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Yes. The free plan includes 5 full VIN scans per month — no credit card required. Each scan includes VIN decode, NHTSA safety ratings, open recall check, real market value estimate, and EPA fuel economy. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited scans.

CarWise activates automatically on CarMax, Carvana, AutoTrader, Cars.com, CarGurus, Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, TrueCar, CarFax, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace. You can also manually enter any 17-character VIN to run a full decode on any vehicle.

Yes. CarWise queries NHTSA's official recall database and returns all open safety recalls associated with the VIN, including the affected component and whether the remedy is currently available at dealers.

The market value estimate uses manufacturer-specific depreciation curves adjusted for vehicle age and mileage to produce private party, trade-in, and dealer retail ranges. It's a solid data-anchored baseline for negotiating — not a paid vehicle history report, but close enough to spot a bad deal immediately.

F&I (Finance & Insurance) is the dealership finance office, where buyers are often pressured into add-ons like extended warranties, GAP insurance, and paint protection. CarWise explains each product — what it covers, what it costs, and whether it's worth buying — so you can save $1,000–$3,000 at signing.

No. CarWise uses only official government APIs (NHTSA, EPA) and does not collect, store, or sell your browsing data. VIN lookups are not linked to your identity unless you create an account.