About CarTold
Before you spend money on a used car, find out what owners have reported, what the manufacturer has recalled, and what still needs checking.
Start with the model. Then check the car.
CarTold brings together U.S. recall notices, owner complaints, safety investigations, service bulletins, crash-test ratings and fuel economy figures. Choose a make, model and year to see its records in one report.
Our guides and research help you use those records: which questions to put to the seller, which documents to ask a dealer for, and which concerns to take to an independent mechanic. A model-year report gives you a place to start. The individual car's VIN, service history and inspection fill in the rest.
Find a vehicle report or read the buying guides.
What the evidence can support
A large complaint count cannot tell you how likely a car is to break down. A recall listing cannot tell you whether a particular car needs the repair. We explain these limits beside the figures and link to the sources so you can follow up. We publish no CarTold reliability score and make no claim to have road-tested or inspected the vehicles covered here. Read how we build the reports.
Free to use
You can read the reports and use the tools without an account. Our business is intended to be funded by advertising. Payment does not buy a favorable report, a place in our coverage, or the removal of a finding. Our editorial policy sets out those boundaries.
Who builds CarTold
Tom Smith
Software engineer and data-product builder
CarTold is built and maintained by a software engineer with a background in development and systems integration. The work here is collecting, checking and explaining published records. It does not include hands-on vehicle testing or mechanical diagnosis. For the car you plan to buy, arrange an inspection with a mechanic you choose.