Recalls

If a vehicle is discovered to have a non-conformity or defect causing a serious risk, the vehicle manufacturer, the manufacturer’s representative, importer or distributor (“economic operators”) should take the corrective measures necessary to bring the vehicle into conformity (i.e. to ensure it meets requirements), to withdraw it from the market or to recall is, as appropriate.

The vehicle manufacturer may also organise service campaigns to remedy minor defects or shortcomings. These campaigns do not need to be notified to Traficom or entered in the database.

Recall campaigns concern vehicle categories approved for use in traffic, as defined in the Vehicles Act. These include cars, motorcycles as well as tractors and their trailers, for example.

Recall campaign and vehicle owner

The owner of a vehicle subject to a recall campaign receives a request from the economic operator to take the vehicle for repair to fix the defect or shortcoming. 

If the owner does not get the vehicle fixed despite recall letters, the last letter will be accompanied by a cover letter from Traficom explaining the restrictions that will be entered in the vehicle’s register data.

If a vehicle has not been brought in for repair within eight weeks of the last recall letter, an entry on the incomplete recall will be added to the vehicle’s register data based on the information provided by the economic operator. This restriction entry will cause the vehicle to be rejected in periodic, registration and control inspection.

The entry can be removed, for example, at a vehicle inspection station in connection with a periodic inspection by proving that the campaign repairs have been performed on the vehicle.

If the vehicle is not brought in for repair regardless of requests, Traficom may impose a driving ban on the vehicle.