"Runs great, minor cosmetic, title in hand, serious buyers only." Every phrase in a listing means something. Paste it here with the VIN. You get the red flags in plain words, what a fair price band looks like for that year and mileage, the questions to text the seller, and the inspection list to bring — before you drive across town.
Free decode
Copy the whole ad — title, description, price, mileage. Add the VIN if it's shown; it unlocks the recall check.
Why this exists
Most buyers read the photos and the price. Dealers read the words: "title in hand" vs. "clean title", "no test drives", "cash only". This takes thirty seconds and saves a wasted trip — or a wasted $9,000.
How it works
The whole listing. The VIN unlocks the official recall check and catches title-washing clues.
What each phrase usually means, what's missing (service history? accident?), and a typical price band for that year and miles.
The questions to text the seller first, and the inspection checklist to bring — or hand to a mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection.
Plans
One listing, or every listing while you shop.
This listing, fully decoded, with the negotiation script and a printable inspection sheet.
Unlimited decodes while you shop. Cancel the day you buy.
Branded decoder for your auto-loan members.
All prices in USD, handled by Stripe. The free decode never goes behind a paywall.
Common questions
No — Used Car Decoder reads the listing, not the car. It flags red-flag phrases, shows what's missing from the ad, and gives a typical price band for that year and mileage, but it can't see the vehicle or verify its condition. Always get a pre-purchase inspection before paying.
The first decode is free, as stated in the tool's description. The material doesn't say anything about how or whether pasted listings or VINs are stored, so that isn't something we can confirm here.
It links you to the official NHTSA recall check so you can look it up yourself. Recall status must be checked directly at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the tool doesn't pull or confirm that data itself.
No. The tool cannot access title or accident databases. For that, the material points to a paid report like Carfax or AutoCheck, or the NMVTIS.
The price band is a typical market figure for that year and mileage, not an appraisal of the specific car. Actual value varies by region and condition, so use it as a starting point, not a final number.
No — Used Car Decoder analiza el anuncio, no el vehículo. Señala frases de alerta, indica qué información falta en el anuncio y da un rango de precio típico para ese año y kilometraje, pero no puede ver el carro ni verificar su condición. Siempre debe conseguir una inspección previa a la compra antes de pagar.
El primer análisis es gratuito, según lo indica la descripción de la herramienta. El material no menciona nada sobre cómo o si se guardan los anuncios o el VIN que usted pega, así que eso no es algo que podamos confirmarle aquí.
La herramienta lo enlaza a la verificación oficial de retiros de NHTSA para que usted mismo lo consulte. El estado del retiro debe confirmarse directamente en nhtsa.gov/recalls, ya que la herramienta no obtiene ni confirma esa información por sí misma.
No. La herramienta no puede acceder a bases de datos de título ni de accidentes. Para eso, el material recomienda usar un informe pagado como Carfax o AutoCheck, o el NMVTIS.
El rango de precio es una cifra típica del mercado para ese año y kilometraje, no una tasación del carro específico. El valor real varía según la región y la condición del vehículo, así que úselo como punto de partida y no como cifra final.
Built by the same team, free to try.