Menu

Does An Outstanding Recall Fail An MOT? How Recalls Show On Your MOT And When The Fault Itself Can Fail

Recall data from DVSA, updated 15 October 2026.

No. An outstanding car safety recall does not cause an MOT failure in the UK. Since July 2023 the MOT certificate can list outstanding recalls for information, using data from manufacturers that share it with DVSA.1 The fault a recall relates to can still fail the test if the tester finds it, for example an airbag warning light showing a fault.2

An outstanding recall is not an MOT fail. The fault behind it can be.

Checked 15 October 2026

Can You MOT A Car With An Outstanding Recall?

Yes. The MOT goes ahead as normal, and the recall is noted for information rather than marked as a defect.1

The tester inspects the car against the MOT inspection manual, not against the manufacturer's recall list. A recall therefore makes no difference to the result unless the fault behind it is visible on the day. That is the right order of priorities for you too: get the recall repair booked whatever the MOT date, because the recall is about a risk the MOT is not designed to find.

How Recalls Appear On Your MOT

If the manufacturer shares recall data, the MOT certificate and the online MOT history show an "outstanding recall" note with advice to contact a dealer. If it does not, nothing appears, even when a recall is open.1

How a recall shows on an MOT certificate MOT test certificate PASS Outstanding manufacturer safety recall 1 The recall line 2 Still a pass 3 Data sharing note
  1. The recall lineShown when the manufacturer shares recall data with DVSA.
  2. For information onlyA recall line is not a fail; the test result is separate.
  3. Data sharing noteRecalls from makers that don’t share data may not appear, so check by registration too.
How a recall shows on an MOT certificate

GOV.UK says your MOT certificate may show a safety recall in England, Scotland and Wales, depending on the manufacturer.3 The first manufacturers to supply live data included Ford, Toyota, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and the Volkswagen Group.1 GOV.UK's free MOT reminder service can also mention a recall, again depending on the manufacturer.4

The note usually tells you that a recall is outstanding without naming it. To find out which one, run the registration through our checker or see what an outstanding recall means.

When The Fault Itself Fails The MOT

The tester fails what they can see. An airbag warning light showing a fault, a missing original airbag or a loose seat belt anchorage is a major defect, whether or not there is a recall.2

The MOT manual sets out how these faults are graded. The examples most often linked to recalls are:

What the tester finds MOT result Link to recalls
Airbag (SRS) warning lamp indicating a system malfunction Major fail2 Airbag and Takata recalls
Original equipment airbag missing Major fail2 Never remove an airbag yourself
Passenger airbag "off" indicator lit Not a defect2 Normal when a rear-facing child seat is fitted
Seat belt anchorage loose Major fail2 Seat belt recalls
Structure likely to detach in a collision Dangerous fail2 Seat and belt mounting recalls
Seat belt webbing cut, frayed or overstretched Fail, graded by severity2 Seat belt recalls

Brake, steering and fuel system faults are graded under their own sections of the manual, and a visible leak or a brake or steering defect will fail in the same way. Our concern pages explain the recalls in each system: brake recalls, steering recalls, seat belt recalls and fuel leak recalls.

Should I Take A Stop-drive Car To Its MOT?

No. Do not drive it. Get the recall repair done first, because using a vehicle in a dangerous condition can mean a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban and 3 penalty points.5

If your MOT falls due while the car is waiting for a stop-drive repair, the safest order is:

  1. Leave the car parked and ask the manufacturer to collect it or repair it at home.
  2. Book the MOT for after the repair. An expired MOT is a separate offence, so do not drive the car without one, apart from the exceptions GOV.UK allows, such as driving to a pre-booked test.
  3. Tell your insurer if the car will be off the road for a while.

Learners whose test car was under the 2025 Takata stop-drive were able to rebook their driving test without losing the fee, because DVSA waived its usual short-notice rule.6 Our page on stop-drive recalls explains the manufacturer's support in full.

Will Outstanding Recalls Become An MOT Fail?

Not as of October 2026. Outstanding recalls are information only, and no rule making them a fail has been introduced. The idea has been discussed by government and DVSA since at least 2017, and trade press reported plans to add recalls to the MOT, but no date has been announced.7

Date What happened
2017 87,700 of 1.14 million MOT-history recall checks found an outstanding recall8
2018 DVSA estimated about 1 in 13 vehicles had an outstanding safety recall8
2018 to 2019 An automatic MOT fail for outstanding recalls proposed and discussed, not introduced7
July 2023 Recall information added to MOT certificates and the MOT testing service for makers sharing data1
15 October 2026 Recalls remain information only; no fail rule in force

We will update this page if the rules change. Our car recall statistics page tracks the wider figures.

