History reports tell you where a car has been. Pricing guides tell you what it should cost. A mechanic tells you what shape it's in today. We answer the one question left: should you buy it?
Carfax, AutoCheck • typically $25–$45
Track what happened to one specific VIN — accidents, title problems, odometer rollbacks. Essential before you sign, but they say nothing about whether that model year is reliable or what it costs to own.
KBB, Edmunds • free
Tell you what a car should sell for. Free because they're funded by dealer advertising and referral fees — and a fair price on an unreliable car is still a bad buy.
Pre-purchase inspection • typically $100–$200
The gold standard for the physical condition of the car in front of you. Worth every penny on a finalist — far too expensive to run on every car you're considering.
We analyze the car you're actually looking at — its year, make, model, the price you were quoted, and the mileage on the odometer — and score it 0–100 with a clear buy/avoid verdict. Reliability, known issues, recalls, depreciation, insurance, and five-year ownership cost, in one PDF, in minutes.
Use us first. For $8 you find out which cars deserve a $45 history report and a $150 inspection — and which ones you can cross off before spending anything more.
| ClearCar Score | History Report | Pricing Guide | Inspection | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buy/avoid verdict for your price & mileage | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Reliability & known issues for the model year | ✓ | — | Partial | — |
| 5-year ownership cost (insurance, maintenance, depreciation) | ✓ | — | Partial | — |
| Accident & title history for the VIN | — | ✓ | — | — |
| Physical condition of the actual car | — | — | — | ✓ |
| No dealer advertising or referral fees | ✓ | — | — | ✓ |
| Cost | $8 | $25–$45 | Free | $100–$200 |
| Turnaround | Minutes | Instant | Instant | Days |
We're not a replacement for a history report or an inspection — we're how you decide which cars are worth them.
Most free car-shopping tools make their money from dealers — advertising, listing fees, lead referrals. That doesn't make them dishonest, but it shapes what they're built to do: keep you shopping.
ClearCar Score has no dealer relationships. Your $8 is our only revenue on your report, so the verdict has exactly one job: be right for you. If the data says walk away, the report says walk away.
Get the score and verdict first. Spend the big money only on cars that earn it.
Analyze My Car →