2016 Dacia Sandero MOT pass rate: 72.9% (42,737 tests)

2016-registered Dacia Sanderos passed 72.9% of 42,737 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 8.5 points worse than same-age cars (81.3%). This is one of the lower-scoring Sandero years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

72.9%Pass rate, 2016 cars

91.5Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

42,737Tests analysed

51,574 miMedian mileage at test

74.6% / 69.4%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2016 Sandero getting worse?

Pass rate of 2016-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	76.7% -6.5 vs same-age
2024	73.0% -8.2 vs same-age
2025	68.9% -10.6 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2016 Sandero

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	5,818	22.3%
2	Brakes	4,499	17.2%
3	Body, chassis, structure	4,196	16.1%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	3,927	15.0%
5	Tyres	3,063	11.7%
6	Visibility	2,639	10.1%

All Sandero years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2013	21,245	67.5%	-5.9 pts	71,040
2014	37,180	63.7%	-12.1 pts	67,544
2015	43,172	65.5%	-13.3 pts	59,536
2016 (this page)	42,737	72.9%	-8.5 pts	51,574
2017	43,822	78.0%	-6.0 pts	43,403
2018	37,013	82.9%	-3.4 pts	35,206
2019	37,016	85.8%	-2.6 pts	27,799
2020	23,196	88.4%	-1.5 pts	22,046
2021	1,537	89.5%	-0.9 pts	21,612

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Dacia Sandero years to avoid.

Buying a 2016 Sandero? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2016 Dacia Sandero reliable?

2016-registered examples passed 72.9% of their MOT tests (42,737 tests, 2023–2025), -8.5 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 10 years old with a median 51,574 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2016 Sandero?

The median tested example shows 51,574 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Should I buy the petrol or diesel 2016 Sandero?

In this cohort petrols pass 74.6% of tests against 69.4% for diesels. Mileage and use can explain part of that gap, so treat it as a reason to inspect DPF and emissions history, not a fuel-type verdict.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.