Car recalls: what are they and what to do if your car is recalled
The number of car manufacturers recalling their models has risen in recent years, but should you be concerned? We reveal all...
More than a million cars are recalled in the UK every year for a wide variety of reasons that may affect the safety of you and others on the road. What should you do if your car is recalled and should you be alarmed if you get a recall notice?
What is a vehicle recall?
A recall takes place when either a car company or the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) recognises that a fault with a component – or multiple components – on a vehicle could result in a potential safety issue. There are many reasons why a vehicle recall can be issued, spanning from minor technical problems, such as faulty windscreen wipers, to electrical problems that could result in the car catching fire.
Recent recalls that have hit the headlines include the BMW brake issue that affected some 1.5m cars worldwide, 38 recalls for the latest Mercedes C-Class and a fault on the Toyota bZ4X over a potential risk of the wheels loosening.
Should I be worried about my car being recalled?
There’s generally no reason to be concerned if your car is recalled. In fact, it’s usually a sign that the car maker is proactively correcting a potential safety issue before anything goes wrong with your car.
However, there have been instances where owners are given cause for concern, with some recalls warning that the vehicle could face serious issues, such as catching fire or difficulty braking, in certain circumstances.
The recall notice should state whether there is any danger to you when using the car, and on the rare occasions that this is the case, it will tell you not to drive the car until the work has been carried out.
How will I know if my car has been recalled?
When a problem is identified, the car maker will use a number of methods to get the attention of owners. These include:
- Send recall notices – letters sent to all registered keepers of potentially affected vehicles. The letter should explain the potential fault that may affect their car, what work needs to be done and how long it will take. If you get a recall notice, you should contact your local main dealer and book an appointment to get the necessary repair work done.
- Inform the media – this will likely result in articles being published to raise awareness of the recall. Reports on the issue should include contact information for concerned owners looking for more details.
- Set up a recall hotline – this will allow you to call if you believe your car is affected by the recall and provides the opportunity to have any questions answered.
If you read about a recall and believe your car is affected, but you don’t get a recall notice, you can check whether your car needs remedial work by calling the recall hotline set up by the car maker or contacting their customer services department. They might ask for your car’s vehicle identification number (VIN), which you’ll find on your car’s logbook and on a plate under the car’s bonnet or on the windscreen.
Do I have to pay for recall work?
No. Recall repairs are carried out by franchised dealerships on behalf of car makers and the cost of all work should be covered by the car company. You’ll only have to pay for work if the service department discovers another issue with your car while it’s with them, and they should discuss this with you before going ahead with any work.
How do I find out if my car has an outstanding recall?
If you’ve bought a used car and are unsure whether it has any outstanding recalls, you can contact the customer services department for your car brand or ask your local dealer.
Since 2017, any outstanding recalls are shown on the online MOT history of all used cars, so you can check if a car you’re considering buying needs some remedial work at https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall. By entering the make, model and year of your car on the website, you’ll also be able to see a complete list of recalls previously made.
Is there a time limit on getting recall work done?
Although it’s best to get any recall work carried out as soon as possible, there is no time limit on getting it done. So if you buy a secondhand car and subsequently find out that it has an outstanding recall, you should book it in with a main dealer, even if the recall was issued some years ago.
That said, failing to take a car in for recall work could prove a problem if it’s still under warranty, with some manufacturers considering ignoring a recall notice as a form of negligence. If the recall could result in a major safety hazard, you could also invalidate your insurance policy by not getting your car fixed.
Will a recall affect the value of my car?
Many cars are recalled every week in the UK, so it’s not unusual to buy a car that’s had a recall and it should rarely have any effect on the car’s value. That said, if the recall raised awareness of a potentially dangerous issue or other incidents associated, the bad publicity created may cause the model to fall in value.
However, in most instances, the only way a recall could affect a car’s value is if it has an outstanding recall that hasn’t been carried out, so it’s best to take action as soon as you receive a recall notice.
