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Dacia Duster years to avoid? MOT pass rate by year

81,404 initial MOT tests in 2025 on cars first used 2013–2022 · DVSA data · For guidance only · How we count

All 10 Dacia Duster years have MOT pass rates below the average for vehicles first used in the same year.

The MOT pass rate is one signal, not the whole story. An MOT checks safety and emissions on the day of the test. It doesn't record gearbox or engine faults, and a pass rate also reflects mileage and upkeep, so the table shows median mileage too. Whatever the year, the car in front of you matters more than its model's average.

71.0%passed first time

First-time pass rate, all years together: initial tests passed with no repairs. 95% range 70.7% to 71.3%.

In 2025, 71.0% of the 81,404 initial MOT tests on Dacia Duster cars were passed with no repairs. The same-age average, for all vehicles first used in the same years, was 80.3%. That is 9.3 points below the same-age average.

Check a specific Duster

Its own MOT history, free.

Dacia Duster MOT pass rate by year

Year is when the car was first used. Older vehicles fail more often, so each year is compared with all vehicles first used that year.

YearChartTestsmedian milesPassed first timeAgainst all vehicles that year
2022age 310,61622,80086.9%±0.7−1.6 ptsall: 88.5%
2021age 48,73029,90079.5%±0.9−7.7 ptsall: 87.2%
2020age 58,30436,00073.7%±1.0−12.3 ptsall: 86.0%
2019age 614,90042,50070.4%±0.8−13.1 ptsall: 83.5%
2018age 78,60050,70070.7%±1.0−10.2 ptsall: 80.9%
2017age 86,32857,90069.3%±1.2−8.9 ptsall: 78.2%
2016age 96,91468,50066.4%±1.2−8.5 ptsall: 74.9%
2015age 105,66177,20060.8%±1.3−11.1 ptsall: 71.9%
2014age 115,44883,30058.8%±1.4−9.8 ptsall: 68.6%
2013age 125,90389,40056.5%±1.3−9.3 ptsall: 65.8%

Tests are initial MOT tests in 2025, not retests. Median miles is the middle odometer reading at the test: half had more, half had less. ± is the 95% margin of error in points (Wilson interval): a difference smaller than that could be chance. Years without a link have fewer than 10,000 tests, so they are listed here but don't have their own page.

When a car's mileage doesn't add up

Common Duster problems at the MOT

Share of the 23,583 failed tests with a fault in each area, all years together. A test can count in more than one area, so these add up to more than 100%.

MOT records show roadworthiness faults, not engine or gearbox problems. Each year page compares that year's failure areas with all vehicles first used in the same year.

What to check when viewing a Duster

Based on the areas where Dacia Duster MOT tests fail most often. These are general checks anyone can do, not a mechanical inspection.

  1. Lights and electrics

    In 49.9% of failed Duster tests

    • Ask the seller to help you check every light: dipped and main beam, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp.
    • Look for cracked, misted or yellowed headlight lenses.
    • Warning lights on the dashboard should come on with the ignition and go out once the engine starts.

  2. Windscreen, wipers, mirrors

    In 22.1% of failed Duster tests

    • Look for chips and cracks in the windscreen, especially in front of the driver.
    • Run the wipers and washers. The blades should clear the screen without smearing.
    • Check both door mirrors and the rear-view mirror are intact and adjust.

  3. Brakes

    In 18.7% of failed Duster tests

    • On a clear road, brake firmly. The car should stop in a straight line without juddering or pulling to one side.
    • Check the handbrake holds the car on a slope.
    • Look through the wheels at the brake discs for deep grooves or a raised lip at the edge.

  4. Tyres

    In 18.4% of failed Duster tests

    • Check the tread on every tyre. The legal minimum for cars is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread.
    • Look for cuts, bulges, and wear on only the inner or outer edge, which can point to an alignment problem.
    • Check that the spare wheel or the tyre repair kit is there.

Then read the car's own MOT history. Advisories in the same area at several tests are worth asking about.

Check a Duster's MOT history

After an MOT advisory

Dacia Duster cars that passed their 2024 MOT first time with an advisory, and what their next MOT found, against similar cars that passed with nothing noted in that area. All first-use years together.

Tyres

Of Dacia Duster cars that passed their 2024 MOT with a tyre advisory and came back for their next MOT 10–14 months later, 6.9% failed on tyres, against 3.9% of similar cars with nothing noted. Based on 9,026 and 30,591 cars.

  • With a tyre advisory6.9%
  • Similar cars, nothing noted3.9%

Cars not tested again in that window are not included: 9.1% of those with a tyre advisory and 9.0% of the others.

Brakes

Of Dacia Duster cars that passed their 2024 MOT with a brake advisory and came back for their next MOT 10–14 months later, 10.4% failed on brakes, against 4.3% of similar cars with nothing noted. Based on 6,410 and 33,194 cars.

  • With a brake advisory10.4%
  • Similar cars, nothing noted4.3%

Cars not tested again in that window are not included: 10.0% of those with a brake advisory and 8.8% of the others.

Suspension

Of Dacia Duster cars that passed their 2024 MOT with a suspension advisory and came back for their next MOT 10–14 months later, 15.1% failed on suspension, against 8.6% of similar cars with nothing noted. Based on 1,995 and 37,182 cars.

  • With a suspension advisory15.1%
  • Similar cars, nothing noted8.6%

Cars not tested again in that window are not included: 12.7% of those with a suspension advisory and 8.8% of the others.

Similar cars are the same model, first-use year and mileage band. Areas are the DVSA's top-level groups, so the later fail may not be the fault that was advised. These figures describe what happened to these cars. They don't show what a repair would have changed.

How we worked this out

Dacia Duster questions

Which Dacia Duster years have lower MOT pass rates?

Compared with all vehicles first used in the same year, these model years have below-average MOT pass rates: 2013–2022. None is clearly above average. A pass rate is one signal: it also reflects mileage and upkeep, and doesn't record engine or gearbox faults.

Is the Dacia Duster reliable?

MOT results show only part of the picture. In 2025, 71.0% of initial MOT tests on Dacia Duster cars were passed with no repairs, against a same-age average of 80.3%. That is 9.3 points below average. An MOT checks safety and emissions on the day of the test. It doesn't measure breakdowns, engine or gearbox faults, or repair costs.

What are the most common Dacia Duster problems at the MOT?

The most common failure areas are lights and electrics (in 49.9% of failed tests), windscreen, wipers, mirrors (in 22.1% of failed tests) and brakes (in 18.7% of failed tests). A failed test can count in more than one area.

What mileage is normal for a 10-year-old Dacia Duster?

At their 2025 MOT tests, Dacia Duster cars first used in 2015, about 10 years old, had a median of 77,200 miles. Half had more and half had less.

How do I check a specific Duster's MOT history?

Enter its registration in our free check. It lists that car's own MOT results, the faults and advisories recorded and the mileage at each test, and flags repeated advisories and mileage that goes down.

Check a car's MOT history for free

What MOT data can't tell you about any Dacia Duster

Outstanding finance, write-offs, theft and plate changes aren't in MOT records. For a particular car, you need a history check.

Compare history checksWhat MOT history doesn't show

Other Dacia models

Points above (+) or below (−) the same-age average for all vehicles.

Cars ranked by MOT pass rate, by age

Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests, 2025. For guidance only: these figures describe all Dacia Duster cars tested, not the one you're looking at. How we count