Dacia Duster, 999cc of Throbbing Fun

[blueST]

I’m amazed you get such good economy on LPG. I get low 30s round town and maybe 36/37 on a motorway run if I’m being really ginger on the throttle. I need to be on petrol to get it into the 40s.

[Sonosp]

croyde said:

Don't like the non colour matched mirrors.

They exist now on the extreme version.

https://www.dacia.co.uk/vehicles/duster/duster-ext...

[croyde]

£309 per month

Seems like only yesterday when Dusters were advertised at £99 a month. I know it's not a basic model but that seems a lot for a budget car.

[jamesson]

blueST said:

I’m amazed you get such good economy on LPG. I get low 30s round town and maybe 36/37 on a motorway run if I’m being really ginger on the throttle. I need to be on petrol to get it into the 40s.

I get around 42mpg on LPG which is mostly sitting at 60mph on the motorway. Perhaps 45mpg on petrol.

[Sonosp]

croyde said:

£309 per month

Seems like only yesterday when Dusters were advertised at £99 a month. I know it's not a basic model but that seems a lot for a budget car.

State of the world mate.

[Mikebentley]

Sonosp said:

croyde said:

Don't like the non colour matched mirrors.

They exist now on the extreme version.

https://www.dacia.co.uk/vehicles/duster/duster-ext...

Oldest trick in the book. £500 worth of different stickers, wheels and paint adds £7k to the price.

[jamesson]

My Duster is coming up to its second scheduled service at 36,000 miles. For warranty preservation, I'd need to have it done at a VAT registered garage and thankfully I have a good one I can use, but in order to save some money as things are a little tight at the moment, I was considering doing it myself (I'm more than capable) but I realise the warranty will be voided.

Question - has anyone done this but still had a claim go through? Does Dacia check? For example, let's say the electric windows stopped working or something which is not part of a service. Whether it was me or the local mechanic who changed the oil has no bearing on that, but I suppose Dacia could say a voided warranty is a voided warranty, end of.

Second question - my front tyres will need replacing soonish. The rears are OK for the time being. I'm quite impressed that I've done 33,000 on the Continental EcoContact 6 tyres which came with the vehicle, but would Michelins, for example, last even longer? Or should I just stick with the same ones? That way they're all the same brand and I can replace the rears when the time comes.

So far, easy trouble free motoring.

[blueST]

Can't really comment on the warranty shenanigans, I will wait until it has expired before ditching garage servicing as I don't want to give them any excuse to void a claim. I do do an interim oil service myself over and above the dealership servicing.

Re: the tyres. Just buy what brand you want and fit them. As long as they are the same type all round (summer/all-season/winter) I don't think a Duster will be overly bothered about differing brands front and rear. Generally Michelin has a reputation for long life, but whether that is much better than the Contis I don't know. What I do know from experience is Hankooks wear more quickly than some other premium brands, stay away from those if mileage is key (they are otherwise excellent tyres).

[Mikebentley]

Some may have seen my post on the PH Duster long termed thread. The LPG failed to work properly again afte the last fix in March. I had booked the car into the dealer for its B service last week to get it done before it was 3 yrs old so warranty would cover everything. I also booked the MOT with them. At the last minute I had it MOT’d independently so they couldn’t call me up and hold me to ransom. They were also tasked with fixing the LPG…again.

Anyway long story short they had it for two days and loaned me a 23 plate 5008 Pug. Diesel 8 speed auto that sipped fuel and showed up many of the Dusters failings but in fairness 3 times the price mine was. Got the call saying they couldn’t identify the fault and Dacia were zero help. They clearly reset the cars ECU and cleared the basic code “LPG Ignition fault”.

Basically I’m told there is nothing they can do to ID the faults cause as due to the basic nature of our cars there is no detailed comms and codes logged. So I am stuffed.

I started it today for the first time and it works again but being told your now out of warranty car has an untraceable and un fixable fault is galling. Took the opportunity to purchase RAC premium top of the line breakdown cover, transferable if I get rid. PS 52700 miles in now.

[Mark-t]

Mikebentley said:

Some may have seen my post on the PH Duster long termed thread. The LPG failed to work properly again afte the last fix in March. I had booked the car into the dealer for its B service last week to get it done before it was 3 yrs old so warranty would cover everything. I also booked the MOT with them. At the last minute I had it MOT’d independently so they couldn’t call me up and hold me to ransom. They were also tasked with fixing the LPG…again.

