Mind the Gap: Why the UK Motor Trade Must Close the ADAS Confidence Crisis

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The Trust Gap: A System Failure in Communication

The DG Cities study is a damning snapshot. Around 25% of motorists reported dissatisfaction with their vehicle’s ADAS features. Even more worryingly, 1 in 10 doubted the accuracy of those systems. That’s hardly reassuring in a climate where semi-automation is positioned as a key part of the driving future.

The problem? Muddled messaging, inconsistent terminology, and lack of hands-on explanation. Lara Suraci, a behavioural scientist with DG Cities, suggests the variance in how different manufacturers deploy and market ADAS is central to the confusion.

In one brand, lane centring is a subtle nudge. In another, it’s more akin to ping-pong between the white lines. From interface design to audible alerts, the experience can vary wildly—and buyers aren’t prepared for it.

“This variance between car makers risks confusing customers who shop around,” said Balázs Csuvár, DG Cities’ director of innovation. And since few brands make ADAS a sales headline, there’s little incentive to educate buyers at the point of handover.

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What Thatcham, Ombudsmen, and Dealers Really Think

Yousif Al-Ani, Principal Engineer of ADAS at Thatcham Research, pulls no punches,

Models that appear to be relatively new may be using old technologies,

he warns. Budget cars often receive legacy systems due to cost pressures and limited processing power.

In other words: a brand-new car doesn’t always mean state-of-the-art assistance. But most consumers assume it does.

The Motor Ombudsman is attempting to raise standards. Its new code of practice requires dealers to offer explanations of ADAS functions at the point of handover. According to Managing Director Bill Fennell, this isn’t about tutorials or deep technical dives—just clarity. Buyers should leave the dealership understanding what their car’s systems do, and crucially, what they don’t.

But not all dealers are on board. One used car dealer told Autocar:

To say we must train customers to understand their car’s ADAS features could make us liable in the event that one of them has an accident.”

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Undercover Findings: What Buyers Actually Hear

In a mystery shopping exercise, Autocar sent a reporter to five dealerships posing as a buyer. The results were revealing:

• VW Dealer: Accurately described ADAS as assistance only, not automation.
• Ford Dealer: Identified that BlueCruise (in the Mustang Mach-E) was the brand’s only semi-autonomous offering.
• Mini Dealer: Delivered a well-informed and thorough explanation.
• Vauxhall Dealer: Confused lane keeping with lane centring.
• Used Car Supermarket: Didn’t know the term ADAS but did list the car’s tech from a spec sheet.

That inconsistency reflects the market. With so much variance in features, naming conventions, and interfaces, how can buyers form a realistic picture?

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ADAS as a Trade Issue, Not Just a Tech One

Here’s where the UK motor industry must wake up. ADAS is not just a feature. It’s a liability consideration, a training issue, a value differentiator and a potential compliance risk.

For Sales Teams:

• Make ADAS part of the script. Understanding adaptive cruise, lane assist, and emergency braking should be as routine as explaining fuel type.

For Technicians:

• Know your calibration. Many ADAS components (especially cameras and radar units) must be recalibrated after windscreen replacement, suspension work, or even wheel alignment.

For Dealer Principals:

• Invest in proper training. ADAS shouldn’t just be a pop-up on a service tablet. Staff need to know what systems do, what can go wrong, and how to articulate that to customers.

For Fleet Operators:

• Understand the insurance impact. Some providers offer reduced premiums for vehicles with verified, functioning ADAS. Others penalise fleets that fail to maintain or recalibrate them.

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Real-World Failures: When ADAS Doesn’t Deliver

There are growing examples of misused or misunderstood ADAS leading to near-misses or collisions. In 2022, a driver in a near-new premium SUV assumed lane centring meant the car would actively steer. It didn’t—it warned, not corrected. The vehicle drifted and clipped a bollard.

Insurance claim forms often include terms like “driver assumed the vehicle would intervene.”

That’s not a failure of tech. That’s a failure of communication.

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The Fix: Better Labelling, Better Language

There’s now a push within the industry to adopt universal terminology. Thatcham, Euro NCAP, and Global NCAP are calling for:

• Standardised names for common ADAS features
• Clear separation between “assistance” and “automation”
• Simple icons and alerts across brands

Imagine if all brands used the same symbols and phrases for blind-spot detection, auto braking, or adaptive cruise. That kind of consistency could close the trust gap significantly.

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Final Word: Trust Is a Feature Too

ADAS isn’t a gimmick. It’s part of the modern car’s safety net. But like any safety feature, it’s only effective if the driver understands and trusts it.

For the UK motor trade, this isn’t about upselling tech. It’s about earning trust. That means being honest, informed, and unafraid to say what the tech can’t do. In a showroom world driven by touchscreen demos and glossy brochures, it’s the quiet conversations that might just keep people safe.