What To Do Before Your MOT

Check your registration for recalls, book any free recall work alongside your service, and bring the job card if a recall was just done.

A short pre-MOT routine covers it:

  • Run the recall check a week or two before the test.
  • Book the recall repair with a franchised dealer. Many dealers can do it during a service visit.
  • Look at the dashboard. An airbag, brake or engine warning light that stays on needs attention before the test.
  • Keep the job card for any recall just completed, in case the MOT record has not updated yet.

Our guide to how a recall repair works covers booking, timings and courtesy cars.

Related questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Do MOT Testers Fix Recalls?

No. Only a franchised dealer for your make carries out recall work. An MOT centre that is also a franchised dealer can book it separately.

Does An MOT Note About A Recall Affect Insurance?

The note itself does not change your premium. Failing to follow a manufacturer's instructions could affect a related claim, though.9 See recalls and car insurance.

Do Electric Cars And Teslas Need An MOT?

Yes. Electric cars need an MOT from three years old in Great Britain. In Northern Ireland private cars first need one at four years old.10

The MOT Shows No Recall But I Got A Letter. Which Is Right?

The letter. Your car's manufacturer may not share data with the MOT service, so the certificate can stay blank even when a recall is open. See the recall letter from the manufacturer.

Data: DVSA vehicle recall data (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 15 October 2026. MOT rules from the MOT inspection manual on GOV.UK.

Sources

  1. Recall information was added to MOT certificates and the MOT testing service in July 2023. Manufacturers supply live data directly (first: Ford, Toyota, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, VW Group). Recalls from makers not yet sharing data come from the SMMT feed and don't appear on the certificate. An outstanding recall is not a fail. iota.org.uk, fleetnews.co.uk Checked 15 Oct 2026.
  2. MOT manual §7: The SRS (airbag) warning lamp is a Major fail only if it indicates a system malfunction. A passenger-airbag-off indicator is not a defect. A missing original-equipment airbag is Major. A loose seat belt anchorage is Major; structural weakness likely to detach in a collision is Dangerous. Webbing is checked for cuts, fraying and overstretching. gov.uk
  3. GOV.UK on recalls and the MOT: Your MOT certificate may show a safety recall in England, Scotland and Wales, depending on the manufacturer. Some child car seat owners won't get a letter because the manufacturer has no details.
  4. GOV.UK MOT reminders: Free by text/email, one month before the MOT is due (cars/vans). The reminder "might tell you if your vehicle has been recalled for a safety reason. This depends on the manufacturer." Not available in NI (postal reminder 7 weeks before). DVSA helpline 0300 123 9000, Mon, Fri 8am, 5pm. gov.uk
  5. GOV.UK: you are legally responsible for keeping your vehicle safe to drive. Ignoring a problem can affect insurance claims. Driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition can bring a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban and 3 penalty points.
  6. For learners whose test car was under the Takata stop-drive, DVSA waived the usual 10-day short-notice rule; there was no impact on test waiting times.
  7. Making an outstanding recall an automatic MOT fail has been discussed since at least 2017 to 2019 (government and DVSA statements reported by Auto Express and Fleet News; 2018 parliamentary committee proposal). Fleet World reports the previous government planned to add recalls to MOT criteria, timeline unclear. No GOV.UK announcement or implementation date found on 2026-10-15; the rule today remains information only. fleetworld.co.uk, autoexpress.co.uk, fleetnews.co.uk Checked 15 Oct 2026.
  8. DVSA via Trading Standards (19 Feb 2018): "By law, car dealers, including online sellers, must fix safety recalls free of charge before selling cars to consumers. Private sellers aren't bound by the same rules." About 1 in 13 vehicles has an outstanding safety recall. In 2017, 87,700 of 1.14 million MOT-history recall enquiries found an outstanding recall. The recall check covered 92 % of cars and small vans. tradingstandards.uk
  9. ABI (via Which?): recalls don't usually lead to claims, but failing to follow manufacturer instructions could invalidate a policy. Which? advice: get written permission from your insurer before driving a stop-drive car to be repaired.
  10. Northern Ireland: private cars first need an MOT at four years (LGVs at three). A Temporary Exemption Certificate scheme ran from June 2025. nidirect.gov.uk, infrastructure-ni.gov.uk