The Dacia Duster, a popular car among budget-conscious consumers in the UK, was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This investigation uncovered widespread mis-selling practices involving
discretionary commission arrangements in motor finance, affecting millions of consumers.
How the Dacia Duster was Typically Financed
The Dacia Duster was often financed through Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) or Hire Purchase (HP) agreements, with typical loan amounts ranging from £15,000 to £30,000. Common finance lenders for the Dacia Duster included
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance.
Under a PCP agreement, customers typically make monthly payments over 36 to 48 months, with an optional balloon payment at the end of the term. The balloon payment is usually equal to the Guaranteed Minimum Future Value (GMFV), which is an estimate of what the car will be worth at the end of the finance period. This value is determined by the lender based on factors such as mileage and condition.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA investigation into discretionary commission arrangements revealed that lenders often paid sales incentives to motor dealers for each finance agreement they facilitated, regardless of whether the customer received a fair deal. These practices led to overcharging customers and mis-selling products that were not suitable for their needs or circumstances. As a result, 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) were affected by these practices, with an estimated total loss of £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026), averaging around £829 per customer (FCA estimate).
The investigation highlighted several issues within the motor finance industry, including misleading information about APR rates and the suitability of products for individual customers.
How to Check Your Agreement Look for any indication that discretionary commissions were paid to motor dealers at the time of your agreement. Key indicators include:
- Dates: If your finance agreement was signed between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024.
- DCA Reference: Check if your agreement mentions "Discretionary Commission Agreement" (DCA).
If you find that these conditions apply to your case, you may have grounds for a complaint.
You do not need a
claims management company to complain about motor finance mis-selling. Common lenders such as Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance all offer free and straightforward complaint procedures. Contacting your lender directly is the simplest way to initiate a complaint.
When contacting your lender, be prepared with relevant documentation, including copies of your finance agreement, proof of payment, and any communication you have had with the dealer or lender regarding the agreement. Your lender will then review your case and provide a response within their standard timeframe for complaints resolution.
You can complain directly to your lender for free without needing a claims management company.
Sources and References
Based on 67,324 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Dacia Duster has a pass rate of 81.7%. This is close to the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Duster performs about average in MOT testing.
The Duster pass rate is in line with the overall Dacia average of 80.6%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 55,238 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 81.7%
- MOT failure rate: 18.3%
- Tests analysed: 67,324 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 55,238 miles
- Dacia average pass rate: 80.6%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.