2020 Dacia Sandero — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Dacia Sandero passed 89.6% of its 26,422 recorded MOT tests. Against superminis of a similar age (8.9% fail rate), the 2020 Sandero comes out 1.6pp worse. Failures cluster in visibility, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — visibility (8.0%) and lighting & signalling (6.5%) 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 2,040 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 22.4% versus 8.3%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 4.8% of tests failed in 2022 against 12.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 8.0% | 2,110 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.5% | 1,712 |
| 3 | Tyres | 3.1% | 808 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.3% | 617 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.9% | 235 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 94 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 2,040 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 1,253 |
| 3 | Washers | 644 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 555 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 474 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 450 |
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 | 22.2% | 5,864 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.1% | 3,205 |
| 3 | Other defects | 6.6% | 1,743 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.3% | 859 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 1.1% | 279 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.0% | 264 |
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 | 18,220 | 8.3% |
| 30-60k | 7,190 | 14.4% |
| 60-90k | 861 | 20.2% |
| 90-120k | 125 | 22.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 26,261 | 10.4% |
| Diesel | 156 | 12.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 417 | 4.8% |
| 2023 | 8,557 | 7.8% |
| 2024 | 8,605 | 11.2% |
| 2025 | 8,824 | 12.4% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Sandero
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: visibility accounted for 8.0% of tests. Start there.
- Visibility (8.0% 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 (6.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (3.1% 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 2020 Dacia Sanderos pass their MOT?
89.6% of the 26,422 2020 Dacia Sandero MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Dacia Sandero?
Visibility, recorded in 8.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (6.5%).
Does the 2020 Sandero get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.3% in the 0-30k band to 22.4% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 26,422 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.