What a safety recall is
When a manufacturer finds a fault that could affect safety, such as a seat belt that may not latch, a fuel leak or an airbag that may not deploy correctly, it must recall the affected vehicles and repair them. Recalls are agreed with DVSA, and the owner on the DVLA record is contacted by letter.
The problem is that letters go to whoever was the keeper at the time. Cars change hands, people move house, and a recall can sit unfixed for years.
What the check tells you
The result shows one of three things, straight from DVSA's record for that registration:
- Unfixed safety recall. At least one recall applies and has not been marked as repaired.
- No open recalls. The vehicle was recalled in the past and every recall has been completed.
- No recalls found. The manufacturer has no recalls recorded against this vehicle.
For the details of a specific recall, such as the fault and the fix, use the government's vehicle recall checker, which searches by make and model.
Getting a recall fixed
Recall repairs are free, whoever owns the car now and however old it is. Contact any franchised dealer for the make, give them the registration, and they will confirm the recall and book the work. You do not need the original letter.
Buying a car with an open recall
An outstanding recall is not a reason to walk away, because the fix costs nothing. It is a reason to ask the seller to have it done before you collect the car, or to book it yourself straight away. The rest of the report on the same page shows whether the car has other problems worth asking about.
Last reviewed 15 October 2026.