Dacia, the comeback kid of the automotive world. Once a communist-state owned company, Dacia is now owned by Renault and thriving, but are Dacia reliable?
You may have noticed how many Dacia’s are currently on the road, there seems to be more and more every day. They are becoming an ever-increasing sight on the UK road network, and for good reason. Their cars are affordable, they are now well built and they are reliable.
That word; reliable. Reliability, or unreliability, has plagued Dacia since the days they were owned by the State, with it not uncommon to see drivers fixing their cars on the side of the road.
And though that was a long time ago, and Romania is no longer a communist country, the unreliability tag seems to have stuck.
But is this still the case? Is Dacia still as unreliable as they once were?
In this article, we look at everything to do with reliability and Dacia, including comparing it to some of its main rivals.
Is Dacia unreliable?
Contrary to popular belief, Dacia’s are pretty reliable. In fact, they are very reliable. The AutoExpress Driver Power survey of 2016 put Dacia in third place for dependability, with a score of 96.17 out of 100. This was higher than Toyota and Honda. The only two that beat it were Tesla and Lexus.
For a budget car brand, that’s extremely impressive going. Owner reviews are just as good. Both the Duster and Sandero receive an average of 87.83% on AutoExpress, with the reliability coming in as the highest ranking.
The reviews on carbuyer are mainly positive, with a few negative reviews thrown in there. But overall, drivers seem to be very happy with their Dacia’s.
However, there were reports of rust a few years ago. There were reports from customers about issues with rust on the Dacia Dusters. As a response, Dacia instigated a fix and offered an inspection and a free repair for the affected vehicles.
It was rumoured to be the reason that Dacia moved their production from India to Romania, where they already produced their left-hand drive cars.
However, Dacia said that this was not the case and it was purely coincidental. Regardless, there was an issue with rust a few years ago.
However, that seems to have been cleared up and Dacia is currently on the top of their game when it comes to reliability.
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Why are Dacia reliable?
These results may come as a bit of a shock to some, as it is widely assumed that Dacia produces unreliable cars.
One of the reasons Dacia have been considered unreliable is because at one point in their history, they were. But as we mentioned before, this was in communist Romania, a country that was shut off from the rest of the West and therefore lacked the technology and had yet to develop their own technology to improve their cars.
That’s essentially the reason they were so unreliable. But Romania hasn’t been communist since the revolution in 1989, so why do people still think Dacia aren’t reliable?
Possibly because they are so cheap. Dacia produces some of the cheapest cars on the market and definitely produce the cheapest SUV’s.
In fact, some of their SUV’s cost less than many city cars. So people assume that cheap = unreliable. Yet, this has been disproven several times in regards to several different things, particularly with cars.
It is assumed that the more executive and expensive the car, the more reliable. When this is not the case at all. And one of the reasons this is not the case is because of the amount of technology that is in these cars.
While this extra tech is great for drivers and it makes the car more appealing, it is not always reliable. Many have put unreliability down to an increase in complicated technology that is prone to problems.
Looking to get an affordable SUV? Watch our in-depth review of the Dacia Duster for more information about the modern and robust SUV.
And Dacia? Well, Dacia doesn’t have any of that. Dacia is all about keeping costs low, meaning that you won’t be getting a lot of complex technology
. The drivers know this, and it’s why people choose Dacia’s. But this means that there are no problems because there is no complex technology to go wrong.
That’s not to say there isn’t technology onboard a Dacia, it’s just not as advanced as the tech you would see in an Audi or Mercedes. And that simply means that they are more reliable.
Not only that, but they are also cheap to repair. The parts are common and easy to source, meaning that you won’t have to fork out a fortune for the repair costs.
So there are a few reasons why Dacia are reliable. Considering getting a Dacia Sandero? Check out our full Youtube review to learn more about the tough yet comfortable hatchback.
How reliable are consumer reports and surveys?
It’s at this point in the article where we justify our use of consumer reports and surveys in determining reliability.
Consumer surveys are accurate because it’s owner feedback. This means that those who drive the car every day are able to give feedback on how dependable, or not dependable, their car is.
We also use reports from the likes of WarrantyDirect, which provide extended warranties for many makes and models. When someone makes a claim, they can record this. They then use this data to come to an informed conclusion about which makes and models are the most reliable and which ones aren’t.
The only problem with customer surveys is that you can’t know the longevity of a brand new car. Therefore, you won’t get a completely accurate judgement until the car is a few years old. Many, such as J.D Power, use predicted dependability, which is usually quite accurate.
Overall, using consumer surveys are a good and unbiased way of knowing how reliable a car is.
Common Dacia problems to look out for
When you are looking at a car, particularly a used one, then there are things that you should be looking out for. Some of the common problems for Dacia include;
- Faults with the catalytic converter
- Problems with the engine management systems
- These aren’t too common, but some have been reported.
