How To Report A Car Safety Defect In The UK, And What DVSA Does With Your Report
Report a serious vehicle safety defect to the manufacturer first, then to DVSA using the GOV.UK online form if you are not happy with the response.1 A defect counts as serious if it is caused by how the vehicle was designed or made, is likely to cause injury, and happens suddenly without warning.2
Is It A Safety Defect?
Use this test: is it a design or build problem, could it injure someone, and does it happen suddenly without warning? Wear, warning-light faults, noises and misuse usually do not count.2
Could This Be A Safety Defect?
| Situation | Likely a safety defect? | Where to go |
|---|---|---|
| A part fails suddenly on several cars of the same model, with no warning | Yes | Manufacturer, then DVSA |
| A fault found at a routine service | Usually not2 | Your garage or warranty |
| A warning light comes on | Usually not on its own2 | Get the car checked |
| A change in handling or a new noise | Usually not on its own2 | Get the car checked |
| Damage from misuse or poor maintenance | No2 | Your garage |
Before reporting, check whether a recall already covers the problem. Run your registration through our car recall check, or browse car recall symptoms to see which recalls mention what you are noticing.
Report It To The Manufacturer First
Contact the manufacturer's UK customer relations team in writing with your evidence, and keep its reference number.
GOV.UK asks owners to report a suspected defect to the manufacturer immediately.1 The manufacturer has the engineering data to spot a pattern across many cars, and a written report gives it the chance to act. Our manufacturer recall helplines page lists each brand's official contact. Describe what happened, when, and in what conditions, and attach photos.
Report It To DVSA
If the manufacturer does not act, report the defect to DVSA online with the registration, make and model, year, mileage, engine and gearbox type, and photos.2
The details DVSA asks for are:
- vehicle registration
- make and model
- year of manufacture
- mileage
- engine type and gearbox type
- photos of the problem
- the manufacturer's reference number and reply
GOV.UK provides an online form for the report.2 Keep a copy of everything you send.
What Makes A Strong Report
A clear, factual report with dates and evidence is far more useful to an investigator than a general complaint. The details that help most are:
- What happened, step by step. For example: "At about 40 mph the steering became heavy and a warning light came on."
- When and where. The date, the road type and the weather.
- The car's history. Mileage, recent servicing and any previous repairs to the same part.
- Whether it has happened before, to your car or to others you know of.
- Photos or video, including any warning lights on the dashboard.
Keep to what you saw rather than what you think caused it. Investigators can test causes; they cannot recreate an incident that was not described.
What DVSA Can And Can’t Do
DVSA can investigate and require action from manufacturers, but it does not repair cars, verify individual repairs or award compensation.34
If your aim is to get your own car fixed, the manufacturer and its dealers are the route. If your aim is to stop a defect affecting other people, a report to DVSA is the route. Many owners do both. For problems with a recall that already exists, such as a dealer refusing to do it, see what to do if a dealer refuses to fix a recall.
What Happens After You Report
DVSA investigates with the manufacturer and tells you what action is being taken. Past investigations have led to safety recalls, production changes and technical service bulletins.25
| Financial year | Safety recalls | Production changes | Technical service bulletins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 to 2014 | 9 | 2 | 19 |
| 2014 to 2015 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 2015 to 2016 | 14 | 1 | 3 |
Source: DVSA safety defect investigation statistics, 2013 to 2016.5 Not every report points to a design fault. In 2015 to 2016, 61 % of the causes recorded on safety reports were design or manufacture related, while in 2013 to 2014 the figure was 10 %, with the rest put down to maintenance, misuse or causes that could not be identified.5 Reports still matter, because a single report can be the one that links several incidents.
Reporting Child Seats, Tyres And Accessories
For child car seats, tyres and accessories, report to the manufacturer and to Trading Standards, and check GOV.UK's product safety alerts.
Child car seat recalls are published by the Office for Product Safety and Standards rather than in DVSA's vehicle list. Our child car seat recall finder and tyre recall page show the current notices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I Be Told The Outcome?
DVSA tells you what action is being taken after it investigates.2
What If The Defect Caused A Crash?
Report it to the police and your insurer as well as the manufacturer and DVSA, and keep any damaged parts if you can. See recalls and car insurance.
Data: DVSA vehicle recall data (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 15 October 2026.
Sources
- Reporting a defect (GOV.UK): report to the manufacturer immediately; contact DVSA if unhappy, using online form 8464. The page doesn't say whether anonymous reports are accepted → don't claim either way.
- GOV.UK on what counts as a serious defect: It is likely to cause injury or death because of design or manufacture, and happens suddenly without warning. Not serious: problems found at routine servicing, issues flagged by warning lights, handling changes or noises, and misuse. Report to the manufacturer first, then DVSA if unhappy. Online form 8464 (submit.forms.service.gov.uk).
- "DVSA does not have a responsibility for verifying that individual recalls are completed correctly, that is for the manufacturer. DVSA will investigate any complaint of recalls not being conducted in line with the code of practice or legislative requirements."
- DVSA quotes: "Yes, they are rare." (stop-drive) "The UK is considered low risk in the case of the Takata airbag defect" (linked to hot, humid climates). "The DVSA has no powers to force companies to compensate."
- DVSA safety defect investigations (SAF/01, SAF/02; datasets withdrawn after 2017). Outcomes by financial year.