2018 Dacia Logan — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 10,380 MOT tests, the 2018 Dacia Logan recorded an 86.3% pass rate. That is 3.2 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 10.4%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.2% of tests against 6.5% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, wipers and washers — headlamp aim alone was recorded 907 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 23.9% versus 8.0%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 13.3% of the time against 14.7% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 17.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.2% | 1,159 |
| 2 | Visibility | 6.5% | 669 |
| 3 | Tyres | 3.6% | 374 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.2% | 336 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.0% | 210 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.5% | 158 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 907 |
| 2 | Wipers | 535 |
| 3 | Washers | 266 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 236 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 177 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 168 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 24.9% | 2,587 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.0% | 1,241 |
| 3 | Other defects | 6.7% | 699 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.0% | 417 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 3.6% | 372 |
| 6 | Suspension | 2.1% | 222 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 3,796 | 8.0% |
| 30-60k | 4,006 | 14.4% |
| 60-90k | 1,509 | 20.9% |
| 90-120k | 534 | 18.4% |
| 120-150k | 241 | 20.8% |
| 150k+ | 289 | 23.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 7,429 | 13.3% |
| Diesel | 2,951 | 14.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,030 | 8.8% |
| 2022 | 2,047 | 11.1% |
| 2023 | 2,124 | 14.2% |
| 2024 | 2,079 | 16.1% |
| 2025 | 2,100 | 17.9% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Logan
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 11.2% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (11.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (6.5% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Tyres (3.6% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2018 Dacia Logans pass their MOT?
86.3% of the 10,380 2018 Dacia Logan MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Dacia Logan?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.2% of tests, followed by visibility (6.5%).
Does the 2018 Logan get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.0% in the 0-30k band to 23.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 10,380 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.