Is the Dacia Duster reliable?

The Dacia Duster scores 70/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 22% of the cars we track. That is computed from 629,724 real DVSA MOT test results.

How much does a used Dacia Duster cost?

A 2023 Dacia Duster with around 24,930 miles is worth roughly £13,450 today (typical range £12,100–£14,750). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.

How quickly does the Dacia Duster depreciate?

A new Dacia Duster typically loses about 30% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.

What insurance group is the Dacia Duster?

The Dacia Duster sits in insurance group 22 of 50 — the middle of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.

What goes wrong on a used Dacia Duster?

The most common age-related issues we track for the Dacia Duster are: suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.

What does the Dacia Duster cost to run?

Expect around 47 mpg combined on the TCe 130 mHEV, £200 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Is the Dacia Duster ULEZ compliant?

Most petrol Dacia Dusters from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.

How many Dacia Dusters are on UK roads?

About 106,959 Dacia Dusters are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Ranked #76 car in the UK · SUV · 9,221 units sold last year

Dacia Duster

The Dacia Duster is the value champion of the SUV world - a genuinely capable, spacious family SUV (with real light off-road ability in 4x4 form) for the price of a small hatchback. It trades plush materials for honest practicality and low running costs. Cross-shop the MG ZS, used Nissan Qashqai and Suzuki Vitara.

How these figures are sourced — the valuation is anchored to a researched used-market price for this model (AutoTrader median, 2023 at 30k miles). Reliability, mileage and variant data are real DVSA MOT records. Dimensions, tyre sizes and costs, servicing figures and the insurance group are segment-level estimates rather than sourced per car, and are being replaced model by model.

Body: SUV
Years: 2018–2026
Fuel: Petrol / Mild Hybrid / Hybrid
Economy: 47 mpg
Insurance: Group 22

The short version

The Dacia Duster holds its value well and is cheaper to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is good — an MOT score of 70/100, ahead of 22% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 88% of models.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Mild Hybrid · 1199cc

Power

130 ps

Drivetrain

FWD

Cam drive

Chain

Quoted MPG

47 mpg

The volume Mk3 Duster (2024-). 1.2 three-cylinder turbo with 48V mild-hybrid — a chain-driven Renault unit (no belt to fret about). FWD.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20182026

Mileage on the clock24,930 mi

0Expected: 24,930180k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Region

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Know the registration?

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

£13,450

Range £11,300 – £15,750

medium confidence

When new (2023)circa £19,000Age-based value£12,943Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region+£12Market calibration+£1,395Forecourt price£14,350Private sale£12,500Part-exchange£11,000

Buythis 3-year-old

Past the steep drop — most of the depreciation is behind it.

At 24,930 miles it’s about the ~25,400 typical for a 3-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration Dacia Duster loses value over time.

Marker = your selection
Dashed = mileage either side

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 24,930 miles you entered above — worth about £13,450 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 8,310 miles a year.

5-year total

£15,863

Per year

£3,173

All-in per mile

£0.38

Fuel per mile

15.5p

If a company carAround £266/mo Benefit-in-Kind tax at the 40% rate (£133/mo at 20%) — 34% band

Depreciation£3,067

Fuel / energy£6,426

Servicing£1,765

Road tax£1,000

Insurance£3,605

If you're a company-car driver

At 34% BIK, a 40% taxpayer would pay about £266/month in company-car tax (£133/month at 20%) — on top of the running costs above. Full BIK table below for context.

Best age to buy — around 7 years

A 7-year-old example loses roughly £1,200 a year — 53% less than the £2,550 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 88%

Fuel economybetter than 64%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

TCe 130 / Hybrid (FWD volume)

The honest crossover. Mk3 better-finished than Mk2. Hybrid worth the £3k premium for fuel savings if doing 12k+ miles/year. Genuinely cheap to run, cheap to insure, cheap to buy. Romanian-built but built to budget — accept that.

New price: circa £24,000
Annual fuel / energy: £1,650
3-yr depreciation: 39%

Watch for

·Same Sandero-class interior — tolerable for price
·Hybrid CVT-like transmission can be coarse at full throttle
·Mk2 1.5 dCi diesel timing belt — service interval critical

TCe 130 4x4 / Bi-Fuel

Genuine 4x4 SUV at half the Discovery Sport price. Extreme 4x4 is the proper green-laner. Bi-Fuel suits LPG-station-near commuters. Real Land Rover capability vibe at Dacia money.

