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Dacia Sandero exhaust, emissions and leaks problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 57,368 MOT tests · Updated

At 8 years, 2.2 in 100 MOT tests of the Dacia Sandero failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 57,368 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 1,239 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 10 ages from 3 to 12 years, 415,804 MOT tests
  • Most common fail: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction, 0.8 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

2.2 fails per 100 MOT tests at 8 years, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 8 (all test years). That is about average.

Why it matters

An exhaust, emissions and leaks fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

Dacia Sandero exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

Dacia Sandero exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Dacia Sandero. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.0243 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 43,599 MOT tests34 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 42,804 MOT tests45 years: 1.2 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 49,541 MOT tests56 years: 1.8 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 54,944 MOT tests67 years: 2.0 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 57,193 MOT tests78 years: 2.2 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 57,368 MOT tests89 years: 2.0 per 100 (all cars 2.4), 49,638 MOT tests910 years: 2.1 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 34,395 MOT tests1011 years: 2.5 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 19,447 MOT tests1112 years: 3.1 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 6,875 MOT tests12
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Dacia Sandero All class 4 vehicles the same age
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
343,5990.30.5
442,8040.70.7
549,5411.21.0
654,9441.81.3
757,1932.01.7
857,3682.22.1
949,6382.02.4
1034,3952.12.8
1119,4472.53.2
126,8753.13.7

All first-use years of the Dacia Sandero pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years.

What fails in the exhaust, emissions and leaks at 8 years

Fails

Advisories (not fails)

Diagnose engine warning light cost

Repair figures are estimates, not quotes: how we estimate repair costs.

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
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See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 0.9 petrol: 0.7 per 100 at 8 years, fails less often than petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (0.3–0.4×) (all test years; 25,551 MOT tests)
  • 1.5 diesel: 1.7 per 100 at 8 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 18,164 MOT tests)
  • 1.0 petrol: 11.8 per 100 at 8 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 3,251 MOT tests)
  • 1.1 petrol: 3.7 per 100 at 8 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 10,224 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive.

Check one Dacia Sandero, not the average

The figures here describe Dacia Sandero cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Dacia Sandero problems

Exhaust, emissions and leaks on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Dacia Sandero have more exhaust, emissions and leaks problems than other cars?

2.2 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 57,368 MOT tests).

How common are Dacia Sandero exhaust, emissions and leaks problems?

2.2 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 57,368 MOT tests).

What is the most common Dacia Sandero exhaust, emissions and leaks fail?

0.8 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years: Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction (466 MOT tests with it).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 415,804 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Office for National Statistics, Consumer price inflation, local price quotes (car repair items). ONS price quotes, series 610236. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare