Dacia MOT pass rates and reliability

We have 179,922 MOT tests on Dacia cars from 2023, covering 3 models with enough tests to compare. Choose a model to see what it fails on most often, how its pass rate changes with age and how far it is typically driven.

Across 179,922 MOT tests on Dacia cars in 2023, 72% passed first time, close to the national average of 71% for all cars. Of the Dacia models with enough tests, the Duster did best at 75% and the Sandero did least well at 70%. Newer models pass more often whatever the make, so compare cars of a similar age.

Dacia models

What Dacia cars fail on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, across all models, against the figure for all cars.

• Lights and electrics12.2% (all cars 11.3%)
• Visibility6.9% (all cars 4.8%)
• Suspension5.7% (all cars 9.0%)
• Brakes5.4% (all cars 6.8%)
• Tyres4.9% (all cars 6.4%)
• Body and structure3.7% (all cars 3.5%)
• Exhaust and emissions1.5% (all cars 3.1%)
• Steering1.1% (all cars 1.8%)

Most common Dacia failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

1. Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 3.5%
2. Headlamp aim: too low 3.2%
3. Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt 2.3%
4. Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2.3%
5. Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 2.1%
6. Coil spring: fractured or broken 2.1%
7. Suspension arms, ball joint: ball joint excessively worn 1.4%
8. Headlamp: not working on dipped beam 1.3%

Check a particular Dacia

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.