Three of the UK’s leading vehicle provenance check providers have joined the free-to-use electronic vehicle safety recall system, ReCare, to help verify the accuracy of recall data in the system.

The ReCare programme has been established by online solutions provider Ebbon-Dacs in conjunction with the BVRLA and will provide a single location for manufacturers to list their safety recall notifications. 

Leasing and rental companies who are BVRLA members or their appointed agents can then retrieve lists of vehicles affected by a recall by uploading their own fleet data. 

Vehicle provenance check providers, CDL Vehicle Information Services (CDL VIS), Experian and HPI, have now confirmed that they will be carrying out free of charge online checks to ensure that VIN-based recall data from manufacturers matches registration number information submitted by fleet operators.

This will ensure that data returned to fleet operators relating to recalled vehicles will be as accurate as possible. In pre- go live tests, data accuracy of up to 98% was achieved, thus ensuring that fleet operators using the new scheme can be confident in its accuracy.

The three provenance check providers will each be providing the free vehicle checks and support for the ReCare scheme in annual rotation, with CDL VIS being the first provider.

Roger Powell, divisional head of CDL VIS,  said: “CDL VIS is delighted to be involved with this great initiative, alongside Experian and HPI who will be providing this service for years two and three, and fully support this scheme , which can only benefit the industry with safety being the key.”

Robert Pilkington, managing director of Ebbon-Dacs’ Leaselink division, said the provenance check providers had given their full backing and support to the ReCare scheme.

“We have been delighted with the ease with which we have been able to work with the provenance check providers on both management and technical levels, and with the accuracy of their checking procedures,” he said.

“For example, we have tested data with CDL, the first company to be involved in the scheme over the coming 12 months, and delivered a 98% match to a major fleet’s data file.

“CDL, Experian and HPI all believe in Ebbon-Dacs’ philosophy that ReCare should be provided at no cost, for the good of the industry, and have said how delighted they are to be involved.

“When the scheme goes lives, the provenance check providers will receive VIN-based safety recall references and descriptions from ReCare and they will use it to enhance existing provenance check services.

“A number of users, including fleet operators and car dealers, must ensure that vehicles they sell do not have outstanding recalls and this free of charge enhancement will be especially valuable to them, “he said.

The ReCare scheme was announced last September after the BVRLA appointed Oxford-based online solutions provider, Ebbon-Dacs, as technology partner to deliver a standardised, free-to-use recall system for its members, who own and operate more than 2.5m vehicles.

Ebbon-Dacs has been working for the last 12 months to develop a web-based vehicle recall system that shows all vehicles subject to a safety recall notification and highlight those fleet vehicles with outstanding recalls to their fleet operator.

Last month saw some of the final testing of the system and this month will see the final reviews being carried out, including final validation of reports with fleet operators and manufacturers, before the system is officially ready to go live, in line with the pre-agreed schedule.

During the process, Ebbon-Dacs has met with companies across the automotive industry, including car and truck manufacturers and fleet operators from both the rental and leasing sectors, to ensure all views were heard and understood.

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