Dacia Sandero MOT pass rate & common failures
The Dacia Sandero appears in 558,970 MOT tests spanning model years 1999–2024, and 81.5% of them passed. Against superminis of a similar age (15.2% fail rate), the Sandero comes out 3.4pp worse. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, visibility and suspension.
Best and worst Sandero years
Ranked across Sandero years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 90.5% of 2021 examples pass against 74.7% of 2014 ones.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.3% of tests against 6.4% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, joints and wipers — headlamp aim alone was recorded 36,736 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 9.6% in the 0-30k band and 30.8% in the 150k+ band, a 21.1-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 16.9% fail against 23.5% for diesel, a 6.6-point gap across 558,938 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 14.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Sandero model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 104 | 78.8% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 47,191 | 76.4% | 23.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 83,842 | 74.7% | 25.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 95,055 | 76.3% | 23.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 88,486 | 81.2% | 18.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 87,270 | 84.4% | 15.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 71,731 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 56,977 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 26,422 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Visibility |
| 2021 | 1,849 | 90.5% | 9.5% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.3% | 57,467 |
| 2 | Visibility | 6.4% | 35,605 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.3% | 35,451 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.9% | 27,451 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.1% | 22,975 |
| 6 | Tyres | 4.1% | 22,809 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.4% | 7,569 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.9% | 4,895 |
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 | 36,736 |
| 2 | Joints | 23,845 |
| 3 | Wipers | 23,334 |
| 4 | Washers | 18,728 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 16,828 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 13,809 |
| 7 | Ball joint | 12,379 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 11,605 |
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 | 27.1% | 151,647 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.1% | 95,819 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.5% | 42,012 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.2% | 40,127 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.1% | 17,357 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.9% | 10,676 |
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 | 165,344 | 9.6% |
| 30-60k | 227,931 | 18.6% |
| 60-90k | 118,367 | 26.2% |
| 90-120k | 36,419 | 29.5% |
| 120-150k | 8,309 | 31.0% |
| 150k+ | 2,528 | 30.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 419,897 | 16.9% |
| Diesel | 139,041 | 23.5% |
| Gas/LPG | 32 | 18.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 92,141 | 14.9% |
| 2022 | 108,726 | 16.4% |
| 2023 | 118,576 | 18.1% |
| 2024 | 119,309 | 20.2% |
| 2025 | 120,218 | 21.9% |
What to check before buying a Dacia Sandero
- Lighting & signalling (10.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (6.4% 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.
- Suspension (6.3% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
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?
81.5% of the 558,970 Dacia Sandero MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 18.5% fail rate, across model years 1999–2024.
What does the Dacia Sandero most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.3% of tests, then visibility (6.4%).
Which Sandero years are best and worst for MOT results?
2021 has the best pass rate at 90.5% and 2014 the weakest at 74.7%, from 1,849 and 83,842 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Sandero MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.8% for 150k+, a 21.1-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Sandero more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 16.9% of the time against 23.5% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 558,970 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.