Re: This needs some input from the DVLR
I imagine Ford et al have to access that information for any serious recall.
The facility therefore already exists for them to poll such data, and spot ownership changes. If DVLA provided a "trigger" for such events automatically (rather than continuous polling) they could easily provide such to the manufacturers. And there would be any number of good reasons to.
The DVLA are actually quite modern nowadays. Insurance, MOT, driving licence, etc. data are all available online via APIs (maybe only to closed companies like AskMID and hire companies but they are there!). And, as people point out, you can even cross your passport and driving licence photos and data for renewing them.
It wouldn't be a big stretch for DVLA to offer an API to the major motor manufacturers (who presumably don't send CSVs of all the new car registrations / serials etc. to the DVLA as they build them but have some kind of API!) to allow them to query all such ownership changes and archive their data making the car available to register again. They don't even need to "notify" anyone who hasn't asked to be notified (e.g. the new owner, no, the old owner who had an account, maybe so!). They just wait for someone to try to register their "new" car again.
To be honest, the tech to register these cars should at least be matching the level of tech in them in the first place, or there's something incredibly awry.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