- Rust
- As we mentioned earlier, rust has been a problem for Dacia. If you’re looking at a used Dacia, then make sure that you check carefully for any signs of rust.
If you are looking at a used Dacia, then it’s worth asking the person selling if they have had some of these problems.
Dacia vs. Peugeot vs. Renault
It can be difficult to decide who to compare Dacia to in terms of rivals. In this section of the article, we have gone for brands that produce cars similar to the Duster rather than going by the price.
Both Renault and Peugeot also fare pretty well in terms of reliability. However, in the survey that put Dacia in third place, Renault and Peugeot were quite a bit further down the list. Renault came 11th, with a score of 93.72 and Peugeot were 13th, with a score of 93.09.
These aren’t bad scores by any means, and they’ve done considerably better than many luxury brands, but they don’t quite meet Dacia’s third place.
However, in a survey by Motoring Research, Peugeot came out on top in 5th place with 92 problems per 100 vehicles. This is compared to Renault who came 14th with 116 problems per 100 vehicles.
And Dacia? Well, Dacia didn’t fare too well in this survey at all, coming in at 23rd with 174 problems per 100 vehicles. Which is quite a lot. However, this was in 2016, and the AutoExpress survey was this year (2017).
So I think we can say that it averages out and it seems that these brands are pretty reliable. So, if you’re looking for reliability and price, then Dacia is the manufacturer for you.
In conclusion, Dacia is surprisingly reliable. This is considering their past reputation and the fact that their main focus is keeping costs as low as possible.
They are so reliable that AutoExpress have put them third in their recent reliability table. That said, their main rivals, Peugeot and Renault, have been reliable for longer.
Whether this means that they are actually more reliable remains to be seen. So, if you have faith in the most recent reliability tests, need a family car and want value for money, then a Dacia is perfect for you.
My new Dacia Duster Dti came and when going to a garage the fuel filler release failed to open,later discovered that this was a known fault supposed to have been modified before the car left the factory but missed in mine. The stop/start sometimes stops the car the car when just put into neutral – then starts it again when the clutch is released leaving me stopped at traffic lights with the engine running, then at times fails to switch off the engine when I park. The hill start assist too is erratic and locks the brakes when trying to park – most disconcerting. Hopefully the unhelpful garage will sort it out as apart from that it is a nice little car.
Hi Jim,
Sorry to hear that you’ve experienced this issue. I hope that the garage is able to help you resolve it. I am sure that people considering purchasing a new Dacia will find your issues interesting and be able to use them as a guideline for what to look for when they buy or lease their new vehicle.
Jim I can fully sympathise with your problems as my new Dacia Sendero purchased in Feb has a major starting problem. It takes three or four attempts making a terrible noise before it will start. This is its second time in the garage for the same faults and they have it two weeks today and they still don’t know what the problem is. It also arrived with the drivers doors paint chipped and the door way out of line, a rattle in the dash. This is very disappointing as it is not what you expect when you buy any new car.
Hi Moira, for a new Dacia Sandero you will have a warranty of 3 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. Have you taken you car back to a Dacia dealer?
I have dacia sandero stepway it would be nice to have a foot rest for clutch foot is there one avalable
Hi Walter,
Thank you for your enquiry. I have done some searching and been unable to find anything on the official Dacia website. However, I would recommend that you search on Dacia owner forums online, if this is a common request then there will be someone who has information about where to acquire one. I wish you luck in your search for a foot rest.
Just collected our 19 plate stepway a couple of days ago and we love the car ,value for money with all the kit it comes with
Hi Gaz,
Thank you for your comment. I am pleased to hear that you’re enjoying your new Dacia.
my duster laurete has 9,000 miles on the clock .The only problem I have is a viabration on the front near side glove compartment.Any body any indies how to cure it .l have contacted the dealer how wants £90 just to investigate it
Hi Roy,
I would suggest visiting some online forums. Often people who have experienced problems or minor issues will look there before taking to a garage/dealership.
My Sandero is under 5 years old and there is rust appearing on wheel arches and sills. We have approached the dealership and they advise us that it would highly unlikely that this would be repaired under the anti corrosion warranty. We contacted Dacia direct who are dealing with it. Will wait to see what the out come is. Not good for that age of car, very disappointing.
Love mine appart from 1 major problem 20 months old and every panels got rust coming through paint going to see how good customer service is when it goes to bodyshop to be accessed apart from that its been bomb proof
Hi Mark,
Dacia actually ranks quite highly when it comes to reliability, placing 4th in the consumer-rated Which? report for 2018/2019. Let us know how you find customer service following your assessment, it would be helpful for our readers to hear about how the company rates when it comes to aftercare.
