A defect report is the written record a driver makes when a walkaround check, or the journey itself, turns up a fault. It tells the person who deals with repairs which vehicle has the problem, what the problem is and how bad the driver thinks it is. DVSA sets out what a report should contain in its walkaround guidance for vans and for HGVs, and in its Guide to maintaining roadworthiness for operators.
Who has to report defects
DVSA's van guidance says drivers must record and report defects if they drive for a business that holds an operator licence. That covers defects found on the daily check and any that appear during the journey. The HGV guidance says to report defects in writing to the person in your organisation who is in charge of sorting them out.
The roadworthiness guide puts the matching duty on the operator. It expects a system for drivers to report anything that could affect roadworthiness, and a record of how each defect was put right before the vehicle was used again. Reports should reach a responsible person with enough authority to act on them, up to taking the vehicle out of service.
If your vans sit outside operator licensing, the expectation is similar. HSE's guidance on keeping work vehicles safe asks employers to have a procedure for reporting defects, to get defects fixed promptly and to make it clear that unsafe vehicles must not be driven. A written report is the simplest way to show that procedure works.
What a defect report must include
The van and HGV walkaround pages list the same six items. Every report should show:
- the registration or identification mark of the vehicle
- the date
- details of the defects or symptoms
- the driver's assessment of each defect, for example "dangerous"
- the driver's name
- who the defect was reported to
The roadworthiness guide adds two more items for whoever handles the repair: the work done to put the defect right and the date it was completed. A report with those two lines filled in tells the whole story of the defect. Without them, there is no record that anything happened.
DVSA publishes example defect report forms as annexes to the roadworthiness guide, including one for light goods vehicles and one for heavy goods vehicles. Both walkaround pages say you can use a form that lists every item checked each day, or your employer's own system.
Saying how serious a defect is
DVSA asks for the driver's own assessment and gives "dangerous" as its example. The walkaround pages do not give drivers a fixed scale of categories to choose from. They are clear about the serious end, though:
- If you find a defect during a journey, stop somewhere safe, then assess it and report it.
- A dangerous defect must be fixed before you carry on.
- The roadworthiness guide says defects that make a vehicle unroadworthy must be put right before it is used, and a driver who finds a safety defect must not take the vehicle on the road until it has been repaired.
DVSA also publishes a separate guide to how examiners categorise defects at roadside checks and annual tests. That is written for enforcement staff. For a driver's report, plain words work best: say whether you think the vehicle is safe to use, and why.
Using a vehicle in a dangerous condition can lead to an unlimited fine and a prison sentence, according to both walkaround pages. That is why the assessment line matters. It tells the person reading the report whether the vehicle can go out today.
Nil defect reports
Both walkaround pages tell drivers to record "nil" when the check finds nothing wrong. The roadworthiness guide explains why. A nil report is a positive statement that the check was done and the vehicle was free of defects. It helps managers confirm drivers are doing their checks, and it is useful at audit.
The guide says each driver should complete a nil report, or confirm a clear check some other way, where practicable. It recommends keeping nil reports for at least 3 months.
A good report and a vague one
Here is a defect reported two ways. The vehicle, date and people are made up.
Nobody can act on that. There is no registration, no date, no clue which light or what kind of noise, no view on whether the van is safe, and no record of who was told.
| Field | Good report |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | AB12 CDE (van 14) |
| Date | 15 October 2026, 07:05, at the depot before leaving |
| Defect 1 | Nearside front tyre: cut in the sidewall about 2cm long with cord showing. |
| Assessment | Dangerous. Van not driven. |
| Defect 2 | Driver's door seal torn along the bottom edge. Door still closes and latches. |
| Assessment | Not dangerous in my view. Needs fixing at the next service. |
| Driver | Sam Taylor |
| Reported to | Workshop manager, by phone at 07:10 and on this form |
| Repair (office) | Tyre replaced 15 October 2026. Door seal booked for service. |
The good report says where the fault is, what it looks like and what the driver did about it. Each defect gets its own assessment, so the office can stop the van for the tyre and book the door seal for later.
A few habits make reports easier to act on:
- Say which side and which wheel, light or door. "Nearside rear" beats "back tyre".
- Describe what you saw or heard, and when it started.
- One defect per line, each with its own assessment.
- Record small fixes you made yourself, such as topping up screenwash. The roadworthiness guide says minor repairs by drivers should go through the defect reporting system too.
After the report: repair and sign-off
The roadworthiness guide describes what should happen once a report is in:
- The report reaches a responsible person who can decide whether the vehicle goes out.
- Any defect that makes the vehicle unroadworthy is put right before it is used. Operators should have a named person responsible for taking unroadworthy vehicles out of service.
- The repair work and the date it was finished are recorded against the report.
- The vehicle is declared roadworthy before it goes back into service. The transport manager or responsible person should review the record first. If that is not possible, the maintenance provider should confirm in writing.
The guide also suggests comparing safety inspection results with drivers' defect reports. Faults found at an inspection that no driver reported can point to walkaround checks that need tightening up.
How long to keep defect reports
For operators, the roadworthiness guide says drivers' defect reports and the repair records that go with them must be kept for at least 15 months. Nil reports should be kept for at least 3 months.
Electronic records are acceptable, provided they hold the essential information, stay available for 15 months with the repair record and can be produced for examination. The guide says walkaround apps should offer digital signatures, secure storage, date and time stamps and nil defect reporting, with a clear audit trail.
If you are not an operator licence holder, these sources do not set a retention period for you. Keeping reports for the same 15 months is a sensible baseline, because it gives you evidence if a defect is ever questioned.
Where VCT fits
VCT puts the walkaround check on the driver's phone. Drivers mark each item green, amber or red and add a note. Every red or amber item goes straight to the office and becomes work in a defect queue, with an owner. Critical items stay at the top. A defect only clears when a later check marks the same item green. Every check and defect, and how fast each defect was fixed, goes into the compliance pack PDF. See the walkaround check app and our van walkaround checklist. VCT follows DVSA's walkaround check guidance; it is not approved or accredited by DVSA.
Sources
- DVSA: Carry out van daily walkaround checks
- DVSA: Carry out daily heavy goods vehicle (HGV) walkaround checks
- DVSA: Guide to maintaining roadworthiness
- DVSA: Categorisation of defects
- HSE: Make sure vehicles used to drive or ride for work are safe
Checked on 14 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.