CarScope

About

CarScope is a free browser extension that helps you make smarter used car buying decisions on CarGurus — without paying for a  subscription.

  Open any CarGurus listing and CarScope instantly shows you what dealers don't advertise.

  ─── SAFETY ───
  ⚠️ NHTSA Recalls — see every open safety recall for the exact make, model, and year. Expandable with campaign links and remedy  descriptions.

  💬 NHTSA Complaints — real owner-reported issues flagged by crash, fire, or injury severity.

  🔑 VIN Decode — full manufacturer spec sheet decoded from the 17-character VIN: plant, engine, series, restraint systems, and more.

  ─── PRICE INTELLIGENCE ───
  📊 Price History — CarScope silently tracks the listed price every time you visit a saved car. See if the price is rising or falling.

  🔔 Drop Alerts — get a desktop notification the moment a saved car's price goes down, even when the browser is closed.

  🔄 Auto-Refresh — prices update automatically in the background every 24 hours, or on demand.

  ─── BUYING TOOLS ───
  💰 Monthly Cost Estimate — instant loan calculator with adjustable down payment (10/20/30%), loan term (48/60/72 months), and APR (5/7/9%). Includes estimated monthly fuel cost.

  📋 Pre-Purchase Checklist — a structured checklist covering everything to do before and during the dealer visit. Shareable with □  checkboxes for your phone or a printout.

  ⚖️ Side-by-Side Comparison — compare up to 3 saved cars across price, mileage, year, fuel economy, drivetrain, deal rating, and recalls.

  📤 Share Shortlist — copy your entire shortlist as formatted plain text: price, dealer, phone, MPG, deal rating, notes, and a clean
   link — ready to paste anywhere.

  ─── ORGANIZATION ───
  🚗 Save & Track — save any listing with one click. Add star ratings, notes, and tags (Top Pick, Test Drive, Inspect, Negotiate,
  Issues, Pass). Filter by visit status.

  🕒 Browsing History — recently viewed cars are automatically logged so you can go back and save them later.

  ─── PRIVACY ───
  CarScope never collects, transmits, or stores your data on any server. Everything stays in your browser. No account required.

  ─── DATA SOURCES ───
  All data comes from free public APIs:
  • NHTSA Recalls API (api.nhtsa.gov) — no key required
  • NHTSA Complaints API (api.nhtsa.gov) — no key required
  • NHTSA VIN Decode / vPIC API (vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov) — no key required

  ─── SUPPORTED SITES ───
  • CarGurus (cargurus.com, cargurus.ca) — full support
  • AutoTrader UK, AutoScout24 — partial support, more coming

  ─── FROM THE SAME DEVELOPER ───
  Also by Risa Studio: StayScope (Airbnb/Booking.com assistant) and HomeScope (Taiwan real estate assistant).