Model Reports 5 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Dacia Sandero 2014: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 54 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2014 Dacia Sandero were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Coil spring (front).

Summary

A 2014 Dacia Sandero passed first time about 3 in every 100 less often than the average of the 2013 and 2015 model years.

At a glance

How 11,590 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
54 in every 100
Did not pass first time
46 in every 1005,345 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
11 yearsabout 73,056 miles
First tests counted
11,590

What failed most often

  1. Coil spring (front)18 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Drive shaft joints and boots (front)18 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Suspension arm ball joint (front)13 in every 100 failed tests

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2014 Dacia Sandero vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. A wear pattern follows age and use more than the way the car was built. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Suspension

Four faults. The strongest is the anti-roll bar linkage pins and bushes (front): 30 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 5,340 of 5,345 failed first attempts (99.9%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Anti-roll bar linkage pins and bushes (front)

Failed on 293 first tests30 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

Excessive wear in an anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush is Major. If the pin or bush is likely to become detached, it is graded Dangerous. The wording is DVSA's general one for a suspension pin, bush or joint.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 360 first tests, 20 times as often as on similar cars.

Anti-roll bar linkage (front)

Failed on 155 first tests19 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

An anti-roll bar linkage is graded Dangerous when a suspension component is missing, likely to become detached, fractured or likely to fail. Insecure attachment that impairs directional stability is graded Dangerous too. Excessive damage or corrosion that seriously weakens the part is Major, and so is plain insecure attachment to the chassis or axle.

Coil spring (front)

Failed on 949 first tests2.7 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A missing bump stop rubber is not a reason to fail a coil spring. When the vehicle is jacked and lowered, a spring that does not correctly locate as the suspension returns to its normal running position is rejected as insecurely attached. A missing spring is Major, and graded Dangerous where directional control is affected.

Suspension arm ball joint (front)

Failed on 692 first tests2.1 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A suspension arm ball joint is failed under the general suspension pin, bush or joint wording. Excessively worn is Major, and likely to become detached is graded Dangerous.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Lamps and electrical

Two faults. The strongest is the horn: 9.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Horn

Failed on 577 first tests9.6 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

A horn that does not work, or is likely to be confused with an emergency vehicle siren, is graded Major. Gongs, bells, sirens and anything with more than one tone, which includes a horn that alternates between its notes, are not allowed, except a gong, bell or siren on vehicles first used before a set date. Sound defects are Minor for named cases such as a bell or harsh sound, and Major under a general row.

Number plate lights

Failed on 340 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Registration plate lamps must light up the rear registration plate and operate at the same time as the position lamps. A missing or inoperative lamp is Major when the plate has only one lamp or all its lamps are not working, and Minor when the plate has several lamps or light sources and not all have failed. A lamp throwing direct white light to the rear is also Minor.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Brakes

Two faults and one wear pattern. The strongest is the brake performance (plate test, rear): 4.8 times as often as on similar cars.

Brake performance (plate test, rear)

Failed on 116 first tests4.8 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Braking effort that is inadequate at a wheel, a brake grabbing severely and a binding brake are among the Major failures. A wheel with no recorded effort is graded Dangerous. If a vehicle fails any aspect of the plate test, the check should be repeated to confirm the result.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 79 first tests, 3.4 times as often as on similar cars.

Brake performance (roller test, rear)

Failed on 399 first tests3.2 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A wheel with no recorded braking effort on the roller test is graded Dangerous. Inadequate effort, a brake grabbing severely, abnormal lag and excessive fluctuation in effort are each Major. So is significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied, which indicates a binding brake.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 300 first tests, 2.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Brake discs (front)

Failed on 211 first tests2.1 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

A brake disc or drum must be significantly worn before it is rejected, and being worn below the manufacturer's recommended limits is not a reason in itself. Significantly and obviously worn is Major, as is contamination with oil or grease. A disc or drum that is fractured, insecure, seriously weakened or missing is graded Dangerous.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Body and structure

One fault: drive shaft joints and boots (front), 4.5 times as often as on similar cars.

Drive shaft joints and boots (front)

Failed on 935 first tests4.5 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A constant velocity boot that is only severely deteriorated is Minor. It is Major once it is missing, split or insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt. A transmission joint excessively worn is Major, and graded Dangerous when it is so worn it is likely to fail.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.

Power steering pipes and hoses

Noted on 50 first tests9.2 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Anti-roll bar pins and bushes (front)

Noted on 87 first tests8.6 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

Individual direction indicators (front)

Noted on 37 first tests5.4 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

Vehicle structure condition

Noted on 31 first tests4.9 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Macpherson strut (front)

Noted on 87 first tests3.9 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Brake fluid

Noted on 25 first tests3.0 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
54in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
7in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
39in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 53.9% of 11,590 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 61.2%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 7 fixed and the 39 not fixed make the 46 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Petrol and diesel

First testsTypical mileagePassed first time, as testedPassed first time, same mileage
Petrol7,17365,976 miles5756
Diesel4,41684,942 miles4952

Figures are in every 100 first tests. Cars with more miles usually fail more often, so the same-mileage figure gives every fuel the mileage mix of all the cars in this year.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

40608010020142020Older carsNewer cars
40608010020142020Newer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 55 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
201358 in every 1006,603
2014 This car54 in every 10011,590
201555 in every 10013,687
201661 in every 10013,820
201765 in every 10014,146
201871 in every 10012,028
201975 in every 10012,106
202079 in every 1008,817
202186 in every 1007,869
202289 in every 10012,554

If you are buying one

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

Mileage matters most on a 2014 Sandero.

Of 2014 Sandero vehicles with under 49,000 miles, 68 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 99,000 miles or more, 45 in every 100 did.

Under 49,0002,287 tests
68
49,000–66,0002,400 tests
56
66,000–80,000 Typical car2,192 tests
51
80,000–99,0002,387 tests
49
99,000 and over2,316 tests
45

Petrol or diesel?

Typical mileagePassed first time,
as tested		Passed first time,
same mileage
Petrol65,976 miles5756
Diesel84,942 miles4952

Figures are in every 100 first tests. Petrol cars look better on the raw figures only because diesel cars have done more miles (typically 84,942 against 65,976). At the same mileage there is no clear difference between the two.

What to check at your mileage

How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.

Under 49,00066,000–80,00099,000 and over
Coil spring (front)5.79.19.3
Drive shaft joints and boots (front)5.89.28.2
Suspension arm ball joint (front)1.96.38.7
Horn2.46.04.7
Headlight aim2.14.15.1

Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.

When a car fails

30in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

43in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

9in every 100

of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. 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.

A 2014 Dacia Sandero passed first time about 3 in every 100 less often than the average of the 2013 and 2015 model years. In 2025, 53.9% of 11,590 first MOTs on the 2014 Dacia Sandero passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 61.2%. Among 5,345 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Anti-roll bar linkage pins and bushes (front) appears more often than on similar cars (5.5% of those tests; 293 observed failures; about 30× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2014 Dacia Sandero at the first attempt were Coil spring (front) (17.8%), Drive shaft joints and boots (front) (17.5%) and Suspension arm ball joint (front) (13.0%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Anti-roll bar linkage pins and bushes (front) (5.5% of those tests; 293 observed failures; about 30× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Anti-roll bar linkage pins and bushes (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (5.5% of those tests; 293 observed failures; about 30× 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 checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2014 Dacia Sandero include Anti-roll bar linkage pins and bushes (front), Anti-roll bar linkage (front), Horn. These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any 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 2014 Dacia Sandero (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.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

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

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