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Duster Essential Tce 4x2

3,473 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Duster Essential Tce 4x2s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 4.8 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

82.3%

Pass-after-fix

7.4%

Fail

10.0%

Avg miles

27,883

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

ULEZ compliant

Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.

UK ULEZ & CAZ guide →

Performance by cohort

2 year bands · 3,473 tests

Pass rate climbs 3.4 points across the cohorts — newer Duster Essential Tce 4x2 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

2018–2020 cohort 2,054

Pass

81.0%

Fail

10.7%

PRS

8.2%

Avg mileage at test

31,169 mi

2021+ cohort 1,419

Pass

84.4%

Fail

8.9%

PRS

6.3%

Avg mileage at test

23,113 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Duster Essential Tce 4x2: above-average pass rates, with caveats

Across 1,489 MOT tests, the Duster Essential Tce 4x2 returns 83.1% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. A seriously damaged tyre and headlamp or light source missing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 23,665, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 16–24

Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

16–24

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    76 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  2. 02

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    59 occurrences · 1.7% of tests

  3. 03

    Wiper blade defective

    48 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

  4. 04

    A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED

    46 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

  5. 05

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    38 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  6. 06

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    37 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  7. 07

    A tyre seriously damaged

    27 occurrences · 0.8% of tests

  8. 08

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    25 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  9. 09

    Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

    19 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  10. 10

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    17 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 5 failures

£120£345

If every one of this Duster Essential Tce 4x2's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 3.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy Dacia Duster Essential Tce 4x2 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

84.4%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 84.4% — a 3.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 23,113 miles — roughly 8K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, blade defective — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

81.0%

2018–2020 registration

On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 81.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 84.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, does not clear the windscreen effectively, and not working on dipped beam. Average mileage on test for this band is 31,169 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (84.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (81.0% pass). That's a 3.4-point spread across 2,054 older tests and 1,419 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

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Buying or keeping a Duster Essential Tce 4x2?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Duster Essential Tce 4x2 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.