Safety
Recalls
BIB will check each car's registration against the official DVSA recall database - so you'll know about any open safety recalls before you view. This feature is in development and will be included in BIB reports when it launches.
What a recall actually means
A safety recall is issued when a manufacturer identifies a defect that poses a risk to the driver, passengers, or other road users. Recalls can cover anything from faulty airbags and brake failures to fuel system risks and software faults.
Recall work is typically carried out free of charge at an authorised dealer. But recalls are only effective if the owner knows about them and acts. Many cars on the used market have open recalls that were never completed.
Why it matters when buying used
A recall being issued doesn't mean it was ever fixed. Private sellers often don't know - or don't mention - that the car has an outstanding safety notice.
BIB flags whether a recall is safety-critical. A faulty seatbelt pretensioner is a different conversation to a software update for a climate control system.
If a recall is open, the manufacturer is obliged to fix it free of charge. Knowing this before you buy means you can negotiate, or insist the seller gets it resolved first.
What it looks like in your report
Illustrative example
Fuel system - risk of fire
SAFETY CRITICALA fuel hose connection may not have been correctly secured during assembly, potentially allowing fuel to leak onto hot engine components.
Remedy: Dealer inspection and replacement of affected fuel hose assembly. Free of charge.
What to do: Contact an authorised dealer to check if this recall has been completed. Recall work is free of charge.
Where the data comes from
BIB checks the DVSA's official Vehicle Recalls database, cross-referenced against the specific registration you looked up. This is the same data the government publishes - we surface it automatically as part of every report so you don't have to look it up separately.
Where available, BIB also shows whether the recall has been marked as completed, and flags safety-critical recalls differently to lower-priority notices.
Check for recalls before you view
Safety Recalls is coming to BIB. In the meantime, run a BIB check to get full MOT history, reliability intelligence, and buying guidance for any UK car.
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