Vehicle recalls added to new style MoT

David Ross, Editor
Wed, 19 Jul 2023

Real-time vehicle recall information will be added to the MoT from today as part of a significant update to the annual MoT test.

The DVSA will incorporate real-time vehicle recall information into its MoT Testing Service (MTS), MoT history, MoT reminders and MoT certificates.

The new service will offer testers and motorists access to daily recall data in real-time, a breakthrough made possible by major manufacturers such as Toyota, VW and Ford who have agreed to share their data. These manufacturers collectively cover nearly half of the vehicles currently on the roads.

For vehicles built by manufacturers that have not yet participated in data sharing, existing monthly data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) will continue to be available.

However, it's important to note that this information will not be included on the MoT certificate. Nevertheless, testers and the public will have access to the most up-to-date vehicle recall data for approximately half of all vehicles.

"I’m really pleased that we can announce this latest improvement to our MoT digital services," said Chris Price, Head of MoT Policy at the DVSA.

"We want to improve safety recall rectification rates. Providing ‘live’ recall data and marking it more available to motorists, will further help everyone to keep vehicles safe to drive on Britain’s roads."

The improvements to the MoT digital services will be implemented in two phases. Starting from July 19th, real-time recall data will be visible on MTS and motorists' MoT certificates.

Then from August onwards, when customers bring their vehicles for testing, testers will be prompted through an 'interrupt' screen if there's an outstanding safety recall. This feature will allow testers to encourage customers to address the recall promptly to ensure their vehicles are safe to drive.

For vehicles produced by participating manufacturers with outstanding safety recalls, an additional section on the MoT certificate will indicate the current recall status automatically.

Further improvements to the MoT history and MoT reminder services will be introduced from August 16th. The MoT history service will prompt motorists when they enter a vehicle registration with an outstanding recall. Similarly, the MoT reminders service will now include prompts about outstanding recalls alongside the MoT reminder.

DVSA highlights that it is the responsibility of vehicle manufacturers to inform the vehicle keeper about any recalls, while motorists should ensure that any necessary recall work is completed.

The real-time data provided by manufacturers covers 47% of vehicles with outstanding recalls and includes:

• Toyota
• Ford
• Honda
• MAN Trucks
• MV Agusta
• Hymer
• Volkwagen Group
• Mercedes-Benz Cars and Vans

Ask HJ

My car broke down a month after its MoT - should this have been picked up?

My Ford B-MAX was MoTd in May with two advisories for tyres and dust caps. It then broke down the first week July, the gearbox had a serious oil leak which I have been told should have been picked up on MoT. It needs new gear box and clutch. Can I do anything about this with the garage that passed my car?

You have the right to complain about an MoT if it has passed and you think it should have failed, but unfortunately the time limit for this is 28 days after the date of the MoT. You can still contact the DVSA if you wish to complain about the service you received, you can find the contact information here: https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/problems-with-your-test-result It is important to remember that the MoT test is designed to ensure that the vehicle is road legal and meets minimum road safety requirements on the day it is tested, rather than diagnose any faults. It is possible that at the time, the leak had not developed sufficiently to be spotted by the MoT tester.

Answered by David Ross

More Questions