75,286 tests in 2025
Dacia Duster reliability and MOT pass rate
79% passed first time. The 21% fail rate is 1.6 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 6 years old with 46,366 miles.
Pass rate
79%
22.6% of all cars failed; 21% of these did.
Fixed on the day
8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
46,366 mi
6 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 25,248 | 12.5% |
| 6-9 years | 33,774 | 21.7% |
| 10-13 years | 15,880 | 33.3% |
| 14+ years | 9 | — |
What the Duster fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment88 dangerous39.1%
- Brakes1,311 dangerous25.3%
- Tyres3,704 dangerous24%
- Suspension75 dangerous22.1%
- Visibility1 dangerous20.6%
- Body, chassis, structure229 dangerous13.2%
- Steering100 dangerous12.4%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous7.7%
Is the Duster getting worse?
The fail rate rose 6.6 points to 21.9% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 56,408 | 5 | 15.3% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 63,029 | — | 17.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 58,924 | — | 20.2% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 69,382 | — | 21.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Duster at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Duster in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively1,920 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,841 tests
- 3Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play1,614 tests
- 4Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect1,601 tests
- 5Headlamp: not working on dipped beam1,358 tests
- 6Coil spring: fractured or broken1,332 tests
- 7Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt967 tests
- 8Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords838 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Duster collects 2.4 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm11,871 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure8,062 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened7,202 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick4,236 tests
- 5Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded3,759 tests
- 6Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn2,721 tests
- 7Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened2,184 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt1,990 tests
Questions
What is the Dacia Duster MOT pass rate?
79% of the 75,286 Dacia Duster first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 21% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Dacia Duster usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively", recorded on 1,920 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 39.1% of failures, brakes appears in 25.3% of failures, tyres appears in 24% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 12.5%; at 10-13 years it was 33.3%. The median Dacia Duster tested in 2025 was 6 years old with 46,366 miles.
Is the Dacia Duster getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 6.6 points to 21.9% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Duster trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 5 safety recalls naming the Dacia Duster: Dacia Duster recalls.
Other Dacia models
Checking a particular Duster?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.