My Dacia sandero just over one year old broke down 3640 miles on the clock. Taken in for repair on 15/05/19 they said fault was starter motor, now 10 weeks later I’m still waiting to get it done, they say parts have to come from Romania&Morocco they must be coming over by rowing boat!! this is a absolute disgrace.
Hi,
Thank you for posting your comment about the issues you are experiencing in getting repairs done to your vehicle. Unfortunately, this is something which occurs when parts are being shipped. As with the parts used when manufacturing the vehicle, it is possible the manufacturer will be sending across more than just the part for your vehicle and it will often be the case that they are waiting for a full container/ship before despatching anything.
Got a secondhand 64 plate Logan back in April, a week later the engine was playing up really slow no power, took to dealership, got it fixed a new part was needed. 2 weeks later same thing happened again this time another part needed replacing. 3 weeks later again slow pulling away and up hills, another new part needed. Today, 8 weeks after the last breakdown and 5 days before we go on holiday the car is slowing and no power. Getting really fed up with this. WORST car we’ve ever had.
Hi Nicola,
Though we are not legal advisors, it seems as though you may have a good case for ‘Not fit for purpose’. We would suggest you go back to the dealership, saying that they have had four opportunities to resolve the problem and therefore the vehicle is not fit for purpose and you would like to return the vehicle for a full refund or you will consider legal recourse.
If you have finance secured against the vehicle you should also contact the Finance house and tell them that the vehicle isn’t fit for purpose as they have a legal responsibility to ensure that it is.
If you would like to go for a new car next time, please get in touch with us, you would be surprised at the good value they are these days. Call Amanda on 01903 223391.
My wife’s 2007 Logan MPV (diesel van with 7 seats) has just passed its 290000kms. (This is in France) The car was bought in 2012 I think with 150k kms on the clock. Reliability: Nothing to criticise. Oil changes easy to do one’s self. Electrics easy to fix. Expect the odd track rod knuckle to go. One criticism for the coal burner is whoever designed to put the diesel filter hidden behind the front right wheel arch rather than higher in the engine bay needs his butt kicking. Our diesel is the atmospheric version, so speed & acceleration are not to be expected. A friend with a similar model with the turbo motor, had to replace the turbo at 280000km. I concur that rust does appear in a few places: On ours, it is the lower edges of the passenger doors which are affected. As the vehicle does not owe us anything, the unsightly remedy will be a good go with the wire brush & 2 thick coats of Hammerite.
Last comment on the person with problem of starter motor availability: This side of the channel Oscaro.com have most electrical parts readily in stock & can be despatched within 3 days. Sorry, VALEO, a French comany have hoovered up the majority of electrical, windscreen wiper & brake parts manufacturers & the dealer is selling a line of corporate …. Those parts are often interchangeable with older Renaults & are normally available. Hope this is helpful
Hi Alex,
Thank you for your incredibly detailed comment on the reliability of Dacia as you have experienced it in France. We have no doubt that many of our readers will find it incredibly helpful if they are looking at this manufacturer for their next vehicle. Also, the provision of details as regards the supplier of parts for repair is also incredibly useful for anyone who has a Dacia already.
my duster broke down with a faulty injector with only 34,900 miles on it not under warranty as it was just over three years old have never had a injector go even on cars that i have had with 180,000 miles renault not interested patronising and condescending ,would not by another
Hi Brian,
Thank you for your comment on the Dacia Duster. We hope that you find resolution to the issue you have been experiencing. We would recommend checking owner forums to discover if this is an issue that many owners have experienced.
If you are thinking about getting another vehicle, we are guessing it won’t be another Duster, please get in touch with Amanda on 01903 223391 and one of our experienced vehicle specialists will be happy to help.
Bought a 4 year old Diesel sandero last May..Great car, and 18000 miles later still a great car. I do all the servicing myself and these are great straightforward cars to work on. well sprung for bad roads, steel wheels, easy to get into, tough interior and easy on fuel,,65mpg usually..Plenty of room in the back seats, and I conclude by saying they are well screwed together, low tech using tried and tested Renault components..
Hi Ian,
Many thanks for your comment about the Dacia and your experiences with the Sandero. We are sure that many who are looking to purchase a Dacia model will find your feedback very helpful when they are considering their next vehicle.
I was just going out to buy a duster, don’t think I’ll bother after reading this
Hi Steve,
Dacia have improved since this article was written.
However, if you are looking for a new vehicle perfectly suited to your needs that has the look of the Duster, please get in touch with Amanda on 01903 223391 and she will be able to pass you to one of our experienced vehicle specialists.
I am partly disabled and find it hard to enter and exit my dacia prestige 18 plate do you have a dacia duster without the side running boards and a lower level entry/exit
Hi Les,
Thank you for your enquiry. We’d love to talk to you about your requirements. Please call us on 01903 538835, or fill in one of the forms on these pages and we can call you back at a time better for you. We work with lots of different manufacturers which gives us the flexibility for many options.