Anyway long story short they had it for two days and loaned me a 23 plate 5008 Pug. Diesel 8 speed auto that sipped fuel and showed up many of the Dusters failings but in fairness 3 times the price mine was. Got the call saying they couldn’t identify the fault and Dacia were zero help. They clearly reset the cars ECU and cleared the basic code “LPG Ignition fault”.

Basically I’m told there is nothing they can do to ID the faults cause as due to the basic nature of our cars there is no detailed comms and codes logged. So I am stuffed.

I started it today for the first time and it works again but being told your now out of warranty car has an untraceable and un fixable fault is galling. Took the opportunity to purchase RAC premium top of the line breakdown cover, transferable if I get rid. PS 52700 miles in now.

Hi Mike,
Sorry to hear this. I'd be tempted to push DaciaUK into supporting you with purchasing a new vehicle due to this fault, should you be in a financial position to do so of course. Mention that this has tarnished you experience of the vehicle and your experience with the brand, etc. I presume you also paid extra for the dual fuel model and with this fault you can't use the vehicle as you intended.
Hope this helps

[Mikebentley]

Mark-t said:

Mikebentley said:

Some may have seen my post on the PH Duster long termed thread. The LPG failed to work properly again afte the last fix in March. I had booked the car into the dealer for its B service last week to get it done before it was 3 yrs old so warranty would cover everything. I also booked the MOT with them. At the last minute I had it MOT’d independently so they couldn’t call me up and hold me to ransom. They were also tasked with fixing the LPG…again.

Anyway long story short they had it for two days and loaned me a 23 plate 5008 Pug. Diesel 8 speed auto that sipped fuel and showed up many of the Dusters failings but in fairness 3 times the price mine was. Got the call saying they couldn’t identify the fault and Dacia were zero help. They clearly reset the cars ECU and cleared the basic code “LPG Ignition fault”.

Basically I’m told there is nothing they can do to ID the faults cause as due to the basic nature of our cars there is no detailed comms and codes logged. So I am stuffed.

I started it today for the first time and it works again but being told your now out of warranty car has an untraceable and un fixable fault is galling. Took the opportunity to purchase RAC premium top of the line breakdown cover, transferable if I get rid. PS 52700 miles in now.

Hi Mike,
Sorry to hear this. I'd be tempted to push DaciaUK into supporting you with purchasing a new vehicle due to this fault, should you be in a financial position to do so of course. Mention that this has tarnished you experience of the vehicle and your experience with the brand, etc. I presume you also paid extra for the dual fuel model and with this fault you can't use the vehicle as you intended.
Hope this helps

Cheers Mark, think I’m leaving the flock. The cost to change wouldn’t be justifiable as they are so much more now. They would really have to make an interesting offer.
In other news I have used it for two days and it has switched to LPG both mornings and worked ok after they apparently couldn’t fix it. The bad news is it’s now doing 22mpg on LPG. If you see my previous posts in March after they fixed it then it started doing 22mpg. I had to wait 6 weeks at 22 mpg that time. They had it back apparently did nothing and it then started doing 40/42 mpg!
They are having it back next Wednesday for two days to fix it, I’ve told them not to expect any money. I expect them to say there’s nothing they can do 2 hrs after I drop it off and when I collect it it will be back to doing 40 mpg despite them not doing anything.

I strongly suspect they are installing a different software which then buggers up the efficiency but stops the LPG problem. When I take it back they uninstall it which fixes the mpg but buggers up the LPG.

I know I’m clutching at straws.

[Mikebentley]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Where are you? The annoying thing is that will cost me money. I have documented evidence it has been buggered for the last 12 months whilst in warranty. It no longer is now.

[Mikebentley]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I’m in Malvern so not too far.

[Shinyfings]

Hi A quick Q for fellow Duster owners. Am I the only one whose door is cutting into the rubber windscreen seal (in the area where the mirror is attached) when it opens and closes? I'd not be that bothered but its taking off the paint off the corner of the door and will clearly rust. No damage to the car and owned since new. This looks like a badly fitted/adjusted door or poor stamping (can such a thing happen in 2023) as the passenger side doesn't do this. Annoying as its just over a year old and hasn't covered many miles. I cant exactly see how the door can be adjusted though looking at the fixings and I'm no doubt going to have fun with a useless dealer trying to get this fixed.

