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In a typical year, more than 1 million cars are affected by a car manufacturer recall under the UK Safety Recall Scheme. On the face of it, this can appear worrying, but this is not necessarily the case.

Vehicle manufacturers are legally obliged to inform the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) if they identify safety-related problems. When this happens, a recall is issued if the fault is likely to affect the “safe operation” of the car.”

There are two levels of recalls for cars. 

‘Stop Drive Recall’ – This is known as the highest recall level; such notices are rare. Cars labelled as ‘Stop Drive’ should not be driven.

‘Safety Recall’ – This is the most common kind of recall. Manufacturers order this when they believe the vehicle in question (or one of its component parts) may present some safety issues. Unlike the first kind of recall, the car in question can continue to be driven ‘unless informed otherwise’ by the manufacturer. 

Regulation requires that all motor retailers, regardless of scale, ensure that the vehicles they sell have no outstanding safety recalls. If they don’t undertake an appropriate check and ensure any required work is completed, then they can be prosecuted by Trading Standards.

Manufacturers will send out technical service bulletins, allowing dealers to carry out remedial work. However, if the problem is safety-related, a full recall is the only way to ensure all owners are contacted.

The manufacturer will contact the owners of any affected vehicles using details from the DVLA. As the contact relates to a safety issue, the use of personal data held by the DVLA is permitted for this purpose.

Contact by the manufacturer will usually come in the form of a letter. This correspondence will explain the issue, how the manufacturer plans to fix it and who to contact to arrange for any checks or work to be undertaken.

Manufacturers will only issue a safety recall for those defects which have the potential to cause serious injury. These defects can potentially put drivers, passengers, or other road users in danger if not acted upon.

It is important to stress that if a Safety Recall notice is received, it must be acted upon by the registered keeper because they are legally responsible for ensuring that the vehicle is maintained in a safe condition and that a defective car is not being driven.

A safety recall is usually free of charge.

A real-world issue is that if a used car was purchased privately or if the owner's address details are not up to date), the manufacturer might not be able to make contact. The good news is that it is quick and easy to establish if any outstanding recalls exist on a specific car for most brands.

By entering the car registration number at this government website, it is possible to check a car’s MOT status and details of any recalls.

If the manufacturer is not part of the Recall Scheme and this can be checked at the Motor Ombudsman website, it should be possible to obtain information on any outstanding recalls on a vehicle by contacting the manufacturer or one of their main dealers directly.

Beyond the government website, other online resources, which may incur a fee, are available to check other details of a vehicle’s history, including details of any insurance write-offs and any existing finance that may still be in place. For peace of mind, these can be of real value, especially if a car is not being purchased from a retailer.


Regulation requires that all motor retailers must ensure that the vehicles they sell have no outstanding safety recalls. Take a look at our vehicle recall guide so you know what to look out for.

Vehicle recall guide

Over seven thousand SMEs have now been helped by MotoNovo Finance’s fleet funding service, which supports dealers across the UK to provide new and used cars and LCVs to business customers. Access to this money is invaluable as the broader funding market for SMEs has become increasingly constrained.

Over the last month, research has highlighted the scale of the funding challenge facing SMEs;

More than four in five credit brokers reported that high-street banks are reducing their appetite for funding SMEs, according to the latest edition of the SME Index Data report. At the same time, 43% of SMEs believed that their need for external finance had increased compared to six months previously, but more than half are finding it harder to access the finance they wanted.

Through dealers, SMEs can access various financing options, including the highly regarded VAT Assist option for LCVs, which has proved a big hit in helping businesses manage their cash flow. The flexibility also extends to vehicle age and fleet size, with businesses able to fund a fleet from 1 vehicle upwards.

Reflecting upon the growth of the service, Commercial Director of Motor Sales, Debbie McKay, notes;

“It is obvious that accessing funding has become an increasing challenge for SMEs, and this can be an issue for dealers, especially for businesses looking to expand or replace part or all of their fleet. It is a niche where we have expertise and have proved we can help. By enabling us to fund their vehicles, businesses can use other funding options to support their other needs. Sharing the funding load is proving to be invaluable.”


