Fiat Ducato Recall R/1997/086: Possible Reduction In Brake Servo Assistance, Who Is Affected And What To Do
- Urgent
- How serious
- 20 Mar 1998
- Launched
- 448
- vehicles in the UK
- R/1997/086
- DVSA reference
Fiat recalled Ducato vehicles built between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1996. On batteries fitted with non-watertight caps rainwater from the windscreen may run into the battery and result in a leakage of battery contents. The recall notice describes the fix as: affected vehicles are being recalled to have a cover fitted to the battery and checking of the brake servo pipe for damage. You won't usually pay for it.1
What’s Wrong
On batteries fitted with non-watertight caps rainwater from the windscreen may run into the battery and result in a leakage of battery contents. This leakage may damage the adjacent fabric reinforced rubber brake servo pipe and reduce or cancel the servo assistance available when braking.
DVSA's Original Wording
Concern: POSSIBLE REDUCTION IN BRAKE SERVO ASSISTANCE Defect: On batteries fitted with non-watertight caps rainwater from the windscreen may run into the battery and result in a leakage of battery contents. This leakage may damage the adjacent fabric reinforced rubber brake servo pipe and reduce or cancel the servo assistance available when braking. Remedy: Affected vehicles are being recalled to have a cover fitted to the battery and checking of the brake servo pipe for damage.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The Risk
The recall notice describes the concern as: possible reduction in brake servo assistance.
The Fix
The recall notice describes the fix as: affected vehicles are being recalled to have a cover fitted to the battery and checking of the brake servo pipe for damage.
Are You Affected?
Ducato built between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1996 may be included. Fiat estimates 448 vehicles in the UK. Enter your registration to check, then confirm by VIN with Fiat, because not every car in the date range may be included.
Which Car Is It?
Choose the make and model so we can match recalls to your car.
What To Do Now
- Check your car by registration above, then by VIN with Fiat.
- Book with any franchised Fiat dealer, quoting the DVSA reference R/1997/086. See how to get a Fiat recall fixed.
- Follow the letter's instructions until the repair is done. See can you drive a car with a recall?.
Related Recalls
| Launched | Vehicle and fault | Severity | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| DucatoFiat Professional 2025/2026 Ducato (290/295). Fuel pipe leak | Urgent | R/2026/044 | |
| DucatoFiat Professional Ducato. Instrument panel cluster software | Urgent | R/2025/320 | |
| DucatoFiat Ducato may have been fitted with the incorrect radio | Book soon | R/2024/402 | |
| DucatoFiat Ducato 2024. Proxy update. Vehicle does not comply to emission regulatory requirements | Low | R/2024/334 | |
| DucatoCertain kinds of vehicle acceleration could cause the speed limiter to turn off | Low | R/2022/263 |
This is one of 199 Fiat recalls in DVSA’s data. The Fiat recall launched before it was R/1998/020 on 13 Mar 1998, for loss of braking efficiency. The one launched after it was R/1998/027 on 11 May 1998, for seat belt pre tensioners may fail to activate. You can also see every Fiat recall, the Fiat Ducato recall history, all recalls launched in 1998 and brake recalls across every make.
Source: DVSA recall R/1997/086, launched 20 March 1998. Data updated 15 October 2026. How we grade urgency.
Sources
- 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.