REAL AI HAS COME TO YOUR CAR, FINALLY RETURNING FREEDOM TO DRIVERS
SPARQ Diagnostics Makes the Dream of Automotive AI a Reality, Serving as a Personalized In-Car Mechanic for Most Cars on the Road Today
The Entire Car's DNA – Warranty, Recalls, Past and Future Service – Come Together in One Experience, Saving Drivers Time and Money
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars were built to give the freedom of the open road to drivers, but that freedom has become increasingly shrouded by the rising costs of ownership, repairs, service and the closed systems created by some manufacturers. Irvine-based startup SPARQ is reimagining the relationship we have with our cars with SPARQ Diagnostics – a small device that serves as a personalized AI mechanic for most vehicles on the road today1, allowing drivers to talk directly with their cars to find existing issues and soon, predict them before they happen.
SPARQ Diagnostics, which made its world debut in late 2024 as the official automotive AI partner of the Los Angeles Auto Show, offers the depth and quality of vehicle data comparable to $10,000-plus commercial-grade on-board diagnostics (OBD II) scanners, and sells without the annual or monthly service fees of other consumer OBD II devices – costs that can, over the average length of car ownership, balloon to more than $1,000.
Unveiled at a special event in Los Angeles, SPARQ Diagnostics capabilities have now expanded to include full AI support – allowing drivers, through their phones, to directly converse with their cars in the ways they want: including voice ("Why is my check engine light on?"), text ("Here's an estimate from my mechanic. Do I need all this?"), image (Share a pic of a dashboard indicator light and ask "what does this mean?") or even sound (Share a recording of that strange engine noise and ask "what's wrong?").
Another newly announced feature, called "Timelapse," gives drivers a chronological timeline of the entire life of their car: past, present and future, all in one place. Timelapse allows drivers to view past repairs and associated costs, open recalls and – crucially – what upcoming services are needed, when they should happen, and even estimates on how much they should cost.
"There's a reason most owner's manuals are collecting dust," said Daniel Nieh, co-founder of SPARQ. "You can't ask your 400-page owner's manual why you're hearing a clicking sound under the hood, or if your current tires need to be rotated. SPARQ Diagnostics gives freedom of ownership back to drivers by helping them both understand and prepare for repairs or service, eliminating the endless Googling or inevitable upcharges at the mechanic shop."
"Glovebox," a menu within the new SPARQ experience, replaces the pile of forgotten paperwork in many drivers' cars, allowing them to upload images of their insurance policy, driver's license and other documents. These documents then inform tailored insights, such as whether or not a detected problem or upcoming service recommendation is covered under the driver's current insurance policy.
"AI is ubiquitous today, but it hasn't meant a whole lot for drivers until now," said Codrin Cobzaru, co-founder and technical lead at SPARQ. "Cars are some of the most sophisticated machines that have ever been built, and SPARQ's AI and Timelapse features unlock all the amazing secrets stored inside your car in a way that feels as simple and familiar as your favorite food delivery app."
For drivers unsure or wary of getting their car serviced, SPARQ will use geolocation and aggregated search results to suggest the best-reviewed service centers in the area. Drivers can even use SPARQ's AI capabilities to ask whether or not anyone has had issues with specific repairs at that service center, based on past reviews and feedback.
The retail price of SPARQ Diagnostics is $499, without annual fees or subscription costs. But to demonstrate a commitment to forever changing the car service industry, SPARQ is providing the device to drivers free for a limited time. And since customer privacy is central to SPARQ's business, the company does not sell or transfer any user data to third parties or insurance companies.
Drivers interested in learning more about SPARQ, or ordering SPARQ Diagnostics, can visit joinsparq.com.
About SPARQ
SPARQ is reimagining the relationship drivers have with their cars. The Irvine, Calif.-based startup is debuting its device and service, SPARQ Diagnostics, to a ripe car servicing industry desperately in need of an upgrade. Tracking more than 50,000 vehicle codes – more than any consumer diagnostics device ever to hit the market – SPARQ pairs AI personalization to every driver based on their unique behavior and vehicle. Offering the vehicle's health score and proactively identifying potential maintenance or service in simple, everyday language, SPARQ gives a voice to the second-biggest purchase we make in our lifetimes.
1All North American vehicles, model year 2010 and beyond (1996 and beyond soon)
CONTACT
Dan Mazei
All Tangled Roots, for SPARQ
dan@alltangledroots.com
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SOURCE SPARQ, Inc.