Are Car Recall Repairs Free In The UK? Who Pays, What's Included And When You Might Be Charged

Yes. Car safety recall repairs in the UK are free: the manufacturer pays for the parts and labour, whatever the car's age, warranty status or number of owners. GOV.UK says you will not usually have to pay for any repairs or parts under a safety recall.¹

Who Pays For A Car Recall Repair?

The manufacturer pays. It supplies the parts and reimburses its franchised dealers for the labour.

The cost sits with the producer because the defect came from how the vehicle was designed or built.² The dealer is paid by the manufacturer, which is why you book through a franchised dealer of your make rather than an independent garage.³ You should not see a bill for the recall work itself, and the job card should show a zero charge against the recall code.

What’s Free And What Isn’t

The recall work itself is free. Other work the dealer recommends during the visit, travel costs and damage caused before the recall are not automatically covered.

Are Recalls Free If My Car Is Old, Out Of Warranty Or Second-hand?

Yes. There is no age, mileage or owner limit on a UK safety recall, and the recall stays in force even after the manufacturer stops actively chasing it.⁶

Recalls follow the car, not the person who bought it new. A third owner of a 15-year-old car has exactly the same right to the free repair as the first owner had. That matters because many recalled cars are old: at the end of 2025, 43 % of licensed cars had been first used in 2015 or earlier.⁷ Read more on whether car recalls expire.

Many Drivers Think They’ll Have To Pay. They Won’t.

A 2025 Motor Ombudsman poll found that 60 % of 17 to 34 year olds wrongly believe they would have to contribute to the cost of recall work.⁸

Source: Motor Ombudsman poll of 1,100 UK drivers, November 2025.⁸ The same poll found that 22 % of 17 to 24 year olds would rely only on the seller to tell them about recalls.⁸ Running a free check yourself avoids both mistakes.

Are Recalls Free For Every Make?

Yes, for every make. Recall repairs are normally free at any franchised dealer of that brand.

• Mercedes-Benz421
• Ford208
• BMW143
• Peugeot138
• Vauxhall135
• Citroën131
• Toyota100
• Volkswagen88
• Audi76
• Land Rover66
• Fiat58
• Hyundai58
• Porsche57
• Kia51
• Nissan45
• Jeep42
• Volvo35
• Renault33
• Jaguar31
• DS31
• Mazda27
• SEAT27
• Suzuki20
• Škoda19

Free at any franchised dealer. Figures are recalls since 2020.

The grid shows how many car and light van recalls each make has had since 2020, from DVSA data. Each make page has the official recall contact and the latest recalls, for example the Ford recall check, Vauxhall recall check and BMW recall check.

Recall Work And Servicing In The Same Visit

Booking the recall alongside a service saves a trip, but the two are paid differently: the service is yours to pay for, and the recall work is the manufacturer's. Ask the dealer to show them as separate lines on the invoice.

That separation protects you in three ways. It makes clear that nothing was charged for the recall itself. It gives you a job card that names the recall campaign code, which is your proof of completion.⁹ And it stops any confusion if a part replaced under the recall is also a part the service would normally check.

If the dealer says a recall cannot be done without other paid work, ask for that in writing with the reason. The recall remedy is set by the manufacturer and agreed with DVSA, so a dealer should not make it conditional on extra work you have not chosen.⁶

What To Do If A Dealer Tries To Charge You

Ask for the charge to be itemised, refuse anything linked to the recall itself, and escalate to the manufacturer if needed.

The steps are:

1. Ask for an itemised quote before agreeing to any work.
2. Separate the recall from everything else. Quote the campaign code and say the recall work is free.¹
3. Decide on extras separately. You can refuse recommended work and have it done elsewhere.
4. Escalate if needed. Contact the manufacturer's customer care team with the job card. See what to do if a dealer refuses to fix a recall.

Be wary of any request for payment that arrives by text, email or phone and mentions a recall. A genuine recall never asks you to pay or give card details. If you are unsure, check the campaign with our recall code lookup and see car recall scams.

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Costs outside the recall

Goodwill Schemes For Known Faults That Aren’t Recalls

Some problems are not safety recalls, for example PureTech oil consumption and belt wear, and they are handled through manufacturer goodwill or warranty schemes with their own conditions.⁵

Stellantis runs a compensation platform for 1.0 and 1.2 PureTech engines covering costs paid between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2024 for excessive oil consumption or premature timing belt failure, subject to servicing and repair conditions.⁵ Ford's 1.0 EcoBoost wet belt is not covered by any DVSA recall reference.¹⁰ Our pages on PureTech recalls and the Ford EcoBoost wet belt explain what each scheme covers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Claim Back Money I Paid Before The Recall?

Ask the manufacturer. There is no automatic UK right to a refund, but some manufacturers reimburse repairs with proof. See car recall compensation.

Is A Courtesy Car Free?

If one is offered, yes, but it is not guaranteed. Ask when you book. See how a recall repair works.

Do I Pay For A Recall Check?

No. Checking your registration here is free. Use the car recall check at the top of our homepage.

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Data: DVSA vehicle recall data (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 15 October 2026.