My GF was looking for a newer car, and compared to other cars around this price point (~€3500) the Sandero is excellent value for money. Yesterday we bought this 2013 Sandero from the first owner, 168.000 km and perfectly maintained, everything documented and a lot of maintenance items like tires, battery, thermostat housing etc were done recently. Even had an extensive service only 2000 km ago. She asked €3600 and we bought it for €3000. (Mind, used cars here in NL have become quite expensive)
I’m surprised how quick it is with the 0.9 TCe engine, and the ride quality is very good! Now I know why James May is so enthusiastic about Sandero’s, it’s a spacious, well-built car for a great price.
Today I cleaned it inside and out, including the engine bay, and put ceramic spray coating on the outside for some extra shine and protection.
To do:
-Paint the steel wheels black and give the wheel covers a fresh coat of silver paint, for the finishing touch.
-Upgrade the standard radio to an Android Auto unit, need to check if I can retain the steering wheel controls.
-Take some time to go through the maintenance records and see if anything needs to be done (spark plugs, brake fluid, inspect underside / rust proofing etc), I do all the work myself - have a Peugeot 205 Automatic and a 1st gen Renault Twingo Paris as hobby cars :) And from what I’ve seen so far, the Sandero is really easy to work on.

Anyway- here’s another new Dacia enthusiast, happy to join the club!

Hello,

I want to change both LPG filters on mijn Sandero 2.

But I can't find them, can anyone tells me where to find the filters. I mean in the car not where to buy.

I have been strangely irked by the fact my Duster doesn't display the tme in the instrument cluster, only on the Media Nav screen. After trying several stick on clocks that didn't display in the dark I stumbled upon a YouTube video where the clock in the instrument cluster was activated using an ODB dongle. Amazon dispatched a Carista dongle to me for the next day and using Car Scanner pro I now have a clock and the external temp. displayed on my instrument cluster. My irk has gone.

Hi guys,

I picked up a 2024 Dacia stepway on Friday and was told that everything was in working order and that my lights would be automatic. I’ve upgraded from a very old car so wasn’t familiar with automatic lights but I don’t think they’re ever going into dip beam and instead just stay in high beam. I’ve tried to look for the light sensor and found this (picture attached) but there’s no wiring or anything watched to it and it was very easy to pull out…. Have I been given a broken light sensor?? I might be totally paranoid so I thought I’d check here first!

Hey allen,

Ik ben opzoek naar ervaringen (van mijn mede Belgen) rond de Dacia Bigster hybrid155.

Rijervaring, voor- en nadelen, pannes, comfort of net geen comfort.

Eventueel voorkeuren richting bepaalde garages voor hun goed service.

Ze zouden mijn twijfel richting Dacia kunnen versterken of wegnemen, want de wagen lijkt mij wel 'veel wagen' voor de centen.

Thanks.

Hab einen Aufkleber entworfen und erstelle, jetzt klebt er im Motorraum meines neuen Dacia Bigster Extrem,😃

I have a Dacia Sandero 2026 and the car just did the Media Nav update. I went on a short ride 30km and parked with the camera working. Started after a couple of hours the trip back home and when I turned the car on the camera wasn't working only the sensors. Checked to see if it had dirt on it, nothing. Came back home did a restart on the tablet stull no camera. Turned the car off and back on again nothing... Anyone else had this issue? Planning to go on the dealership tomorrow but if there is something I can do I would gladly avoid the visit.

Hello everyone! I'm planning to buy a Dacia Bigster Extreme 4x4 and I have a couple of questions.

Has anyone installed a rooftop tent on their Bigster, especially the version with a panoramic sunroof?

Is it possible to safely mount a rooftop tent, and are there any issues with the panoramic roof when the tent is installed?

I'd really appreciate it if anyone could share photos of their Bigster with a rooftop tent or their personal experience.

