Safety recalls: how to check a used car has none outstanding before you buy

The short answer

Type the registration into the GOV.UK recall check before you go to see the car. For a car with a registration number the service shows any safety recall that has not yet been checked or fixed, together with the MOT history, and it costs nothing. If a recall shows, the repair is usually free from the manufacturer, so it does not have to stop the sale, but you should ask the seller to have it done first or get it done yourself before the car becomes your daily transport. GOV.UK's own used-car checklist puts the recall check in the list of things to do before you see the vehicle, alongside the DVLA details and the MOT history.

Step one: the free check by registration

Start at the GOV.UK page check if a vehicle, part or accessory has been recalled. For a car with a registration number, the page sends you to the MOT history service, where the registration brings up the car's test record and any safety recall the manufacturer has not yet marked as checked or fixed. For a vehicle without a registration, or a motorcycle, caravan or horse box, the recalls service takes the manufacturer, model and year of manufacture instead. Parts and accessories, including child car seats, seat belts and tyres, are checked there by manufacturer and model.

Two limits are worth knowing. The check covers safety recalls, the ones issued because of a serious safety problem; GOV.UK says the manufacturer will tell you directly about any recall for another reason, so those do not appear. And it reflects what the manufacturer has recorded: a repair done last week may not yet show as complete, which is one reason to ask the seller for paperwork as well.

Step two: the MOT history and the certificate

Because the recall check sits inside the MOT history service, read the rest of the record while you are there. GOV.UK's recalls page notes that the MOT certificate itself may show a safety recall in England, Scotland or Wales, depending on the manufacturer, so a recent certificate is a second place the recall can appear. The history also tells you whether the seller's description of the car matches its record: mileage at each test, advisories, and any pass after rectification.

Step three: what to ask the seller

1. Has every recall been done? If the check shows one outstanding, ask whether the seller has booked it. The repair is usually free from the manufacturer, so a seller who has had the letter and done nothing has made a choice you are entitled to ask about.
2. Where is the paperwork? A completed recall usually comes with a dealer invoice or a stamp in the service record showing the campaign was carried out. Ask to see it rather than take the word for it, especially if the online check has not caught up.
3. Did the letter ever arrive? GOV.UK says a recall letter is sent to the keeper the manufacturer has on record. A car with several previous keepers or a recent change of address may never have had one delivered, so the seller may genuinely not know. The online check does not depend on the letter.
4. Agree who does the repair. If the recall is outstanding, either the seller has it done before you pay or you book it the day you take the car. Write down which, and do not drive a car with a safety recall on it as if nothing were wrong.

After you buy

Once the car is yours, the responsibility is yours. GOV.UK's recalls page says you are responsible for keeping your vehicle in a safe condition, and that driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition can bring a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban and 3 penalty points. That is the general rule on vehicle condition rather than a penalty for a recall as such, but an unrepaired safety recall is exactly the kind of fault it has in mind. Update the keeper details with the DVLA promptly so that any future recall letter reaches you, and if you ever find a fault you think could cause injury, GOV.UK has a report a serious safety defect service for that.

What this does not mean

This article contains no figures from our MOT data; it is GOV.UK's procedure as read today. A clear recall check does not mean the car has no faults, only that the manufacturer has no unfixed safety campaign recorded against it. A recall showing does not mean the car is a bad buy; it means a free repair is owed and should be done before you rely on the car. Nothing here says which makes or models have recalls, because the check is about one car at a time, and that is how it should be used.

Sources and method

This article contains no MOT statistics. Its content is the GOV.UK recall, MOT history and used-car checklist pages as read on 5 November 2026. The fine and penalty-point figures are GOV.UK's wording on driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

• GOV.UK: Check if a vehicle, part or accessory has been recalled
• GOV.UK: Vehicle recalls and faults
• GOV.UK: Recalled vehicles, parts and accessories
• GOV.UK: Check a used vehicle you're buying
• GOV.UK: Check the MOT history of a vehicle

This article is general information drawn from published test records. It is not professional, mechanical or legal advice, and an MOT pass or a clean MOT history does not guarantee that a car is roadworthy today. If you are unsure about a car, have it inspected by a qualified mechanic. You can check any vehicle's MOT history free on the official GOV.UK MOT history service.