HPI Safety Recall Check offers consumer peace of mind against buying faulty cars.

Vehicle history check provider, HPI, is urging car buyers to be aware of their rights and remember to check if the vehicle they want to buy is subject to a manufacturer recall.

The warning comes as figures reveal that over six million vehicles have had recalls issued against them in the UK and been returned to dealers since the start of 2011, affecting manufacturers including Toyota, Honda, Vauxhall, BMW, and Fiat.

Fernando Garcia consumer director at HPI, said: “The problem of recalls just doesn’t seem to be going away. What the high figures demonstrate is just how commonplace recalls are now.”

The number of vehicle recalls rose dramatically in 2014/15 to a total of 39, a 30% increase from the 30 recalled in 2013/14, and with many on a major international scale.

The scandal over General Motors’ failure to promptly recall cars with a potentially faulty ignition switch in the US last year may have prompted other manufacturers to recall more quickly and frequently after identifying any likely faults or problems.

Fernando Garcia continued: “As seen with GM Motors, where 2.6 million cars were recalled, it can often take an issue of this scale to bring the topic to the public’s attention. Thankfully, the automotive industry is very efficient at repairing faults.

“We’ve launched the HPI Safety Recall Check to give car buyers the ability to identify if the vehicle they are about to purchase has been officially recalled.  Crucially, the HPI Safety Recall Check is the only check that provides recall information on a specific vehicle using the vehicle’s number plate.”

HPI claims the new service adds another layer to the car buyer’s most comprehensive vehicle history check, the HPI Check®, further protecting buyers against making a costly mistake.

The HPI Check confirms whether a vehicle is currently recorded as stolen with the police, has outstanding finance against it or has been written off. It also includes as standard, a mileage check against the National Mileage Register, with over 200 million mileage readings.

Fernando Garcia added: “Consumers must ensure they are adequately protected and fully aware of their rights if they buy a car, and a fault develops, regardless of whether it was bought from a reputable dealer or a friend of a friend.

“If the car was bought after 1 October 2015, consumers have only 30 days to reject a second-hand car and get a full refund under the Consumer Rights Act. If it was bought before 1 October 2015, then the car must be rejected within a reasonable time under the Sale of Goods Act. It’s also important to remember that if consumers do reject a second-hand car, they should stop driving it immediately. If a warranty was bought or a second-hand car came with a guarantee, it may be possible to claim on that to get any problems fixed. They do need to be extra careful when buying privately though as consumers have fewer rights when buying in this way mainly because there is no legal requirement for a car to be of satisfactory quality or fit for purpose.

“The HPI Safety Recall Check is there to help car buyers, so they can check against their vehicle’s number plate to find out if their car is subject to a recall, allowing them to benefit from free repairs and helping manufacturers to enhance safety records and boost successful repair figures.”

For the quickest and simplest way to check for a vehicle recall visit https://hpicheck.com/recall-check

ENDS