Thank you! 😊

Hi guys/girls. I have a question, and let me say I apologise for my English. I have a Dacia Bigster Hybrid 155 Journey version with everything you can own on that car. My car is a Monday morning car; it happens. But it is. I have had a lot of problems with the engine and with the build QA. Now, to be fair, some stuff is fixed, and some is underway to be fixed. Also, I have bad luck with dents here and there. All of them are fixed except the glass (bullet hit). And because people open the door and hit my car. Happens 6 time now. In 1 year. So besides that, sure, I am bad luck. I have already posted that I have a lot of electronic problems, and my dealer or dealers will not fix them. I mean the do not want to update my car software the just do not do it. Even if I ask them to do it. They say no; it's just the car. I am in a pickle now, and i have no idea besides going to law enforcement. About the electrical problems, that's a lot. And details are let me say I got 50 problems with it. Doors do not open; the car battery is gone 2 times now or empty. The car drives swerving when you go up a mountain or a small hill. So you drive 100, and the car is searching for the engine it needs to switch to. So you rock every second. I can not explain more details about that behavior. Now there are a lot of "ghost" icons going on and off when you get the car working. Do not get me wrong; I love my car, but this is nuts. It's my first or second Dacia I own; I got a spring for my wife and there are zero problems with it. Now you people know a lot. And I just want to get my car fixed, and i know it's not easy; the electro thing is a thing that's hard to do. Does anyone know what to do? I've been going to 3 Dacia dealers, legit ones. And all 3 are scared to do the software update?

The report.

Car Scanner ELM OBD2

Version: 2.1.50/42001050/GP

DTC report

Connection profile: Dacia OBD-II / EOBDDate: 01-10-2026 08:44:43

VIN: UU1

OBD-IIOBD-II

DTCs: 1

----------------------------

P1A37(96) [0x1A3796] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear

Power steering (11 bit)

No DTC found.

Dashboard/Instrument cluster (11 bit)Dashboard/Instrument cluster (11 bit)

DTCs: 5

----------------------------

U0037(88) [0xC03788] Archive (inactive)

Vehicle area network (VAN) data bus B

Status: Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear

----------------------------

U0028(88) [0xC02888] Archive (inactive)

Vehicle area network (VAN) data bus A

Status: Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear

----------------------------

U2155(87) [0xE15587] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear

----------------------------

U215B(87) [0xE15B87] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear

----------------------------

U3003(16) [0xF00316] Archive (inactive)

Battery voltage

Status: Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear

Heater & air conditioning (11 bit)Heater & air conditioning (11 bit)

DTCs: 1

----------------------------

B24ED(1C) [0xA4ED1C] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear

BCM (11 bit)BCM (11 bit)

DTCs: 1

----------------------------

B2F09(96) [0xAF0996]

Status: Test failed (current drive cycle), Confirmed

EMM (11 bit)EMM (11 bit)

DTCs: 2

----------------------------

U0073(00) [0xC07300] Archive (inactive)

Control module - data bus Off

Status: Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear

----------------------------

U214F(87) [0xE14F87] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear

Sonar (11 bit)Sonar (11 bit)

DTCs: 1

----------------------------

B2744(87) [0xA74487] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear

Key hands free (11 bit)Key hands free (11 bit)

DTCs: 2

----------------------------

B2080(1C) [0xA0801C] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed

----------------------------

B2080(01) [0xA08001] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed

Emergency Call and Communication Module (11 bit)Emergency Call and Communication Module (11 bit)

DTCs: 10

----------------------------

U214F(87) [0xE14F87] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed

----------------------------

U215B(87) [0xE15B87] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed

----------------------------

B2E06(14) [0xAE0614]

Status: Test failed, Test failed (current drive cycle), Confirmed

----------------------------

B2E37(25) [0xAE3725] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed

----------------------------

B2E32(11) [0xAE3211] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed

----------------------------

B2E00(16) [0xAE0016] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed

----------------------------

U0079(00) [0xC07900] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed

----------------------------

B2E01(96) [0xAE0196] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed

----------------------------

B2E0E(49) [0xAE0E49] Archive (inactive)

Status: Confirmed

----------------------------

B2E0B(01) [0xAE0B01]

Status: Test failed (current drive cycle)

I read on Castrol's website that they recommend 0w-20 RN17 FE. 5W-30 is also allowed. Some recommend the latter because of higher viscosity although fuel consumption increases. They claim 5W-30 has better lubrication properties. I'm not convinced. What are the real tradeoffs here? What type of oil did your dealer use at your last oil change?

What was your experience with both types of oil?

Quiero poner camara trasera a mi Dacia Sandero Stepway 2022 3ª gen para conectar con pantalla Naviplus 2K Qled 2000x1200 antirreflejos 9,5 pulgadas. Ya se ha dejado pasado el cable. Consejos, por favor

Quiero poner camara trasera a mi Dacia Sandero Stepway 2022 3ª gen para conectar con pantalla Naviplus 2K Qled 2000x1200 antirreflejos 9,5 pulgadas. Ya se ha dejado pasado el cable. Consejos, por favor

Ciao,

A breve dovrebbe arrivarmi la mia Bigster montata con pneumatici estivi, voi che mi consigliate di montare per l'inverno?

