Makes › Dacia

Dacia reliability

E · Poor

MOT results for 3 Dacia models from 1,319,845 tests, 2018–2026.

Dacia Sandero
72.4%pass first time
−8.6 ptsvs typical car
39th of 40makes
1,319,845MOT tests

Verdict

Dacia cars pass their MOT first time on 72.4% of tests, against 81.0% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. That beats only 4% of cars on UK roads and ranks Dacia 39th of 40 makes, well behind Ford and Vauxhall.

The pass rate looks respectable only because Dacias on UK roads are young: all were first registered from 2013 on, and typical cars of the same age and mileage pass more often still.

No model escapes. The Logan beats 10% of cars and the Duster 7%; the Sandero, by far the most common Dacia, beats only 2%.

Lights and electrics fail on about 12% of tests, about twice as often as on a typical car of the same age and mileage, and visibility nearly twice as often. Body and structure fails about three times as often, though on only about 1 in 30 tests. Steering, brakes and suspension also fail more often than typical; tyres slightly less often.

Best Dacia models

Beats = share of cars on UK roads it does better than.

No Dacia model beats half of cars.

Check most carefully

Where it fails

Every Dacia compared with typical cars of the same age and mileage.

Exhaust: 1.4% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 1.3% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Suspension: 5.5% of tests fail on suspension, against 3.8% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Lights: 12.1% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 5.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Tyres: 4.8% of tests fail on tyres, against 5.5% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Brakes: 5.3% of tests fail on brakes, against 3.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Lights: 12.1% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 5.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Lights−6.5 ptsTyres: 4.8% of tests fail on tyres, against 5.5% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Tyres+0.7 ptsBrakes: 5.3% of tests fail on brakes, against 3.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Brakes−1.8 ptsSuspension: 5.5% of tests fail on suspension, against 3.8% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Suspension−1.7 ptsExhaust: 1.4% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 1.3% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Exhaust−0.1 ptsSuspension: 5.5% of tests fail on suspension, against 3.8% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Brakes: 5.3% of tests fail on brakes, against 3.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Tyres: 4.8% of tests fail on tyres, against 5.5% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Lights: 12.1% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 5.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Exhaust: 1.4% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 1.3% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Lights: 12.1% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 5.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Lights−6.5 ptsTyres: 4.8% of tests fail on tyres, against 5.5% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Tyres+0.7 ptsBrakes: 5.3% of tests fail on brakes, against 3.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Brakes−1.8 ptsSuspension: 5.5% of tests fail on suspension, against 3.8% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Suspension−1.7 ptsExhaust: 1.4% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 1.3% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Exhaust−0.1 pts
Better than typicalTypicalWorse than typical
Lights: 12.1% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 5.6% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.

Every MOT area

Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).

Lights & electrics
12.1% vs 5.6%
Visibility
6.9% vs 3.6%
Suspension
5.5% vs 3.8%
Brakes
5.3% vs 3.6%
Tyres
4.8% vs 5.5%
Body & structure
3.3% vs 1.1%
Emissions & leaks
1.4% vs 1.3%
Steering
1.3% vs 0.8%
Seat belts & airbags
0.6% vs 0.4%
Wheels
0.1% vs 0.2%
Check another car

Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.

Dacia models

Models with 20,000+ MOT tests, most common first. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate. Light vans are included and tend to grade lower, partly from hard commercial use.

Model first registeredTestsPass rateRankGrade
Sandero 2013–2023741,71071.4%Beats 2%E
Duster 2013–2023461,68874.1%Beats 7%E
Logan 2013–2020110,73172.1%Beats 10%E

FAQ

What is the Dacia MOT pass rate?

72.4% of Dacia MOT tests were passed first time, from 1.3 million tests. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 81.0%, so Dacias do clearly worse than typical.

Are Dacias reliable?

On MOT results they are well below average: Dacia beats only 4% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account, and ranks 39th of 40 makes. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.

Which Dacia model is most reliable?

The Logan does best but still beats only 10% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account. The Duster beats 7%, and the Sandero, the most common Dacia, only 2%.

What do Dacias fail their MOT on?

Lights and electrics (about 12% of tests, about twice the typical rate), visibility (about 7%), suspension and brakes.

How we calculate this. We use official MOT results for cars tested in Great Britain from 2018 to 2026. Each car is compared with typical cars of the same age and mileage, so old and new cars are judged fairly; “pts” are percentage points above or below them. Differences also reflect how cars are used and maintained, not only how they are built.