Vehicle recalls and faults

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1. Overview

You need to get your vehicle, vehicle parts and accessories fixed or replaced by the manufacturer if they find a serious problem with them.

This includes:

  • cars
  • motorcycles, quadricycles and tricycles
  • caravans and horse boxes
  • child car seats
  • seat belts and harnesses
  • tyres
  • components and parts
  • agricultural equipment
  • lorries, buses, coaches and minibuses

You can report a serious safety defects with your vehicle or accessory if it could cause injury.

2. Recalled vehicles, parts and accessories

If your vehicle is recalled for a safety reason, you鈥檒l usually be sent a letter by the manufacturer telling you:

  • why it鈥檚 being recalled
  • what you need to do next
  • who you should contact

You will not get a letter if the manufacturer does not have your contact details, for example for car child seats.

You will not usually have to pay for any repairs or parts under a safety recall.

Other ways of finding out about recalls

You can check if a vehicle model, part or accessory has been recalled for a safety reason.

If you鈥檙e in England, Scotland or Wales, the MOT certificate might also tell you if your vehicle has been recalled for a safety reason. It鈥檒l depend on the manufacturer.

What you need to do

You鈥檙e legally responsible for making sure that your vehicle is:

  • kept in a safe condition
  • safe to drive whenever you drive it

If you do not get your vehicle inspected and fixed, you could:

  • affect any insurance claim you make
  • put yourself and others at serious risk

You can be fined up to 拢2,500, be banned from driving and get 3 penalty points for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

3. Report a serious safety defect

If you find a serious defect that affects the safety of your vehicle, one of its parts, or an accessory, report it to the manufacturer immediately.

Tell the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) if you鈥檙e not happy with how the manufacturer is dealing with your report.

DVSA will:

  • investigate the issue with the manufacturer
  • tell you what action is being taken

The vehicle, part or accessory can be recalled if it鈥檚 found to be a serious safety issue.

What counts as a serious safety defect

A serious safety defect is something:

  • about the way the vehicle is designed or made that鈥檚 likely to cause injury or death
  • that happens suddenly and without warning

What does not count as a serious safety defect

Things are not classed as a serious safety defect if:

  • they can be found during routine maintenance and servicing
  • you鈥檙e warned about them by warning lights, noticeable changes in handling and unusual noises
  • they鈥檙e caused by you misusing the vehicle, for example overloading your vehicle causing a tyre failure

How to report a serious safety defect

To report the defect you鈥檒l need to give details of what happened and:

  • the vehicle registration (number plate)
  • the make and model of the vehicle
  • the year the vehicle was made
  • the current mileage
  • the engine type (for example, petrol)
  • the gearbox type (manual or automatic)
  • any photos showing the defect (if you have them)

If you do not have all of the vehicle details, you can get some vehicle information from DVLA.

4. Faults with vehicles, parts and accessories

Faults in the way vehicles, vehicle parts and accessories are designed or made have to be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) if they:

  • mean it could become unsafe in the future if it鈥檚 not fixed
  • could mean that the vehicle, part or accessory no longer meets the legal standard

Other types of general faults are not registered with DVSA.

How you鈥檒l be told about faults

If you own something affected, you might be sent a letter by the manufacturer telling you:

  • what the fault is
  • what you need to do next
  • who you should contact

You usually do not have to pay to get the fault fixed.

Other ways of finding out about faults

You can contact the manufacturer or dealer of your vehicle, part or accessory to check for any registered faults.

What you need to do

You do not have to do anything about the fault if you do not want to. However, not getting it fixed could mean that:

  • it becomes unsafe in the future
  • your vehicle fails its next MOT

Examples

Your vehicle could become unsafe if the vehicle manual has the wrong tyre pressure recommendation in it.

Your vehicle would fail its MOT if the manufacturer had put the wrong Vehicle Identification number (VIN) on it and you did not get it fixed.