Turbo Failure Dacia Sandero Stepway
I own a 2022 Dacia Sandero Stepway 1.0, which I have been having serious issues with, particularly in relation to Renault Orpington’s handling of a problem that I believe has led to my turbo failing shortly after the warranty expired. In February 2025, my car’s battery inexplicably discharged completely, and I had to call roadside assistance. The recovery team got the car started again and specifically advised me that there appeared to be something causing the battery to drain, and that when I next took the car to the dealership, I should clearly report this so that it could be properly investigated. I did exactly that and reported to Renault Orpington that there was an underlying issue causing a battery drain, not just a simple non‑start. However, it now appears that the dealership ignored this important information and treated it purely as a routine non‑start. They only recharged the battery and effectively blamed me by suggesting I had left something on, instead of carrying out any meaningful investigation into what was actually causing the drain. No deeper checks or tests were carried out to identify any electrical or mechanical fault. At the end of November 2025, multiple warning lights came up on the dashboard, and the turbo then failed. I have since been informed that the turbo issue was caused by the rod having rotted through. I am extremely aggrieved because I believe that if Renault Orpington had taken my report seriously back in February and properly investigated the underlying cause of the battery discharge, they would have identified the problem in time, before the warranty expired, and before the turbo failed. I have already raised this directly with the service manager at Renault Orpington, who advised me that he would open a case with Dacia about this situation. Given that the issue was reported before the warranty expired and that no meaningful investigation was carried out at that time, I am now escalating my complaint. I am therefore requesting that my car be repaired, including the turbo failure that occurred just a few months after the warranty expired, as a matter of goodwill and in recognition of the dealership’s lack of proper investigation when I first reported the battery drain and the advice from roadside assistance. I am not seeking anything beyond having the vehicle put right; I simply want the fault that should have been detected earlier to be remedied without further cost to me.
I have had some contact from the dealership, and although they still have not provided all the information I requested, the service manager did say he would raise the matter again with Dacia. He acknowledged that this failure would not have been prevented by any form of standard maintenance, and I believe this part should therefore be considered not fit for purpose.
Dacia only offered me a 5% discount on the parts, but this offer did not solve my actual problem, which is the turbo failure. I do not want to pay any costs for the replacement of parts due to a turbo malfunction that occurred outside the warranty period. This situation has disappointed me, and I find Dacia’s approach inadequate.
