Dacia Sandero Stepway Twenty Tce MOT pass rate & common failures
The Dacia Sandero Stepway Twenty Tce appears in 3,649 MOT tests spanning model years 2020–2021, and 90.3% of them passed. That is effectively the same as all cars of a similar age (9.3% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are visibility, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — visibility (7.0%) and lighting & signalling (5.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and washers — wipers alone was recorded 254 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 7.2% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 25.0% once past 60-90k — 3.5× the risk.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 17.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 6.5% of tests failed in 2023 against 11.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Sandero Stepway Twenty Tce model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,391 | 90.4% | 9.6% | Visibility |
| 2021 | 258 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 7.0% | 254 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.1% | 187 |
| 3 | Tyres | 3.0% | 111 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.0% | 74 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.9% | 34 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 16 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.2% | 6 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.1% | 4 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 254 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 147 |
| 3 | Washers | 59 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 53 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 49 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 46 |
| 7 | Brake discs | 39 |
| 8 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 21 |
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 | 17.6% | 642 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.9% | 470 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.0% | 183 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.9% | 105 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.1% | 40 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.9% | 32 |
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 | 2,568 | 7.2% |
| 30-60k | 997 | 14.7% |
| 60-90k | 76 | 25.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,106 | 6.5% |
| 2024 | 1,262 | 10.6% |
| 2025 | 1,270 | 11.5% |
What to check before buying a Dacia Sandero Stepway Twenty Tce
- Visibility (7.0% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (5.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (3.0% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Dacia Sandero Stepway Twenty Tce?
90.3% of the 3,649 Dacia Sandero Stepway Twenty Tce MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 9.7% fail rate, across model years 2020–2021.
What does the Dacia Sandero Stepway Twenty Tce most often fail its MOT on?
Visibility, recorded in 7.0% of tests, then lighting & signalling (5.1%).
How much does mileage affect Sandero Stepway Twenty Tce MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 25.0% for 60-90k, a 17.8-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,649 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.