Hi Liz,

Well, technically, it's a Dacia not a Renault, although Renault has owned the Romanian car maker for almost two decades now, and all of the Duster's engines and components are sourced from Renault. 

To be honest, we've heard of no major reliability issues with the Duster. The 1.5 diesel engine can occasionally develop turbo trouble and with a car as cheap as a Duster is new you'd want to be checking everything carefully to make sure that a previous owner hasn't tried to run it without maintaining it. 

Aside from that though, it's all a matter of resetting your expectations. The Duster is designed to be affordable above all else, so if you're expecting sophistication and modern refinement and comfort, forget it. The Duster is what it is: cheap, rugged, practical and not bothered about being fashionable.