Deal Score
Is this a good deal?
Enter a VIN or a year, make and model, tell us the miles and what they're asking, and we'll score the car out of 100 across six things that actually decide whether it's a good buy. Then we say it plainly: buy it, think about it, or walk.
Your score shows up here
You'll get a 0-100 score, the price we think is fair, the red flags worth chasing, and a plain buy, consider or pass.
Two scores
A great car can still be a bad deal.
That's why Car Dogs keeps them separate. One score is about the vehicle. The other is about the paperwork in front of you.
How good is this specific deal?
Asking price against the market, mileage, condition, history and recalls, fees and financing, and cost to own. Enter a vehicle and a price and you get a live score out of 100.
- Asking price vs market
- Mileage and condition
- History and open recalls
- Fees and financing
- Cost to own
How good is this vehicle?
The car itself, regardless of price: reliability, safety, ownership cost, resale and practicality — plus how well it works for a dog. Read it on the vehicle research and comparison pages.
- Reliability
- Safety
- Ownership cost
- Resale
- Practicality and dog-friendliness
How the score works
Six things decide whether a car is a good buy.
What the six sub-scores mean
The total is a weighted blend, not an average. Price and market value carry the most weight because that is where most of the money is won or lost, and cost to own is included because a cheap car with 19 MPG and steep depreciation is not actually cheap.
- Price — the asking price against our own estimate of fair value for this exact age, mileage and condition.
- Market value — where the asking price lands on our published excellent / good / fair / too-expensive ladder.
- Mileage — miles per year against the 12,000-mile norm, which is what lenders and appraisers use.
- Equipment — factory equipment and safety features we can confirm from the VIN with the government decoder.
- History and recalls — open NHTSA safety recalls, plus an age adjustment as factory coverage runs out.
- Cost to own — EPA combined MPG against the segment, and the depreciation we expect over the next five years.
Where our numbers come from
We do not resell a paid market-data feed, and we are not going to pretend to know what every car in the country sold for last week. Instead we publish the model so you can check our work.
Vehicle facts and factory equipment come from the federal VIN decoder. Open safety recalls come from NHTSA. Fuel economy comes from the EPA. Fair value comes from a Car Dogs benchmark: a depreciation curve by segment and age, a mileage adjustment against 12,000 miles a year, a brand resale adjustment, and a condition adjustment. California tax and fee figures come from our own registration and doc-fee math.
- Every price on the page is an estimate, not an appraisal and not an offer.
- If you enter the original sticker price, the estimate tightens up noticeably.
- Nothing we can't source gets printed — no invented accident history, owner counts or incentives.
How to use the verdict
A BUY means the numbers hold up and there is nothing structural to fear. A CONSIDER means it can work, but something on the list needs answering first — usually price, miles or an open recall. A PASS means the money does not make sense at that ask.
None of that replaces a pre-purchase inspection. The score tells you whether the deal is worth pursuing; a mechanic tells you whether that specific car is sound. Do both, in that order, and you will almost never get burned.
Where the data comes from
Public sources, published model, no black box.
NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder
Year, make, model, trim, body class, engine, drivetrain and factory safety equipment.
NHTSA recalls database
Open safety recalls by year, make and model.
EPA fuel economy data
Combined MPG used in the cost-to-own score and the five-year fuel estimate.
California DMV fee schedule
Registration, title and value-based fees, plus the state doc-fee cap.
Questions we get
Straight answers about the score.
Is the Car Dogs Score free?
Yes, and there is nothing to sign up for. Score as many cars as you like. Our partners pay us only if you choose an introduction, so the score never gets tilted to sell you something.
Is your price estimate the same as a market value report?
No. It is our own transparent estimate built from a published depreciation model, mileage and condition adjustments, and a brand resale adjustment. We show you the formula on the methodology page. Treat it as a strong starting point for negotiation, not an appraisal.
Why does the score change when I enter the original MSRP?
Because the whole estimate starts from what the car cost new. Without the sticker we estimate it from the segment and brand tier, which is close but broad. With the real MSRP the estimate gets a lot tighter.
Do open recalls mean I should walk away?
Usually not. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer for that brand, with no mileage limit and no expiration. The real risk is parts back-order, so ask whether the parts are in stock and have the seller complete the work before delivery.
Does a high score mean the car is mechanically sound?
No. The score judges the deal — price, miles, equipment, recalls and running costs. It cannot see a worn transmission or a bad repair. Always get a pre-purchase inspection before you hand over money.
Can a real person look at my deal?
Yes, and it is free. Send us the car and the numbers and a real Car Dog will come back within one business day with what we would do, including what to counter with.
Ask a Car Dog (AI)
Ask anything about your car decision
Straight answer first, then the reasoning — free, and it remembers what you've already told us.
Rather talk to a person? Chat with a real Car Dog — free, and we'll carry this over.