Vehicle recalls and faults
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’s 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’ll 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.