[Mikebentley]

I think they all do that sir! I took mine in again three weeks ago and they wanted to run it and see the LPG consumption. The issue was though they wanted it delivered empty of LPG which they would fill and measure the consumption as they used it.

I asked how this would work and basically anybody at the dealership would use my car for errands for 14 days and they would calculate the mpg on LPG. I asked where they would get the LPG from as the only public place was 30 miles plus away. They couldn’t answer. I then asked how they would monitor the recording of this mpg because if the car failed to switch to LPG (as it’s broken) then they would run on petrol and they share the same mileage display thus giving a falsely higher mpg. They couldn’t answer this either.

I was basically being called a liar. I had to explain to their techs how I calculated the LPG MPG. Simple really, brim LPG tank, zero trip meter, use on LPG only, re brim at end of day and calculate LPG per mile. Not rocket science and v simple. He couldn’t understand this.

So I told them I didn’t appreciate being called a liar and left the dealership. I then went out and bought an MG4 EV. Dacia are incompetent. At £11000 that’s sort of understandable but at £22k not so much.

[Silenoz]

I've got to say Mike, your recent experiences with both the car and the dealer network have soured my idea of having a Dacia as a do-it-all workhorse. Which is a shame, as I've just invested in a new mountain bike and am looking for something to be able to put it in to go further afield for longer/more interesting rides. But as you say, with the increased prices over the last 12 months or so more options come into consideration both new and 2nd hand.
Plus my local dealer network is Arnold Shark and I'm never buying anything from them ever again!

[Mikebentley]

Silenoz I can recommend the MG4 EV. Used/pre reg longer range SE are about £22k before haggle. Alternatively I know a bloke with a 2020 LPG Duster for sale . £9750 to the best bidder! Strangely the LPG is working perfectly again.

[ChocolateFrog]

jamesson said:

My Duster is coming up to its second scheduled service at 36,000 miles. For warranty preservation, I'd need to have it done at a VAT registered garage and thankfully I have a good one I can use, but in order to save some money as things are a little tight at the moment, I was considering doing it myself (I'm more than capable) but I realise the warranty will be voided.

Question - has anyone done this but still had a claim go through? Does Dacia check? For example, let's say the electric windows stopped working or something which is not part of a service. Whether it was me or the local mechanic who changed the oil has no bearing on that, but I suppose Dacia could say a voided warranty is a voided warranty, end of.

Second question - my front tyres will need replacing soonish. The rears are OK for the time being. I'm quite impressed that I've done 33,000 on the Continental EcoContact 6 tyres which came with the vehicle, but would Michelins, for example, last even longer? Or should I just stick with the same ones? That way they're all the same brand and I can replace the rears when the time comes.

So far, easy trouble free motoring.

I've done my own servicing from new although I'm still not quite at the official first service so haven't had issues with the dealer. That said I've practically given up on them and would just fix any minor issues myself.

The Continental's only come with 6mm to start with so you might get more mileage from a tyre with 8mm but 30k+ is pretty good anyway in my book.

[ChocolateFrog]

Shinyfings said:

Hi A quick Q for fellow Duster owners. Am I the only one whose door is cutting into the rubber windscreen seal (in the area where the mirror is attached) when it opens and closes? I'd not be that bothered but its taking off the paint off the corner of the door and will clearly rust. No damage to the car and owned since new. This looks like a badly fitted/adjusted door or poor stamping (can such a thing happen in 2023) as the passenger side doesn't do this. Annoying as its just over a year old and hasn't covered many miles. I cant exactly see how the door can be adjusted though looking at the fixings and I'm no doubt going to have fun with a useless dealer trying to get this fixed.

It's very common. Mine doesn't do it thankfully.

I've heard dealers will replace the seal though if you pressure them enough.

[jamesson]

Shinyfings said:

Hi A quick Q for fellow Duster owners. Am I the only one whose door is cutting into the rubber windscreen seal (in the area where the mirror is attached) when it opens and closes? I'd not be that bothered but its taking off the paint off the corner of the door and will clearly rust. No damage to the car and owned since new. This looks like a badly fitted/adjusted door or poor stamping (can such a thing happen in 2023) as the passenger side doesn't do this. Annoying as its just over a year old and hasn't covered many miles. I cant exactly see how the door can be adjusted though looking at the fixings and I'm no doubt going to have fun with a useless dealer trying to get this fixed.

I had this exact problem and it was replaced under warranty with no quibble whatsoever. The replacement seal is a revised design and so far (about a year later), no reoccurrence.