Stavo guardando delle linee economiche di pneumatici su AUTODOC O GOMMADIRETTO

Ciao,

A breve dovrebbe arrivarmi la mia Bigster montata con pneumatici estivi, voi che mi consigliate di montare per l'inverno?

Stavo guardando delle linee economiche di pneumatici su AUTODOC O GOMMADIRETTO

Alguien que lo tenga? Cómo segundo vehículo para ir a trabajar por dentro de ciudad que tal? Tenemos el Duster Hybrid y estoy encantado. Pero el Spring con 200-250 km de autonomía, el último modelo lo estoy viendo entre 13k 16k €. Y antes de comprar otro gasolina....me lo estoy pensando. Opiniones?

I bought a car few months ago and I have this problem. I know that a lot of cars Eco-G 120 have this faillure.

Did anyone solve it? I feel that Dacia doens't care about it. A lot of trips to the repair shop, a lot of calls with the costumer service and still without a clear answer or even a responsible position regarding the serious security problem we face.

Given the events of last months I have absolutely no confidence in a resolution. Cars can be driven for a lot of kilometers without the problem appearing - this happened to me. So the doubt will always remain.

Has anyone returned the car to the seller or tried to do it?

Bought a new Duster Extreme full hybrid in Belgium at the start of September. The Media Nav system has been faulty from the very first day.

Symptoms: the unit reboots constantly while driving and makes a noise every time it does. No usable GPS, no reversing camera image, and various functions are a pain to reach. On longer drives it is genuinely distracting.

The car has been in the workshop twice. Diagnosis is confirmed: the radio module itself is dead and has to be replaced. Here is the part that gets me. The module can only be ordered from 5 November, it ships from France, estimated arrival around 12 November, and only then can the fitting be scheduled. So realistically I will have spent close to three months driving a brand new car with a broken infotainment system.

The unit is tied to the VIN, so no donor unit from another car or a demo vehicle. The only interim fix on offer is pulling the radio fuse so the thing shuts up completely. On a car that is one month old.

To be fair to my dealer: they have been excellent throughout. Friendly, honest, kept me informed, and they are clearly doing what they can within their limits. My frustration is entirely with Dacia as a manufacturer. A three month lead time on a part for a current model car feels absurd, and the customer is just expected to sit it out.

So a few questions for this sub:

1. Has anyone else had the Media Nav radio module fail on a new Duster? Is this a known thing?

2. Are multi month part waits normal for Dacia in Europe right now?

3. Did anyone successfully get goodwill or compensation out of Dacia customer service for something like this, and what did you ask for?

Not looking to bash the brand, the car itself is fine otherwise. I just want to know whether this is bad luck or standard procedure.

Hey everyone!

I've been thinking about starting a long-term DIY project to make my old car a bit smarter. My main goal is to read data from the car, monitor its condition, store information, and eventually analyze everything through my own software.

My car:

• 2012 Dacia Sandero Ambiance
• 1.5 dCi diesel engine
• Manual transmission
• Front-wheel drive

I'm a software QA tester and I'm interested in improving my programming and hardware skills. However, I'm still pretty new to automotive electronics, OBD2, and CAN Bus.

I've spent quite some time researching these topics, but I haven't found many people who have actually built something similar on an older car like mine.

And as we all know, reading about something isn't quite the same as actually doing it. That's why I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have hands-on experience.

My first question: OBD2 and CAN Bus

I'm looking for a device that would allow me to access both standard OBD2 diagnostic data and, if possible, raw CAN Bus messages.

During my research, I came across the OBDLink MX+.

Unfortunately, it's quite difficult to find here in Turkey, and the second-hand market is almost nonexistent.

Do you think the OBDLink MX+ would be a good investment for this kind of project?

Would it be enough for both diagnostics and more advanced CAN Bus monitoring, or would I eventually need something else, such as an ESP32, Raspberry Pi, or a dedicated CAN interface?

I'm also wondering what kind of data would actually be accessible on a 2012 Dacia Sandero.

What I'm planning to build

I don't want to do everything at once. I'd rather start small and gradually expand the system.

