Know Your MOT
33.1%fail rate

Pontiac Montana common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Pontiac Montana fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 142 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 33.1% of MOT tests recorded on the Pontiac Montana in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 53.2% of the Pontiac Montana's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, suspension, other. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical53.2% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Brakes31.9% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Suspension27.7% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Other21.3% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Visibility/wipers17.0% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Tyres14.9% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Pontiac Montana headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Pontiac Montana headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Pontiac Montana headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Pontiac Montana brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Pontiac Montana brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Pontiac Montana brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Pontiac Montana suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Pontiac Montana suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Pontiac Montana suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Pontiac Montana wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Pontiac Montana wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Pontiac Montana wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Pontiac Montana tyresSearch Amazon for Pontiac Montana tyresaffiliate searchFind Pontiac Montana tyres on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Pontiac Firebird MOT failures20.4% failure ratePontiac Trans MOT failures19.1% failure ratePontiac Transam MOT failures18.5% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain