The picture
Grande Punto: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 10,267 MOT tests, the Grande Punto returns 65.0% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. A broken or weak spring and a defective headlamp lens round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 84,315, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
597 occurrences · 5.8% of tests
- 02
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
502 occurrences · 4.9% of tests
- 03
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
471 occurrences · 4.6% of tests
- 04
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
448 occurrences · 4.4% of tests
- 05
Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
435 occurrences · 4.2% of tests
- 06
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
355 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
- 07
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
338 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
- 08
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
327 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 09
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
311 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
- 10
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
281 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£98–£355
If every one of this Grande Punto's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
Search Amazon UK
Buying or keeping a Grande Punto?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Grande Punto and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.