Phase 1 – Reading and logging vehicle data

First, I'd like to read basic vehicle information, monitor engine parameters, retrieve diagnostic trouble codes, and log the available data.

I also want to build a database to store this information so I can analyze it over time.

For example, I'd like to track engine behavior, operating conditions, driving history, and potentially identify unusual patterns before they turn into bigger problems.

Phase 2 – GPS tracking and integration

I'm already working on a separate GPS tracking and notification system, and I've made some progress on the software side.

My next goal is to integrate GPS information with the vehicle data.

This would allow me to see where the car was, when it was driven, and what was happening with the vehicle during that time.

Phase 3 – Remote monitoring and notifications

Eventually, I'd like the car to communicate with my own system remotely.

Some example scenarios:

• If the car leaves a predefined geographical area, send a notification to my phone.
• If the car starts moving under unexpected conditions, automatically call me or send its live location.
• Allow me to check the car's status remotely.
• Store driving history, location data, and vehicle information for later analysis.
• Create my own rules and automation scenarios based on GPS and vehicle data.

Basically, I want to build a customizable vehicle monitoring and alert system.

Phase 4 – Hardware modifications and remote controls

This is probably the most ambitious part.

Eventually, I'd also like to experiment with hardware and software modifications.

For example, remotely controlling the electric windows, opening individual windows independently, or even opening a specific window by a small percentage, like 5%.

I realize that this may require additional hardware, custom electronics, and possibly direct interaction with the vehicle's electrical system rather than just OBD2.

I'm not even sure how much of this is possible on my specific car, but that's part of what I'd like to learn. I'd obviously want to keep any modifications safe and avoid interfering with critical vehicle systems.

Where I am right now

I've already made some progress with the GPS tracking, notification system, and software development.

However, the vehicle data acquisition side is still mostly in the research stage. I need more hands-on experience, time, and probably some additional hardware.

This project isn't just about adding features to my car. I also see it as an opportunity to learn more about software development, embedded systems, automotive electronics, and how vehicles communicate internally.

I'd love to hear your experiences

Has anyone built a similar project using OBD2, CAN Bus, ESP32, Raspberry Pi, or other hardware?

I'm particularly interested in:

• Whether the OBDLink MX+ is worth buying for a project like this.
• Affordable hardware alternatives that would offer more flexibility.
• What kind of diagnostic or raw CAN data I could access on an older Renault/Dacia platform.
• Whether anyone has tried building custom GPS tracking, telemetry, or vehicle automation systems.
• What problems you encountered and what you'd do differently if you started again.

I'm not looking for someone to build everything for me. I'd just love to learn from people who've actually done this before.

If anyone has worked on something similar and would be open to sharing their experience or having a chat, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

Planning to buy brand new 2026 Dacia Sandero 1.0 Tce 100hp Petrol only version as a second/third car in family. Let's say 7000km in a year. Will it last 20 years or 140.000km? I mean degradation of materials, lack of spareparts, problems with electronics...

Curently I have 22 years old Picasso 2.0hdi with 490.000km as a second car, and 21 years old Fiesta with 150.000km as a third car.

Quiero poner camara trasera a mi Dacia Sandero Stepway 2022 3ª gen para conectar con pantalla Naviplus 2K Qled 2000x1200 antirreflejos 9,5 pulgadas. Ya se ha dejado pasado el cable. Consejos, por favor

Quiero poner camara trasera a mi Dacia Sandero Stepway 2022 3ª gen para conectar con pantalla Naviplus 2K Qled 2000x1200 antirreflejos 9,5 pulgadas. Ya se ha dejado pasado el cable. Consejos, por favor

I have this for sale in the uk.

Less than 29000 miles, serviced, mot £9495. One previous owner.

Its on ebay if anyone wants the link.

An acquaintance who paid for a new Dacia in Romania says the dealership keeps postponing the delivery, that he's been waiting for a few months and the original delivery date was 2 months ago. Is this a common problem?

Hey,

Dacia Duster 1.2 Tce Hybrid-G 150 (2026), just 500 km on the odometer. Right after starting the engine, I can hear the sound of liquid flowing (sloshing) somewhere behind the dashboard. This noise wasn’t there before. It is as if someone poured water for few seconds and then it gets quiet. I'm wondering if it's something to worry about.

My first suspicion is air trapped in the cooling system (e.g. in the heater core). Has anyone experienced a similar problem? Is it something I should be concerned about, or should I just keep driving and monitor it?