first attempt in 64.1%, and its overall record sits −8.5 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Fiat Punto in the 2023–2025 data: 226,310 tests across 19 model years (2000–2018). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 226,310 |
| Overall pass rate | 72.5% |
| Passed on first attempt | 64.1% |
| Average mileage at test | 71,930 mi |
| Model years covered | 2000–2018 (19 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −8.5 pts below |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common Fiat Punto MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Fiat Punto, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 42% |
| Suspension | 15% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 12% |
| Steering | 11% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 9% |
| Brakes | 7% |
| Visibility | 2% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1% |
Shares are over the Fiat Punto's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Around 42% of the recorded Fiat Punto failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (3.7%), "Position lamp not working" (3.1%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (2.7%) among the Fiat Punto's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Suspension
Around 15% of the recorded Fiat Punto failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Coil spring fractured or broken" (3.4%), "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (0.9%), "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (0.5%) among the Fiat Punto's suspension faults.
Body, chassis, structure
Around 12% of the recorded Fiat Punto failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases" (3.3%), "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (0.9%), "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (0.1%) among the Fiat Punto's body, chassis, structure faults.
Top Recorded Fiat Punto DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Fiat Punto, each with how many of the model's 226,310 tests it was noted on.
- "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 8,443 Fiat Punto tests, 3.7% of the model's MOT record.
- "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 7,700 Fiat Punto tests, 3.4% of the model's MOT record.
- "Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases" (Major) — noted on about 7,457 Fiat Punto tests, 3.3% of the model's MOT record.
- "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 6,938 Fiat Punto tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
- "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 6,896 Fiat Punto tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
- "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 6,202 Fiat Punto tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
What Punto fails on more than most
The 8 biggest of 11 failure items this model records at least 1.5 times the UK rate for. One has a part guide — what to buy, which brands, and what the tester looks at next time.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lambda reading outside limits | 3.2% | 0.5% | 6.4× | £60–£250 |
| Emissions not tested unable to be completed | 1.6% | 0.3% | 5.3× | £60–£250 |
| Coil spring corroded | 18.9% | 3.7% | 5.1× | £25–£65 part £30–£50 |
| Exhaust system leaking | 13.4% | 2.8% | 4.8× | £45–£120 |
| Transmission oil leaks leaking excessively from transmission | 3.2% | 0.7% | 4.6× | £200–£700 |
| Indicator incorrect colour | 5.5% | 1.3% | 4.2× | £3–£12 |
| Sub-frame corroded | 8.3% | 2.4% | 3.5× | £180–£450 |
| Shock absorbers damaged to the extent that it does not function | 1.3% | 0.4% | 3.3× | £30–£75 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (226,310 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items Punto records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
Best and Worst Fiat Punto Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest Fiat Punto model year on record is 2017 (82.2% across 4,425 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (67.4%). The gap between them is 14.8 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Fiat Punto reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.8 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Punto | 1,144 | 80.7% |
| 2017 Punto | 4,425 | 82.2% |
| 2016 Punto | 6,154 | 81.0% |
| 2015 Punto | 9,198 | 78.3% |
| 2014 Punto | 14,315 | 74.1% |
| 2013 Punto | 17,233 | 73.3% |
| 2012 Punto | 22,615 | 74.3% |
| 2011 Punto | 16,758 | 73.6% |
| 2010 Punto | 19,042 | 73.0% |
| 2009 Punto | 7,328 | 73.0% |
| 2008 Punto | 22,479 | 70.9% |
| 2007 Punto | 36,106 | 69.8% |
| 2006 Punto | 24,410 | 69.9% |
| 2005 Punto | 6,534 | 71.0% |
| 2004 Punto | 8,790 | 68.7% |
| 2003 Punto | 4,976 | 68.7% |
| 2002 Punto | 2,995 | 69.5% |
| 2001 Punto | 1,284 | 73.4% |
| 2000 Punto | 524 | 67.4% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Fiat Punto Owners
These checks follow this Fiat Punto's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Fiat Punto.
-
the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
-
the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”
Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.
-
the exhaust and emissions — “exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases”
Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Fiat Punto. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Where the Fiat Punto is most common
Across every Punto model year on record (2000–2018): 88,452 Fiat Punto cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 226,305 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 3,024 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.
| # | Postcode area | Cars | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham (B) | 3,024 | 78.3% |
| 2 | Manchester (M) | 2,460 | 74.4% |
| 3 | Sheffield (S) | 2,435 | 75.3% |
| 4 | Stoke On Trent (ST) | 2,058 | 71.0% |
| 5 | Nottingham (NG) | 1,828 | 69.6% |
| 6 | Coventry (CV) | 1,755 | 74.7% |
| 7 | Leicester (LE) | 1,585 | 75.7% |
| 8 | Doncaster (DN) | 1,547 | 71.0% |
| 9 | Peterborough (PE) | 1,518 | 72.1% |
| 10 | Northampton (NN) | 1,457 | 72.9% |
| 11 | Warrington (WA) | 1,299 | 71.5% |
| 12 | Liverpool (L) | 1,275 | 74.9% |
| 13 | Bristol (BS) | 1,258 | 66.9% |
| 14 | Cardiff (CF) | 1,258 | 68.7% |
| 15 | Derby (DE) | 1,242 | 73.1% |
| 16 | Norwich (NR) | 1,202 | 73.1% |
| 17 | Newcastle upon Tyne (NE) | 1,198 | 71.6% |
| 18 | Chester (CH) | 1,164 | 68.6% |
| 19 | Glasgow (G) | 1,151 | 69.0% |
| 20 | Wakefield (WF) | 1,130 | 76.0% |
The twenty areas with the most Fiat Punto cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →
Frequently Asked Questions: Fiat Punto MOT & Reliability
What is the Fiat Punto MOT pass rate?
72.5% of the 226,310 recorded Fiat Punto MOT tests ended in a pass, −8.5 percentage points below the national average. 64.1% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which Fiat Punto model years pass the MOT most often?
2017 is the strongest Fiat Punto year on record at 82.2%, while 2000 is the weakest at 67.4%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common Fiat Punto MOT failures?
The most recorded Fiat Punto failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Coil spring fractured or broken" — together around 7% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.