How To Check For Vehicle Recalls

Thousands of cars have been recalled in recent years due to potentially life threatening faults. As such it is important to ensure your vehicle is safe via the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency Recall Database (VOSA). This relates to cars, motorbikes, tyres, wheels, etc. Simply visit www.vosa.gov.uk, select “vehicle recalls”, and choose a period to search such as March 2005 to January 2007. Remember to include the months before your car was registered as its build date is the key factor. Then select the manufacturer and model and click “search”. The database then presents its results which could be minimal or exhaustive. This typically includes a table that among other things reveals the: recall reference numbers, the concerns, and the relevant vehicle identification numbers (VINs). Selecting a recall number reveals more information and recommends a course of action such as “tighten x”. Manufacturers should rectify faults without charge. They should also take reasonable steps to inform consumers that they have a problem. The DVLA maintains a database of registered keepers of vehicles, but it is the supplier of the car who ‘should take all reasonable action to contact affected owners.’ Owners receive a letter from the supplier explaining the reasons for a recall and what they should do about it. However, it is easy to miss out if you move house or the letter gets lost in the post. It is therefore important to refer to VOSA.

Vehicle Recall Examples

Virtually every car manufacturer has to issue a recall at some point. They come irrespective of price, prestige, class, and how their vehicles are treated. Recent problems included: unscheduled deployment of air-bags, engine hesitation, brake callipers that detached, suspension weaknesses, disconnected prop shafts, tyre tread failures, and fuel leaks. There have also been less serious concerns relating to rear window wipers and stalling engines. Considering what vehicles cost it is reasonable to suggest that this is unacceptable. In certain cases that is true – but it is also inevitable. Why? Because new cars are staggeringly complicated. As such they contain thousands of components that are thrashed over tens of thousands of miles. Consider, for example, the pistons that pump furiously thousands of times a minute and the suspension that constantly charges over rough surfaces. Then there is the weather. The metals, plastics, rubbers, and electronics survive freezing temperatures one day then burning heat the next. Plus thousands of people worldwide are involved with designing/building every new model. Imagine the potential for errors and unforeseen wear on that scale. Cars must also be affordable so there is a limit to how far they can be tested. It is a miracle they work at all.

UK vehicles affected in brand recall

Vehicle safety recalls

Vehicle recalls for March 2013 are included in the list below. For further information on any of these recalls visit, https://www.gov.uk/check-if-a-vehicle-has-been-recalled

VOSA Reference Number	Make and Model	Issue
R/2013/028	Ford - Transit	Possible brake failure
R/2013/043	Mazda – 6	Fire may occur
R/2013/037	Citroen – C-Zero	Possible loss of braking assistance
R/2013/038	iOn	Possible loss of braking assistance
R/2013/036	Scania - P, G and R series	Directional stability and control may be affected
R/2013/017	Mercedes – M-Class	Accelerator pedal may be impeded by floor mat
R/2013/018	Mitsubishi Truck – Canter	Fuel may leak
R/2013/026	Peugeot – 3008 & 5008	Spot welds may not hold
R/2013/027	Fiat – Abarth 500c	Door panel may cause injury
R/2013/044	Vauxhall – Mokka	Steering wheel may detach
R/2013/030	Citroen – DS5	Spot welds may not hold
R/2013/031	Mercedes - S-class, E-class, C-class. SLK, CL-class	Fuel may leak
R/2013/029	Mitsubishi - i-MEV	Braking may be affected
R/2013/040	Iveco- Eurocargo	Dash warning light may fail to illuminate
R/2013/034	Renault- Megane sports tourer	Rear spoiler may become detached
RM/2013/007	Triumph – Tiger 1050, Tiger 800, Speed Triple, Street Triple and Daytona	Indicator stem may not function correctly