UK vehicle recall news

Recall status and service history: the two cheapest pre-purchase checks on a UK used car

A recall check tells you whether the manufacturer is still on the hook for a free safety fix. A documented service history tells you whether the car has actually been looked after. They answer different questions, and together they cost less than a half-tank of petrol.

DVSA March 2026 round-up: Peugeot 208, BMW 3 Series and Jaecoo 7 recalled

More than 30,000 UK cars were added to the DVSA recall register in March 2026, split across a Peugeot 208 alternator-area fault (13,345 cars), a BMW 3 Series starter-motor campaign (9,574 cars) and a Jaecoo 7 ECU harness recall (7,317 cars). All free of charge.

• Peugeot
• BMW
• Jaecoo

Stellantis 1.2 mild-hybrid recall: what UK drivers should do next

A driver-first breakdown of the Stellantis recall: who is affected, what warning signs to watch for, and how to confirm whether your Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën or Fiat needs the free 30-minute fix.

• Vauxhall
• Peugeot
• Citroën
• Fiat

Stellantis 1.2 mild-hybrid recall: model-by-model checklist

An at-a-glance, brand-by-brand list of every UK car caught by the Stellantis 1.2-litre 48V mild-hybrid recall. Useful if you're shopping a 2023–2026 Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, Jeep, Alfa Romeo or DS and want to know what to check before you commit.

• Vauxhall
• Peugeot
• Citroën
• Fiat
• Jeep
• Alfa Romeo
• DS

Stellantis recalls 44,000 UK cars over 1.2 mild-hybrid fire risk

Vauxhall Corsa, Peugeot 208, Citroën C3, Fiat 600 and more 2023–2026 1.2-litre mild-hybrid models are being called back over an under-bonnet fire risk traced to insufficient clearance between the GPF pipe and the belt starter generator. Fix is free and takes around 30 minutes.

• Vauxhall
• Peugeot
• Citroën
• Fiat
• Jeep
• Alfa Romeo
• DS

A quarter of UK Jaecoo 7s recalled over engine-stall risk

Jaecoo's first major UK safety recall covers 7,317 petrol Jaecoo 7s (roughly one in four sold in the UK) over an ECU wiring harness clip that wasn't fully engaged in assembly, risking an engine warning light and an unexpected stall.

• Jaecoo

BMW recalls 25,000 UK cars over starter-motor fire risk: owners warned not to leave engines running

BMW is recalling 24,732 UK cars built between July 2020 and July 2022 over a starter-motor manufacturing defect that can short-circuit and cause an under-bonnet fire. Owners are warned not to leave affected cars idling unattended until the free fix is carried out.

• BMW

DVSA tightens MOT rules around 120,000 Citroën and DS 3 'do not drive' airbag recall

DVSA has tightened the MOT process so that any of the ~120,000 second-generation Citroën C3 and DS 3 cars still subject to the Takata airbag 'do not drive' recall is flagged with a manual advisory at the test bay. Owners are told to cease driving the car when safe to do so.

• Citroën
• DS

3.2 million UK cars on the road with outstanding recalls, and the rate is climbing

DVSA data shows the UK's missed-recall rate has climbed from roughly 18% in 2018 to nearly 30% in 2023, leaving an estimated 3.2 million cars on the road with outstanding safety work. The biggest gaps: second and third owners, EVs that no longer visit dealers, and broken franchised-dealer follow-through.

DVSA opens up recall data for real-time MOT and reminder checks

DVSA's expanded recall data partnership means outstanding recalls now feed into the MOT Testing Service, MOT certificates, MOT history checks and reminder texts. Toyota, Ford, Honda, Volkswagen Group and Mercedes-Benz are among the manufacturers supplying daily updates.