47,546 tests in 2025
Fiat Punto reliability and MOT pass rate
63.8% passed first time. The 36.2% fail rate is 13.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 15 years old with 79,291 miles.
Pass rate
63.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 36.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
8.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
79,291 mi
15 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 2,959 | 28% |
| 10-13 years | 14,544 | 34.1% |
| 14+ years | 30,043 | 38.1% |
What the Punto fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment242 dangerous45.6%
- Suspension497 dangerous41.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks27 dangerous26.9%
- Brakes1,353 dangerous24.5%
- Body, chassis, structure202 dangerous23%
- Tyres3,342 dangerous18.1%
- Steering89 dangerous15.6%
- Visibility5 dangerous14.4%
Is the Punto getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.8 points to 36.3% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 82,842 | — | 35.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 71,839 | — | 35.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 53,512 | — | 36.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 47,542 | — | 36.3% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Punto at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Punto in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken2,302 tests
- 2Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases2,079 tests
- 3Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits2,067 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working2,059 tests
- 5Stop lamp: not working1,716 tests
- 6Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect1,627 tests
- 7Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements1,593 tests
- 8Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play1,483 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Punto collects 3.33 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened9,183 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm8,711 tests
- 3Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine7,171 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure6,894 tests
- 5Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases5,313 tests
- 6Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened4,375 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn4,223 tests
- 8Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened4,036 tests
Questions
What is the Fiat Punto MOT pass rate?
63.8% of the 47,546 Fiat Punto first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 36.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 8.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Fiat Punto usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 2,302 failed tests, followed by "Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases" and "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 45.6% of failures, suspension appears in 41.6% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 26.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 38.1%. The median Fiat Punto tested in 2025 was 15 years old with 79,291 miles.
Is the Fiat Punto getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.8 points to 36.3% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Punto trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 12 safety recalls naming the Fiat Punto: Fiat Punto recalls.
Other Fiat models
Checking a particular Punto?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.