Heydealer's AI 'eye' finds hidden repair marks on 5,800 used cars

Heydealer said Thursday that its AI vehicle diagnostic solution, Heydealer eye, found repair marks not listed on official performance records in about 38 percent of the roughly 15,000 certified used cars it inspected between January and early September.

Heydealer eye diagnosed a total of 15,236 certified used cars during the period, and 5,823 of them showed signs of repainting, panel work or other repairs that were not recorded on their performance records. Of those, 2,792 vehicles had no repainting or panel-work history listed on their records at all, while the remaining 3,031 vehicles had additional repair areas beyond what was already recorded.

Heydealer eye is a vehicle diagnostic solution that uses AI to analyze thermal imaging data and visualize repair marks such as repainting and panel work. A robotic arm equipped with a thermal camera scans the entire vehicle surface by section, and AI analyzes the data to highlight areas showing signs of repair. Heydealer publishes the analysis results alongside its certified used car listings, allowing consumers to check them before making a purchase.

Actual diagnostic cases revealed vehicle conditions that would have been difficult to detect using existing records alone. One vehicle had no repainting or panel-work history listed on its performance record, but the eye diagnosis found signs of repainting in more than 10 different areas.

Heydealer said it provides the eye analysis results alongside performance records so that consumers can more thoroughly examine a vehicle's condition before buying a used car. The system analyzes the entire vehicle surface by section and presents the results as images. This lets buyers directly check for signs of repainting or panel work that would be difficult to identify from existing information alone, and factor that into their purchasing decisions.

"Heydealer eye is a solution that provides diagnostic information so consumers can directly examine vehicle conditions that were previously difficult to verify using performance-check information alone," a Heydealer official said. "We will continue to advance our AI-based vehicle diagnostic technology to create an environment where consumers can choose used cars based on sufficient information."

Meanwhile, Heydealer introduced its Zero Worry-Free Purchase policy in June, reflecting feedback from member dealers. The policy focuses on improving diagnostic accuracy and expanding compensation for diagnostic errors, aiming to create an environment where both member dealers and customers selling vehicles can trade with confidence.

Heydealer Zero is a used car purchasing service in which professional appraisers directly inspect vehicles before they go to auction. Since its launch in 2021, the service has grown by minimizing the need for face-to-face dealings with dealers, and currently maintains a customer satisfaction rate of about 94 percent.