Stop-drive Recalls In The UK: What "Do Not Drive" Means, Which Cars Are Affected And What You're Entitled To

A stop-drive recall is a car safety recall in which the manufacturer tells keepers not to drive the vehicle until a free repair is done, because the defect is an immediate threat to safety. The DVSA Code of Practice calls it a "Safety Recall (Stop Drive)".¹ Park the car and ask a franchised dealer to collect it or repair it where it is.

What Does A Stop-drive Recall Mean?

A stop-drive recall means the manufacturer has judged the defect serious enough that the car should not be used at all until it is fixed. Most recalls are different: you can usually drive while you book the repair.

DVSA describes stop-drive recalls as rare.² The three levels of recall urgency compare like this:

DVSA keeps no official stop-drive flag, so we read the wording of every recall notice for phrases such as "do not drive" and "cease using". Our methodology page explains how each recall is graded.

Which Cars Have A Stop-drive Recall In The UK?

Since 2020, stop-drive wording appears in DVSA records for Citroën, DS, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Dacia, Vauxhall, Mazda and BMW models, and most of these notices are Takata airbag replacements.

The list below is built from DVSA recall data and updates whenever a new notice is registered. In 2026 so far DVSA has registered 238 car and light van recalls; 11 stop-drive notices were registered in 2025 alone.

The airbag notices dominate the list, but they are not all Citroën. Volkswagen (R/2025/357, 279 vehicle-records), Audi (R/2025/387, 258) and SEAT (R/2025/348, 77) issued smaller Takata stop-drive notices in summer 2025 for older cars whose airbags had not yet been replaced. These small numbers are typical of a late stage in a long campaign: most cars were repaired years ago, and the remaining owners are the hardest to reach.

Each row links to the full recall page with the DVSA wording, the build dates and the fix. "Vehicle-records" are the manufacturer's estimates and can overlap between campaigns, so they are not a count of individual cars.

The Citroën C3, DS3 And DS Airbag Stop-drive Explained

In June 2025 Stellantis told owners of Citroën C3 and DS3 cars with Takata airbags to stop driving them, and in August 2025 it extended the action to the C4, DS4 and DS5.³

The scope changed in two steps. The models and build years in each step were:

Scope as reported by Which? on 19 August 2025 and DVSA records; check your own car by VIN.³

Why these airbags are dangerous. Takata inflators use a propellant that can degrade over time, especially with heat and moisture. A degraded inflator can rupture when the airbag deploys and throw metal fragments into the cabin. In France, about 20 deaths have been linked to defective inflators, mostly in overseas territories with hot, humid climates.⁴ DVSA considers the UK low risk because of its climate, but the manufacturer's instruction still applies.² Our Takata airbag recall page covers every make affected.

How many cars are still on the road. Government licensing statistics show about 69,500 Citroën C3s first used between 2008 and 2017, about 64,500 Citroën DS3s from 2009 to 2016 and about 29,400 DS 3s from 2015 to 2019 were still licensed at the end of 2025.⁵ That is a measure of scale, not a count of unrepaired cars.

Is My Car Included?

Enter your registration or VIN: the stop-drive scope depends on the model and build date, and only cars fitted with the affected airbag are included.

For Citroën and DS cars, the manufacturer's VIN check gives the definitive answer, by phone or at any dealer. Your 17-character VIN is on your V5C logbook and at the base of the windscreen; see where to find your VIN. Citroën customer care is on 0800 093 9393, and its dedicated recall helpline for the Takata action is 0800 917 9285.⁶ Citroën says mobility solutions have been made available to customers affected by the stop-drive.⁶

If the registration check shows a matching stop-drive recall but you have not had a letter, trust the recall rather than the post. Letters go to the address held by DVLA, so a car bought recently or a keeper who has moved may not have received one.⁷ Update the V5C address with DVLA so later letters reach you. If the manufacturer says your VIN is not included, save a screenshot with the date, because it is useful if you sell the car.

Can I Legally Drive A Car With A Stop-drive Recall?