Press release issued by MotoNovo Finance, November 2023

Helping business customers free up cash flow and expand the amount of vehicles they have on the road, we're supporting over 7,000 SMEs through Fleet Funding. 

MotoNovo’s Fleet Funding service proving to be a hit with SMEs

Across all vehicle types, between 1st July and 30th September, The Motor Ombudsman (TMO) accepted 1,348 new complaint submissions from motorists, up 10% from Q2. Within this statistic, consumer disputes about electric vehicles (EVs) declined compared to the previous three months. In fact, during the first nine months of 2023, just 851 complaints were raised with the TMO, which is under 1% of all new EV registrations in the UK annually. The TMO noted that it illustrated “a positive purchase and ownership experience for today’s EV adopters.”


When it comes to EVs, nearly a third of complaints were not about the car but about customer service and purchase issues. Impressively, complaints about an EV’s range accounted for just one per cent of complaints.

In terms of a new/used split, 57% of complaints stemmed from a new car, with the remaining 39% arising from used purchases.

Broken down by category, the issues encountered by consumers buying an EV were as follows:

Customer service and purchase issues (29%)

Chassis and motor issues (20%) - faulty suspension arms, corrosion on alloy wheels, and tyres in poor condition led the TMOs data.

Electrical and software issues (15%) - Traction system failures and poor connectivity levels were among the concerns reported by consumers.

Battery issues (10%) - Batteries failing and draining too rapidly were factors encountered by EV owners.

Interior and cabin systems issues (10%) - displays malfunctioning and problems with the internal fixtures.

Exterior issues (9%) - defective elements of the bodywork. These included scratched and incorrectly bonded windscreens and door trims coming loose.

Charging issues (6%) - Faults on this part of the vehicle included charging flaps, not opening and cables not engaging correctly, whilst intermittent charging also caused frustration for EV owners.

Range issues (1%) - Range concerns resulting from consumers failing to achieve the advertised distance for a full charge drove the fewest number of disputes during the third quarter (1%), falling five percentage points between quarters. 

Debbie McKay, Commercial Director of Motor Sales

Latest data from The Motor Ombudsman shows “a positive purchase and ownership experience for today’s EV adopters." Find out more.

A positive purchase and ownership experience for today's EV adopters

On the road to net zero emission vehicles, Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) have, for some, been joined in the race by e-fuels, sometimes referred to as synthetic fuels.

The appeal is that it is suggested e-fuels can act as a straightforward replacement for diesel or petrol, and some serious players are looking at its potential, including Porsche, Bosch and Aramoco. The process has gained support from the German government as it looks to protect its car industry.


The E-fuel manufacturing process relies on splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is combined with carbon dioxide to produce hydrocarbons, the principal constituent of petrol.

The chemical process relies upon electricity, including renewable solar and wind-derived electricity.


According to Europe’s leading clean transport campaign group,  Europe’s leading clean transport campaign group, e-fuel could cost more than €2.80 per litre at the pump in Germany in 2030 – 50% more expensive than normal petrol today. The high cost is due to the complex and energy-intensive production process.

E-fuels may find a home in high-performance cars, but their most likely home is in aviation and shipping, where electricity is unsuitable.

It is too early to write off e-fuels, and it is certainly possible that a zero-emission future will see multiple solutions. Still, as a practical application for daily driving on a broad scale, e-fuels are not something we can expect to see anytime soon.



Chris Rowthorn, Director of Motor Sales Operations

Could e-fuels be a direct replacement for diesel and petrol vehicles? Find out more from Director of Motor Sales Operations, Chris Rowthorn.

News - November 2023

Vehicle recall guide

MotoNovo’s Fleet Funding service proving to be a hit with SMEs

A positive purchase and ownership experience for today's EV adopters

What are e-fuels?

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