Used Dacia Sandero Stepway 2013-present reliability

The plastics used inside the Sandero Stepway feel cheap, but they are at least tough. Still, they can scratch easily, so check the bottom of doors, the cover around the steering column where the ignition key goes in and door pulls where rings might have scored the surface.

Rear parking sensors are not standard, so inspect the bumpers for parking scrapes, because this can be expensive to fix relative to the price of the car.

The 1.5 diesel engine is fitted with a diesel particulate filter (DPF). To ensure that this can regenerate (burn off trapped soot), frequent motorway journeys are necessary because this process is only triggered when the exhaust is hot enough. Check how the previous owner has used the car if you are unsure because lots of urban journeys will clog up the filter, potentially leading to an expensive repair bill.

Other potential problems with the DPF can occur if it has been shut off partway through regeneration. The result is contamination of the oil system with fuel, leading to the oil level rising gradually over time. This can cause damage to the engine, so it’s worth checking the oil level or have the car inspected if you're unsure.

The engines and mechanical parts of the Dacia Sandero Stepway come from existing Renault products, meaning all the reliability wrinkles should have been ironed out. However, Dacia as a brand only came in at 19th place out of 32 manufacturers, according to our latest reliability survey. That's only one place higher than parent company Renault.

The Sandero Stepway wasn’t included in our survey, but the standard Sandero was ranked 14th out of 21 small cars.

If you would like to see the full reliability list for small cars, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.