We brought a new Duster 4×4 diesel in Cyprus back in 2013, I think it was the first one sold on the island. Incredable value, and very versatile. It is now coming up for eight years and only had a couple of problems during that time. The cat was noisy from new and replaced under warranty and I had to replace the windscreen washer tank a couple of years ago, oh and the battery last year. I have just replaced the tyres, eight years in the Med sun is enough.
It hasn’t done a great many kilometres (40k) but it does not have an easy life, we take it over many unmade stony, rutted mountain tracks for long distances and havn’t got stuck yet. It is a pretty good ride , comfortable and a good all rounder, plenty of leg and head room in the back. The diesel is economic and fairly quiet. It is not a BMW so don’t expect that sort of refinement. However the doors close like the proverable Golf, probably better. The fact that the same Renault D9D engine fitted can also be found under the bonnet of some Mercs and most Qashqai’s, makes me smile.
We often drop the rear seats and take our two mountain bikes out with us and on other occasions use it as a work horse laden with two aggregate bags full with garden waste to the local tip. Value for value it’s unbeatable and its not bad looking either.
My petrol Dacia Duster, 4 X 4, 1.6 engine is now 4 years old and has been an absolute joy to drive up to now. Lately the “check stop start” and “check pollution control” have come on and every now and then when slowing down the engine begins to race even when the car is stood and out of gear, then when the clutch is depressed to put it in gear the engine dies and won’t start straight away. I’ve just had the AA out to it as it happened again and I couldn’t get it to start (needless to say it started first time when the AA turned the key). The AA said it’s a faulty engine cooler sensor which sounds right for not letting it start again once it’s died but why was the engine racing before it died?
Hi there Allison, thank you for your query. We would advise taking your vehicle to a main Dacia dealer for further diagnosis.
Had 2 Dacia Stepways a 1.5 diesel followed by a 1.0 litre
A duster 1.6 and now 1.3 exclusive auto
Only minor warranty problem experienced on the first duster comfort
These were resolved
If the cars were rubbish you do not have
My daughter is on her third duster
Hi there Phil, thank you for sharing your experience with your Dacia vehicles. This will be useful for our reader’s vehicle buying decision.
Got a stepway brand new in2019 no problems what so ever ,we have now ordered the new model stepway.
If it’s half as good as our old one will be well happy
Hi there Gaz, thank you for sharing your experience with your Dacia Stepway. We hope you enjoy your newer vehicle!
I’ve had my Duster comeing up 6 years now DCI 1.5 4×2, until 16 months ago some problems but sorted under warranty, however out of the blue no indicators again ecu reset under warranty, now 16 months later finally fixed after 4 attempts, a real shame as I really like my Duster and enjoy driving it.
Just really feel let down by dealer.
Hi there Michael, we are sorry to hear about your experience with your Dacia Duster. If you are looking to upgrade to a new car, our Vehicle Specialists are on hand to help when you are ready. Call us on 01903 538835 or request a callback for a time that suits you: bit.ly/3KBaRMI
I have a six year old 900cc turbo petrol Logan, and it’s just flown through its MoT again. Totally reliable, never let me down, incredibly economical to run, 50+mpg easily and as much space as a Volvo estate.
Hi there Richard, thank you for sharing your positive review of your Dacia Logan. This will be very valuable for OSV’s readers.
Don’t buy one of these cars, they are not reliable and just feel like a piece of scrap metal. Had one for just shy of 11 months and it’s the worst decision I’ve made. Have had engine fan issues, reving issues (dropping too low), the brakes just seem rusty and squeak a lot, and now there is clutch and gearbox issues all in the space of 5000 miles from me and 32000 miles in total. They are cheap for a reason. If you can’t afford anything better, or don’t want to pay much for a car your better off using buses.
Hi there Daniel, thank you for sharing your experience with Dacia. Reliability can vary, and individual experiences differ. It might be helpful to consult with a trusted mechanic to assess the specific problems you’ve faced. If you’re considering a new vehicle, get in touch with our team of Vehicle Specialists to find your perfect vehicle solution on 01903 255000.
dacia sandero sce 2019/thirty thousand miles on my third set of coil packs.second set of o2 sensors.what a pain in the butt.
Hi there, thank you for sharing your honest feedback. If you’re looking for a new vehicle to replace your Dacia Sandero, get in touch with our team to explore your options by booking a callback, or chatting with us on 01903 255000.
We have an issue with our Dacia. Part of the clutch and we have been waiting over 5 weeks for a part that continues not to be sent from France. This has cost 100s of pounds in hire cars, despite the garage calling them up and asking for this part. It is really frustrating that despite the part coming from France the company are not doing their job and sending it to the UK.