The whole
toolbox
Every tool we have, from the first look at a car to the paperwork at the desk, and after you drive it home.
Check the car
Before you fall for it: the record, the years and the miles.
Check a car
Pick the year, make and model for the verdict, recalls, crash ratings, fuel cost and the top problem parts.
Free
Find a car by its VIN
Type the 17 characters off the windshield or the title and we look up which car it is.
FreeRead by NHTSA’s free VIN decoder. We do not keep it.
Odometer check
Type the miles on a car to see which problem zones it has already reached.
Car Hunt PassOn every year page
Every owner complaint
Every part owners complain about, and what they wrote to NHTSA.
Car Hunt PassOn every year page
Will it outlast the loan
The month each problem zone lands, and what you would still owe then.
Car Hunt PassOn every year page
At the dealer
Before you sign: what to ask, what to offer, the paperwork and what it really costs.
Car report
Every fact we have on a car in one printable report, with room for your notes. Print it or save it as a PDF.
ProOn every year page
Seller kit
The questions to ask the seller, what to check on the test drive, and honest points for the price talk.
Car Hunt PassOn every year page
Offer writer
A polite offer for the seller, ready to send by text or email, with honest reasons from the records and what you found.
Car Hunt PassOn every year page
Dealer offer X ray
The real APR on a dealer's offer, the lines you can say no to, and money the sheet hides.
Car Hunt PassReal APR free
True cost to own
What a car costs a month and over 5 years: the loan, fuel from EPA figures, and your own insurance and upkeep.
Car Hunt PassOn every year page
Payment calculator
Your monthly payment, the total, and how long you would owe more than the car is worth.
Free
Learn
How car loans work, in short lessons.
Car loan guide
Short lessons on APR, long loans, your credit, dealer add ons, leasing and refinancing.
Free
Keep watch
While you hunt and after it is home: your notes, your best pick, its recalls and its service log.
My Garage
Park the cars you are weighing up, 10 on a pass and 25 on Pro, see their recalls at a glance and compare any three.
Car Hunt Pass
Deal notes
Keep the asking price, the seller, where you stand and your own notes on each car you park.
Car Hunt Pass
Best pick
We rank the cars in your garage on their federal records and your prices, and name the one to beat.
Car Hunt Pass
Service log
Every oil change, repair and recall fix on the car you bought, and what it costs you to keep.
Pro
What the plans open
The verdict on every car is free for good. A Car Hunt Pass opens the deeper checks, the seller kit, the offer writer and the true cost to own for a car hunt. Pro keeps them open all year and adds the car report, a service log for the car you buy, garage downloads, a bigger garage and email alerts.