About Us: An Independent Guide To UK Vehicle Safety Recalls, Built On Official DVSA Data
We are an independent UK website that turns DVSA's official car recall data into plain-English answers and a free registration check. We are not part of the government, DVSA or any car manufacturer.
Why We Exist
Recall information in the UK is split across GOV.UK, the MOT service and dozens of manufacturer websites, each with its own format. That makes it easy to miss a recall, and harder still to understand one.
The gaps are real. In 2025 Which? found that 12 of 16 older Citroën C3s listed by dealers on a major used-car site had an outstanding recall, and that a paid history check showed a recalled car as "all clear".1 A Motor Ombudsman poll the same year found that 60 % of drivers aged 17 to 34 believed they would have to contribute to the cost of a recall repair, when the repair is normally free.23 We built this site to close those gaps for UK drivers.
What We Do Differently
- Fresh data. We check DVSA's recall file every day and update the site whenever it changes.
- Plain English. Every recall gets a short explanation of the fault, what you might notice and what to do.
- Clear urgency labels. We grade each recall with fixed rules based on the manufacturer's own wording, and we never describe a car as safe.
- Fair comparisons. Our brand rankings adjust for the number of cars on the road, using DfT figures.
- Open corrections. When we find an error, we fix it and record it in a public log.
The full rules are on our methodology page.
Who Checks The Content
Every guide is written from our register of verified facts, each with a source and the date it was checked. Before a page goes live it passes an automatic check for unsupported numbers, missing sources and safety wording, and then a full read-through against the fact register. Pages that give safety or legal guidance get a second read-through before they go live and whenever a source they rely on changes. Read our editorial policy.
How We’re Funded
This site is free to use and is paid for by advertising and clearly labelled affiliate links, for example to used-car history checks or warranty providers. Funding never changes our recall data, our urgency labels or what we recommend. Advertisers have no say in our content. See our editorial policy for how we keep the two apart.
What We Are Not
We are not DVSA, DVLA or GOV.UK, and we cannot book recall repairs or tell you whether a recall has been done on your car. For that, contact the manufacturer or a franchised dealer. Our manufacturer recall helplines page lists the official numbers. If you want to report a safety defect, see how to report a vehicle safety defect.
Contact And Corrections
Spotted an error, or have a question about our data? Contact us. We read every message and record corrections on our methodology page.
Data: DVSA vehicle recall data (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 15 October 2026.
Sources
- Which? investigation (24 Jul 2025): On Autotrader (week of 30 Jun 2025), 12 of 16 dealer-listed 2009 to 16 Citroën C3s had an outstanding recall; only 1 of 7 responding dealers gave the correct status. Autotrader's £4.95 paid check showed "All clear" on a recalled car; Carwow's paid check called the recall "minor". which.co.uk
- Motor Ombudsman (11 Nov 2025, poll of 1,100 UK drivers): 60 % of 17 to 34s believe they'd contribute to recall costs (56 % of 17 to 24; 62 % of 25 to 34; 9 % of 55+). 35 % of men vs 23 % of women. 22 % of 17 to 24s would rely solely on the seller to disclose recalls. themotorombudsman.org
- The Code does not itself say repairs are free. GOV.UK guidance says "You will not usually have to pay for any repairs or parts under a safety recall." gov.uk Checked 15 Oct 2026.