Over 2 million UK vehicles have outstanding manufacturer recalls
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Policy

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

RecallClear Editorial

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.

DVSA has expanded the way UK recall data is shared, partnering directly with eight major manufacturers to provide daily updates instead of relying solely on the monthly SMMT feed. The change feeds into the MOT Testing Service, MOT certificates, MOT history checks and reminder texts, and it is a meaningful improvement for any third-party recall checker, including RecallClear.

What changed

  • Recall information is now supplied daily by the participating manufacturers, not monthly.
  • MOT testers see real-time recall alerts in the MOT Testing Service when they enter a registration.
  • Outstanding recalls are added to MOT certificates and online MOT history checks.
  • Recall prompts are now included in DVSA's MOT reminder texts.

Which manufacturers signed up

Toyota, Ford, Honda, MAN Trucks, MV Agusta, Hymer, Volkswagen Group and Mercedes-Benz are supplying the daily feed. Between them they cover 47% of UK vehicles with outstanding recalls. Manufacturers not yet in the daily programme continue to feed in through SMMT's monthly process, which is why combining DVSA and SMMT gives the best coverage.

What it means for owners

  • A recall on your car is now more likely to surface at MOT time.
  • A recall is also more likely to be flagged on the DVSA reminder text DVSA sends before your MOT is due.
  • Combined DVSA + SMMT lookups now reflect the up-to-date register much faster than they did before 2023.

How RecallClear uses both sources

Every RecallClear check queries DVSA and SMMT in one call and returns the more detailed of the two responses. Most consumer-facing tools rely on only one source. You can see an example report or run a £1.99 RecallClear check against your own VRM to see what the combined response looks like.

Originally reported by GOV.UK / DVSA. RecallClear's coverage is independently written and may include additional context, verification against the DVSA and SMMT registers, and links to manufacturer pages.