Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 5,613 tests analysed

Dacia Duster 2013: reliability & common MOT faults

2,478 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2013 Dacia Duster in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Headlamp aim and Drive shafts — Joints (front). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Diesel Dusters passed first time 2.0 pp more often than petrol ones (56.0% of 5,101 vs 54.0% of 511).

First-attempt pass

55.9%

of 5,613 first tests (2025)

First tests

5,613

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

2,478

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

12.2%

Headlamp aim

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

55.9%

of 5,613 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

63.8%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

5,613

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 12.0 yrs · median mileage 89,382 mi

vs 2024: -1.1 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 2,475 of 2,478 failed first attempts (99.9%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Rigid brake pipes (front) — 6.9% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 171 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 10× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Hazard warning — Switch
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Hazard warning > Switch
 Any 70 ×12 2.8% Likely
Rigid brake pipes (front)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Front 171 ×10 6.9% Strong
Rigid brake pipes (rear)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Rear 199 ×7.2 8.0% Strong
Linkage ball joints (rear)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
 Rear 50 ×7.1 2.0% Likely
Electrical equipment — Horn
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Electrical equipment > Horn
 Any 101 ×3.7 4.1% Likely
Shock absorbers (rear)
Suspension > Shock absorbers
 Rear 133 ×2.4 5.4% Possible
SRS malfunction indicator lamp
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems > SRS malfunction indicator lamp
 Any 84 ×2.3 3.4% Possible
Service brake performance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance
 Rear 126 ×2.3 5.1% Possible
Linkage ball joints (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
 Front 125 ×2.3 5.1% Possible
Drive shafts — Joints (front)
Body, chassis, structure > Transmission > Drive shafts > Joints
 Front 248 ×2.1 10.0% Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

Wear patterns

Usage and mileage effects that often track road use rather than model design.

These patterns look like wear or usage effects rather than model-specific design faults. Tyres, brake friction material, and alignment-related defects often track mileage and road use.

Pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Brake discs (front)
Brakes > Mechanical brake components > Brake discs and drums > Brake discs
 Front 118 ×2.7 4.8% Wear
Note: These patterns are not treated as a model design fault in our common-faults ranking.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
Prop shaft
Body, chassis, structure > Transmission > Prop shafts > Prop shaft
 Any 33 ×62 1.3% Likely
Prescribed areas (front)
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems > Seat belts > Prescribed areas
 Front 29 ×56 1.2% Possible
Component mounting prescribed areas (front)
Suspension > Component mounting prescribed areas
 Front 40 ×21 1.6% Elevated
Coil spring (front)
Suspension > Springs > Coil springs > Coil spring
 Front 372 ×9.3 15.0% Elevated
Sub-frame mounting prescribed areas (rear)
Suspension > Sub-frames > Sub-frame mounting prescribed areas
 Rear 44 ×8.1 1.8% Elevated
Component mounting prescribed areas (rear)
Suspension > Component mounting prescribed areas
 Rear 97 ×8.0 3.9% Elevated
Pipes and hoses
Steering > Power steering > Pipes and hoses
 Any 23 ×7.2 0.9% Elevated
Rigid brake pipes (front)
Brakes > Rigid brake pipes
 Front 381 ×6.9 15.4% Strong
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

On this year, prefer the diesel. The petrol cars passed first time 2.0 pp less often, on 511 tests.

What to check on a 2013 Duster

The items that failed 2013 Dusters most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Headlamp aim — recorded on 12.2% of failed first attempts
  • Drive shafts — Joints (front) — recorded on 10.0% of failed first attempts
  • Track rod end (front) — recorded on 8.9% of failed first attempts
  • Position lamp (front) — recorded on 8.1% of failed first attempts
  • Rigid brake pipes (rear) — recorded on 8.0% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

Diesel Dusters passed first time 2.0 pp more often than petrol ones (56.0% of 5,101 vs 54.0% of 511). In 2025, 55.9% of 5,613 first MOTs on the 2013 Dacia Duster passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 63.8%. Among 2,478 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Rigid brake pipes (front) appears more often than on similar…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2013 Dacia Dusters most often at the first attempt were Headlamp aim (12.2%), Drive shafts — Joints (front) (10.0%) and Track rod end (front) (8.9%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table answ…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Rigid brake pipes (front) (6.9% of those tests; 171 observed failures; about 10× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Rigid brake pipes (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (6.9% of those tests; 171 observed failures; about 10× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2013 Dacia Duster include Rigid brake pipes (front), Hazard warning — Switch, Linkage ball joints (rear). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2013 Dacia Duster (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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