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1978 Pontiac Firebird — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1978 perform at MOT as they age

48 years
Current Age
77.8%
Latest Pass Rate
128
Total Tests (All Years)
49,869 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1978 Pontiac Firebird as it ages.

35 yrs80.6%
36 yrs90.0%
37 yrs83.9%
39 yrs77.8%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 35 to 39 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
35 yrs80.6%31
36 yrs90.0%30
37 yrs83.9%31
39 yrs77.8%36

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1978 Pontiac Firebird pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 4 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2017 (39 yrs)77.8%36
2015 (37 yrs)83.9%31
2014 (36 yrs)90%30
2013 (35 yrs)80.6%31

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2013
80.6%
Age (yrs) 35Tests 31Avg Mileage 54,270Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 45.2%
2014
90.0%
Age (yrs) 36Tests 30Avg Mileage 56,034Top Failure Brakes — 13.3%
2015
83.9%
Age (yrs) 37Tests 31Avg Mileage 45,907Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.4%
2017
77.8%
Age (yrs) 39Tests 36Avg Mileage 49,869Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 13.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1978 Pontiac Firebird, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
22.1%
↓ Decreases with age
Suspension
9.8%
↓ Decreases with age
Brakes
9.2%
↑ Increases with age
Body, Structure and General Items
8.3%
— Consistent
Towbars
6.5%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment45.2% (35 yrs)13.9% (39 yrs)
-31.3%
🟢 ↓
Brakes6.5% (35 yrs)13.9% (39 yrs)
+7.4%
🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road9.7% (35 yrs)5.6% (39 yrs)
-4.1%
🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Pontiac Firebird page →

About This Data

This page shows how Pontiac Firebird cars manufactured in 1978 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2013 to 2017, covering 128 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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