Safety recalls and Mots
THE DRIVER and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to sharpen its act. The latest idea being considered is to bring manufacturer’s safety recalls into the MOT test by asking inspectors to check that recall work has been completed.
A used Land Rover bought from a franchised dealer will have all of the recall work completed. Indeed, it’s against the law for a dealer to sell a car with safety recall work outstanding. Once the vehicle is bought and in the hands of the private owner, Land Rover is obliged to (and does) notify the owner in writing of any subsequent safety recall work that needs to be done. The loophole here is that there is no legal requirement on the owner to have the recall work done. Of course, having been informed of a safety recall and subsequently ignoring it does have legal consequences in respect of knowingly driving a vehicle with a potential dangerous fault, and the situation probably won’t impress the insurer in the event of a claim. Driving any vehicle in a dangerous condition (including historic class Mot-exempt) can
result in a fine of up to £2500.
So DVSA is currently considering how safety recall checks could be integrated with the MOT test. In the meantime, we have a responsibility, regardless of the MOT, to ensure our vehicles are roadworthy and safe. To check whether any recalls are outstanding on your Land Rover, visit the DVSA website and enter ‘recall’ in the search pane. If recall work is outstanding, contact a dealer to have the necessary changes made – there is usually no cost for safety matters.
Safety recalls are notified to DVSA by the vehicle manufacturer and they generally apply to serious defects that could result in failure without warning. That wouldn’t include problems expected to be found during standard servicing, or that become noticeable in the way the vehicle drives or via warning lights, before they became serious. Nor does it include the effects of overloading or other abusive use of the vehicle.
DVSA are being reasonable and useful compared with EU proposals back in 2012 which included a ban on vehicle modification. Had that gone ahead, it would potentially have put every enthusiast-owned Land Rover out of action. We’re lucky that our DVSA lives in the real world.