New price: circa £28,000
Annual fuel / energy: £1,500
3-yr depreciation: 38%

Watch for

·4x4: noticeable extra weight = lower mpg
·Bi-Fuel LPG: limited UK fueling network
·Off-road tyres optional — standard tyres on Extreme are road-biased

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 03/08/2026) · Petrol 159.9p/L, Diesel 179.2p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 22 of 50 (mid — around the UK average) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

No-claims bonus3 years

0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+

Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£721/ year

Roughly £60 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-25	£1,643	£2,053	£2,669
Age 26-32	£857	£1,009	£1,231
Age 33-39Selected	£634	£721	£850
Age 40-49	£538	£598	£694
Age 50+	£480	£533	£629

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

Annual mileage8,310 mi/yr

2,000UK avg for this model: 8,31030,000

Routine service

£185

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£210

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£200

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£1,285

47 mpg, £1.60/L

Insurance

£721

Age 33-39, group 22

Clean-air zones

✓ ULEZ compliant

Hybrid, Mild Hybrid variants are compliant with London ULEZ and all UK clean-air zones.
All petrol variants meet Euro 4 standards and are ULEZ compliant.

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£2,601 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£80

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£240

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£520

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£900

per year · high risk

Tyres

215/65 R17 · 235/55 R18 · 235/50 R19

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£400

set of 4, fitted · £85 per tyre

Mid-range

£580

set of 4, fitted · £130 per tyre

Premium

£840

set of 4, fitted · £195 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

Option	New cost	Added used value	Return
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.	£650	£450	69%
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.	£500	£300	60%
Heated seats / cold-weather pack	£450	£200	44%
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.	£600	£200	33%
Panoramic / opening roof	£1,100	£350	32%
Larger alloy wheels	£700	£200	29%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 24,930 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450medium severityParts high

Recorded in 11.8% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 604,693 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120medium severityParts high

Recorded in 9.3% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 604,693 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 9.2% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 604,693 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Tyres & wheelsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500low severityParts high

Recorded in 5.8% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 604,693 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 4.0% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 604,693 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

ElectricalUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£400low severityParts high

Recorded in 2.2% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 604,693 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

Safety rating

Euro NCAP's independent crash-test rating for the Dacia Duster, from its 2017 assessment.

3/5

TEST YEAR2017

Rating lapsed after 2023 · protocol superseded

The passenger compartment of the Duster remained stable in the frontal offset test.

Independent crash-test data from Euro NCAP. Star ratings reflect the test protocol of the year shown — newer protocols are stricter, so a 5-star from 2024 represents a higher bar than a 5-star from 2014. Euro NCAP ratings run for six years from publication; a lapsed rating means the protocol has moved on, not that the car performs any worse than it did on test.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 629,724 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

86.3% at 3yr → 91.7% at 14yr

A 3-year-old Duster passes its MOT 86.3% of the time; by 14 years that has risen to 91.7%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

95%of 8-year-old examples are still taxed and on the road — a useful read on how well the model lasts.

From 9,007 vehicles registered in 2018.

Survival by registration year

95% of 2018 cars still on the road

Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.

What’s on the road

The fuel-type split of every Duster with MOT history in the DVSA record. From 122,906 vehicles tested at least once - not the number on the road today, which is lower.

Petrol 57.5%
Diesel 32.3%
Hybrid 6.0%
Gas / LPG 3.8%

What fails at the first MOT

The defect categories a Duster registered 2020–2023 fails on at its first MOT, from 36,453 first tests. Every car here is the same age and the same generation, so these are the faults that show up first - not the wear a high-mileage older example collects.

Tyres & wheels3.9%
Lighting & signalling2.2%
Driver's view1.6%
Brakes0.9%
Seat belts & restraints0.3%
Steering0.2%

Share of first MOT tests recording at least one defect in that category. DVSA test-item categories, not parts: “Driver’s view” covers mirrors, wipers and glass.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a Duster at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

3 yr25,400
4 yr33,420
5 yr41,444
6 yr49,474
7 yr57,426
8 yr66,010
9 yr73,939
10 yr81,492
11 yr87,689
12 yr92,646
13 yr97,741
14 yr161,881

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records. Ages below three are not shown: the first MOT is due at three years, so the few cars tested earlier are a self-selected minority rather than a representative sample. Ages with at least 10 tests shown.

