Dacia Sandero: common problems, best years and what to check
Britain's cheapest new car: simple, honest and roomy. Covers 2013–2024 cars: every popular engine, its known faults with typical UK repair costs, and how each year has held up on Britain's roads.
Updated November 2026 · By the Carnod team · How we build this guide
Is the Dacia Sandero a good used buy?
Best buy
2021+ Mk3 TCe 90 or Bi-Fuel
Avoid
neglected 1.5 dCi
Who it suits: Buyers who want the most car for the least money.
What's good
- Very cheap to buy
- Roomy
- Simple and cheap to fix
- Bi-Fuel LPG cuts fuel costs
What's not
- Two-star Euro NCAP (Mk3)
- Basic interior
- Noisy at speed
- Lower safety tech on base trims
By the numbers
- #57 most common model on UK roads, with about 139k licensed (DfT).
- The biggest surviving year is 2017: 14.5k cars still licensed.
- 2013 cars survive 7% worse than comparable cars — check those harder.
- 1.5 dCi uses a belt (72k / 6 yrs): budget £350–£550 if there's no invoice.
- The most expensive common fault: Crank/big-end bearing wear on neglected engines (up to £3,500).
Dacia Sandero common problems by generation and engine
Dacia Sandero Mk2 (2013–2020) · hatch; Stepway
How to spot it: 13 plate to 20 plate. Simple rounded hatch; Stepway has plastic cladding and roof rails.
0.9 TCe 90 (H4Bt, petrol, 2013–2020)
Simple three-cylinder
- Timing chain noise£400–£90060k+
1.5 dCi (K9K, diesel, 2013–2020)
Very frugal; bearings and belt need care
- Crank/big-end bearing wear on neglected engines£1,500–£3,50080k+ · Check: Oil-change history
- Timing belt£350–£55072k / 6 yrs
1.0 SCe 73 (B4D, petrol, 2016–2020)
Slow but simple
Faults on any Mk2 (2013–2020) engine
- Rust on sills on early cars£200–£9006+ yrs
Dacia Sandero Mk3 (2021–) · hatch; Stepway; bi-fuel LPG
How to spot it: 21 plate onwards. Y-shaped LED daytime lights front and rear.
1.0 TCe 90 / 100 Bi-Fuel (H4D, petrol / LPG, 2021–)
Cheap to run, especially on LPG
Costs are typical UK independent-garage prices including parts and labour. Main dealers usually charge more.
Best and worst Dacia Sandero years
How many Dacia Sanderos from each year are still licensed today (DfT), coloured by how well that year survives compared with similar cars of the same age.
No year clearly outlasts similar cars. Years that fall off the road faster: 2013, 2014 — check these harder.
Dacia Sandero MOT pass rate and common failures
First-time pass rate (2025)
Average UK car of the same age
MOT tests analysed (2013+ cars)
Dacia Sanderos pass their MOT first time 10 points less often than the average UK car of the same age (69% vs 79%). Older cars fail more, so we compare like with like.
| First registered | Pass rate | Average UK car that age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 58% | 66% | 76k miles |
| 2014 | 55% | 69% | 73k miles |
| 2015 | 56% | 72% | 65k miles |
| 2016 | 62% | 75% | 58k miles |
| 2017 | 66% | 78% | 50k miles |
| 2018 | 71% | 81% | 42k miles |
| 2019 | 75% | 84% | 35k miles |
| 2020 | 79% | 86% | 29k miles |
| 2021 | 86% | 87% | 23k miles |
| 2022 | 89% | 89% | 19k miles |
Pass rate by fuel
Petrol
Diesel
Fuels differ in age and mileage mix, so treat this as a pattern rather than a like-for-like comparison.
Most common MOT failures
- Coil spring: fractured or broken5.46 per 100
- Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt4.75 per 100
- Headlamp aim: too low4.16 per 100
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively3.9 per 100
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2.84 per 100
- Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid2.51 per 100
- Ball joint excessively worn2.39 per 100
- Headlamp: not working on dipped beam2.14 per 100
Most common advisories
- Tyres: has a tear22.63 per 100
- Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm20.44 per 100
- Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened10.64 per 100
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick6.45 per 100
- Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn4.13 per 100
- Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn3.27 per 100
- Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt2.81 per 100
- Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm2.6 per 100
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results for 2025 (normal car tests). First-time pass counts faults fixed during the test as fails. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Does the Dacia Sandero have a timing belt or chain?
| Engine | Type | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.9 / 1.0 TCe | chain | check from 60k | £400–£900 |
| 1.5 dCi | belt | 72k / 6 yrs | £350–£550 |
Dacia Sandero running costs
Road tax (from April 2017)
Road tax (before April 2017)
Insurance groups
Real-world economy
Servicing (independent)
Tyres
Warranty when new
Is the Dacia Sandero ULEZ compliant?
- Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001.
- Diesel: compliant only if Euro 6 — generally cars first registered from September 2015; earlier diesels pay £12.50 a day in London's ULEZ.
- Same standards apply in Birmingham and Bristol Clean Air Zones (which charge private cars) and Scotland's LEZs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee (which fine them). Check the exact car on TfL's vehicle checker.
Safety and practicality
Euro NCAP
Boot
Seats
Dacia Sandero vs rivals
| Model | On UK roads | Insurance | Boot | Best buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dacia Sandero | 139k | 3–12 | 328 l | 2021+ Mk3 TCe 90 or Bi-Fuel |
| MG3 | — | — | — | Guide coming soon |
| Kia Picanto | 199k | 1–9 | 255 l | 2017+ JA 1.0/1.25 manual |
| Hyundai i10 | 269k | 1–7 | 252 l | 2014+ i10 1.0/1.2 manual |
| Suzuki Swift | 135k | 8–30 | 265 l | 2017+ Mk4 1.2 Dualjet |
| Skoda Fabia | 213k | 1–15 | 330 l | 2015–2021 Mk3 1.0 MPI/TSI |
What to check when buying a used Dacia Sandero
- Basic trims lack equipment
- Check rust on Mk2
Dacia Sandero FAQ
›Is the Dacia Sandero reliable?
Generally, if you pick the right version. Best buy: 2021+ Mk3 TCe 90 or Bi-Fuel. Avoid: neglected 1.5 dCi.
›What is the Dacia Sandero MOT pass rate?
69% of Dacia Sanderos passed their MOT first time in 2025 (104,662 tests), below the 79% average for cars of the same age. The most common failure: coil spring: fractured or broken.
›What are the most common Dacia Sandero problems?
The costliest known faults are Crank/big-end bearing wear on neglected engines; Timing chain noise; Timing belt. Each one is listed by engine with typical UK repair costs above.
›Does the Dacia Sandero have a timing belt or chain?
0.9 / 1.0 TCe: chain; 1.5 dCi: belt.
›What is the best year Dacia Sandero to buy?
By DfT survival data, 2020, 2022, 2024 cars have outlasted comparable cars best. Condition and history still matter more than the year.
›How much does a Dacia Sandero cost to run?
Real-world economy: 0.9/1.0 TCe 44–50 mpg; 1.5 dCi 60–68 mpg; TCe 100 Bi-Fuel (LPG) 35–40 (cheaper fuel). Insurance groups 3–12. A minor service is about £120–£180 at an independent garage.
›How much is road tax on a Dacia Sandero?
Cars registered from April 2017 pay £200 a year (more if the list price was over £40k). Older cars pay by CO2 band, from £20 to £790.
›Is the Dacia Sandero ULEZ compliant?
Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001. Diesel: compliant only if Euro 6 — generally cars first registered from September 2015; earlier diesels pay £12.50 a day in London's ULEZ.
How we build this guide
We combine official UK data with what independent garages see most often on this model.
- How many are still on the road: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, by year first used. The survival comparison is against cars of the same age.
- MOT pass rates, failures and mileage: DVSA anonymised MOT results — every normal car MOT in Great Britain for the year, compared with all cars of the same age.
- Road tax: GOV.UK rates from April 2026. ULEZ: TfL and Clean Air Zone emission standards.
- Faults and repair costs: known problems by engine code, priced at typical UK independent-garage rates including parts and labour.
- Insurance groups, mpg, servicing and tyres: typical ranges, not quotes. Your car's exact figures depend on the version and where you live.
This is a buying guide, not a mechanical inspection. A specific car's MOT history tells you far more than any model average — run a free check on it before you go and see it.
Sources: licensed counts and survival from DfT vehicle licensing statistics; road tax from GOV.UK (April 2026 rates). Faults, costs, mpg and insurance groups are typical ranges, not quotes. A guide, not a mechanical inspection.