2015 was a transition year — Dacia moved to Romanian-built models with significantly improved rust protection, and the 1.2 TCe petrol engine was introduced. However, the 1.2 TCe requires strict oil change intervals to prevent timing chain stretch and catastrophic engine failure.
Early UK Dusters (pre-2015) were built in Chennai, India, and suffered from poor paint quality and inadequate galvanisation, leading to rapid rusting of door bottoms, sills, and arches.
The 1.2 TCe petrol can use oil heavily; if owners miss top-ups, the timing chain stretches and the engine can start rattling or misfiring before major failure.
The rotary 4WD selector can fail electrically or lose communication with the control unit, leaving warning lights on the dash or the system stuck in one mode.