Reliability

70/ 100

Good

First-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2020 onward (36,453 first tests), with cohort survival — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

81%first-time pass rate

22nd percentile — Among the worst — investigate carefully

Based on 86,751 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

01Unbeatable value and surprisingly rugged; the 4x4 versions have genuine light off-road ability.
02Interior materials and refinement are basic - that's the trade for the price; buy with eyes open.
03Renault-derived mechanicals are simple and cheap to maintain - buy on condition and history.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Dacia Duster, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Higher

Desirable SUVs like this are relay-theft targets — keyless entry can be exploited from the driveway in under a minute.

Parts theft

Higher

Hybrid versions are a catalytic-converter target — a hybrid cat is rich in precious metals and can be cut out in about a minute.

Worth doing

Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
A catalytic-converter guard or forensic marking makes a hybrid far less appealing to cut.
A visible steering lock is a cheap, strong deterrent on a frequently-targeted car.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Dacia Duster into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

City	Area	Daily charge	Likely outcome
London	All of Greater London (within the M25)	£12.50	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Birmingham	Inside the A4540 Middleway	£8.00	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Bristol	City centre and part of the Portway	£9.00	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Glasgow	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Edinburgh	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Aberdeen	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Dundee	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.

Zones that don't charge private cars

Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

Company car tax

What HMRC's Benefit-in-Kind charge looks like if you ran this Dacia Duster as a company car, by tax year and income-tax band. Calculated from a CO₂ of 144 g/km, using £23,500 as the P11D value.

Tax year	BIK %	Tax @ 20%	Tax @ 40%	Monthly @ 20%	Monthly @ 40%
2025-26	33%	£1,551	£3,102	£129	£259
2026-27	34%	£1,598	£3,196	£133	£266
2027-28	35%	£1,645	£3,290	£137	£274
2028-29	35%	£1,645	£3,290	£137	£274
2029-30	35%	£1,645	£3,290	£137	£274

P11D value is approximated from the latest new price; the exact figure on your tax code will depend on options fitted. The 4% diesel surcharge applies only to non-RDE2 (pre-2021) diesels — we assume RDE2 compliance for current models. Bands and rates from HMRC's Autumn Budget 2024 confirmation through 2029/30.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Dacia is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~135

Large network

Value mass-market

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Dacia is 3% of all franchised outlets)

Servicing, parts and warranty work are easy to find UK-wide, and most independent garages know the brand well — which keeps maintenance competitive.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

These are segment estimates, not manufacturer figures. 296 of 325 catalogued cars share one of 14 identical dimension sets, so they describe a class rather than this particular car. Sourced figures replace them model by model.

Length

4,600 mm

Width

1,880 mm

Height

1,650 mm

Kerb weight

1,750 kg

Boot

500–1,600 L

Fuel tank

60 L

How many are still out there

How the UK Dacia Duster fleet splits: taxed and on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, and gone from the register where that figure is available.

Currently registered

109,053

Currently taxed & on road

106,959

98% of all registered

SORN (off road)

2,094

2% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

n/a

not in this DfT extract

UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025

+7.5% vs 2024

13,484106,959

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 29 Jul 2026

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Same underpinnings

Built on the Renault CMF-B platform

Shared B-segment platform across Renault, Nissan and Dacia. Supports petrol, hybrid and EV. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

Common Module Family B · Renault-Nissan Alliance

Common questions

Dacia Duster, answered from the data

Is the Dacia Duster reliable?: The Dacia Duster scores 70/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 22% of the cars we track. That is computed from 629,724 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Dacia Duster cost?: A 2023 Dacia Duster with around 24,930 miles is worth roughly £13,450 today (typical range £12,100–£14,750). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Dacia Duster depreciate?: A new Dacia Duster typically loses about 30% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Dacia Duster?: The Dacia Duster sits in insurance group 22 of 50 — the middle of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Dacia Duster?: The most common age-related issues we track for the Dacia Duster are: suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Dacia Duster cost to run?: Expect around 47 mpg combined on the TCe 130 mHEV, £200 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.
Is the Dacia Duster ULEZ compliant?: Most petrol Dacia Dusters from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.
How many Dacia Dusters are on UK roads?: About 106,959 Dacia Dusters are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.