Tech Startup Uses Machine Learning to Track Owners of Recalled Vehicles

A startup company called Recall Masters is using machine learning to track owners of recalled vehicles, Entrepreneur.com reports. When an automaker issues a recall, it is usually up to the dealerships to reach out to affected customers and inform them about the safety recall. But, this doesn’t always work out because vehicles often change hands, leaving records out of date. Dealers aren’t always able to provide vehicle owners with this vital, potentially life-saving information. Enter programmer Chris Miller, founder of Recall Masters.

How Machine Learning Works

A company that employs about 20 people and a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., Recall Masters collects data from more than 50 different sources and then uses machine learning to analyze it. Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence that provides computers with the capability to learn without being explicitly programmed.

Machine learning focuses on the development of computer programs that can change when exposed to new data. Using this technology, the startup says it can determine if a vehicle qualifies for a recall and who its current owner is, even if it has been resold multiple times. It does that by poring over billions of transactions. Miller calls this process “digital forensics.” This makes it possible for dealerships to contact those vehicle owners and get them in to have their recalls fixed.

The Need for Such a Solution

Without question, there is a need for such technology. Take the example of the Takata recall. Some deaths could have been prevented had there been a way to notify owners. In one incident, a woman died in a Honda car that her son bought in an auction. There was no way for her to know that it was recalled for a defective airbag. So far 16 people have died as a result of airbag inflators that could shoot out shrapnel at vehicle occupants. Recall Masters data shows that 61 million vehicles were recalled in 2016 setting a record for the most vehicles recalled in a single calendar year.

Millions of vehicles running on our roadways are currently unrepaired and have serious safety issues. We certainly hope that this technology evolves for the better and that Recall Masters is successful in helping dealers locate current vehicle owners so they can be given vital safety information. As auto defect attorneys who help protect the rights of injured victims and their families, we hope this technology will help save lives.