The recall letter is not a legal ban in itself. However, driving a vehicle in a condition that involves a danger of injury is an offence, and GOV.UK says it can mean a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban and 3 penalty points.⁸⁹

Three points decide your position:

• The law. Section 40A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 makes it an offence to use a vehicle whose condition involves a danger of injury to any person.⁹ A manufacturer's stop-drive notice is strong evidence that the car is in that condition.
• Your insurance. Recalls do not usually lead to claims, but failing to follow the manufacturer's instructions could invalidate a policy.¹⁰ Ask your insurer for written permission before driving the car anywhere, even to the dealer.
• The safer route. Ask the manufacturer to collect the car or to repair it at your home. That avoids the question altogether.

Read more on whether it is safe to drive with a recall and on recalls and car insurance.

What The Manufacturer Should Do For You

Ask the dealer to collect the car or repair it at home, and ask in writing for a courtesy car or travel support. The government has urged Stellantis to provide these, especially for vulnerable owners.¹¹

Stellantis says its options include dealer or at-home replacement, a courtesy car, mobility support and recovery, and that it authorised Peugeot dealers to replace the airbags too.¹² The support is decided case by case, so ask clearly. The options to ask about are:

Keep notes of every call: the date, the name of the person you spoke to and what they promised. Our guide to how a recall repair works covers the booking itself.

How Long Will The Repair Take?

The airbag swap itself is a workshop job measured in hours, but parts and appointments have been the bottleneck. Which? reported owners being offered dates months away in summer 2025.¹²

Ask more than one franchised dealer for a date, including Peugeot dealers, which Stellantis authorised for the work.¹² If the wait is long, put your request for a courtesy car or travel support in writing at the same time.

Three habits shorten the wait:

• Phone, then email. Confirm every booking or promise in writing, with the recall code from your letter.
• Ask for cancellations. Dealers often fill gaps at short notice when parts arrive.
• Escalate politely after a week. If no dealer can offer a date or support, contact the manufacturer's customer care team and ask for a case number. Our guide on what to do if a dealer refuses or delays a recall sets out each step.

Once the repair is done, ask for the job card that names the recall, and check your registration again after a few weeks to confirm the record has updated.

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If you're out of pocket or unsure

Can I Claim Compensation For A Stop-drive Recall?

There is no automatic right to compensation. DVSA says it has no powers to force companies to compensate, so claims go to the manufacturer first, then through consumer law or group actions.²

Start a cost record from the day the letter arrives. The things to keep are:

• hire car, taxi and public transport receipts
• emails and letters from the manufacturer and the dealer
• notes of each phone call
• any lost earnings, with evidence from your employer
• the recall letter itself

Our page on car recall compensation explains the routes in order.

Other Stop-drive Recalls You May Hear About

Not every stop-drive notice is about airbags. The 2025 list also includes brake-pedal bar welds on the new Citroën C3 Aircross and Vauxhall Frontera, and a steering risk on the Dacia Spring.

Recent non-airbag stop-drive notices include:

• Citroën C3 Aircross (R/2025/363) and Vauxhall Frontera (R/2025/362): a risk that the brake bar weld breaks. See brake recalls.
• Dacia Spring (R/2025/490): a risk of losing steering. See steering recalls.
• Electric and hybrid cars: some battery and charging recalls also carry do-not-drive or do-not-charge wording. See electric car recalls.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is A Stop-sale?

A stop-sale tells dealers not to sell affected vehicles until they are fixed. A stop-drive tells keepers not to use them. Our guide to what a car recall means explains both.

Will A Stop-drive Recall Fail My MOT?

No. An outstanding recall is shown on the MOT record for information, not as a fail.¹³ Do not drive the car to a test centre, though. See recalls and the MOT.

My Driving Test Car Has A Stop-drive Recall. What Now?

DVSA waived its usual 10-day short-notice rule for learners whose test car was under the Takata stop-drive in 2025, so you can rebook without losing your fee.¹⁴

Can I Sell A Car With A Stop-drive Recall?

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute says a car with a serious recall or stop-drive warning should not be sold in that state, and doing so may be an offence.¹⁵ Private sellers should disclose it. See selling or buying a car with an outstanding recall.

Is The Citroën C3 Timing Belt Part Of This Recall?

No. Timing belt and oil problems on 1.2 PureTech petrol engines are separate, handled through recalls and a goodwill scheme. See PureTech recalls.

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Data: DVSA vehicle recall data (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 15 October 2026. Stop-drive status is our reading of the DVSA notice wording (methodology).