2021 Dacia Sandero Sway Prestige Tce — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 1,058 MOT tests, the 2021 Dacia Sandero Sway Prestige Tce recorded a 95.2% pass rate. All cars of a similar age fail 8.7% of the time, so this is 3.9pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in visibility, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — visibility (3.1%) and lighting & signalling (2.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, wipers and washers — headlamp aim alone was recorded 47 times.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 17.8% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 3.1% | 33 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.8% | 30 |
| 3 | Tyres | 2.7% | 29 |
| 4 | Brakes | 0.8% | 8 |
| 5 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.6% | 6 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.2% | 2 |
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 | 47 |
| 2 | Wipers | 31 |
| 3 | Washers | 10 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 7 |
| 5 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 4 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 4 |
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 | 17.8% | 188 |
| 2 | Brakes | 7.8% | 83 |
| 3 | Other defects | 6.1% | 65 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.7% | 29 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.4% | 15 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.7% | 7 |
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 | 906 | 4.3% |
| 30-60k | 144 | 7.6% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 516 | 4.5% |
| 2025 | 534 | 5.2% |
What to check before buying a 2021 Sandero Sway Prestige Tce
On a 2021 Sandero Sway Prestige Tce, visibility is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 3.1% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Visibility (3.1% 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 (2.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (2.7% 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 2021 Dacia Sandero Sway Prestige Tces pass their MOT?
95.2% of the 1,058 2021 Dacia Sandero Sway Prestige Tce MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 4.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2021 Dacia Sandero Sway Prestige Tce?
Visibility, recorded in 3.1% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (2.8%).
Does the 2021 Sandero Sway Prestige Tce get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.3% in the 0-30k band to 7.6% in the 30-60k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,058 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.