Vehicle Data & Methodology

CarScout combines AutoTrader market snapshots with NHTSA safety records and EPA fuel-economy ratings. Check the source, date, and sample size before using a figure to compare vehicles or support a buying decision.

Data Sources & Methodology

Available data varies by vehicle, model year, and source.

NHTSA

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

CarScout uses NHTSA public APIs for recall campaigns and consumer complaints by make, model, and year. These records provide context; they do not establish whether a particular vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Safety recall campaigns by make, model, and year
Consumer complaints (crash, fire, injury, fatality counts)

Update frequency: Market-page records can be cached for up to 30 days. Check NHTSA for current VIN-specific recall information.

EPA

Environmental Protection Agency

CarScout uses EPA reference ratings for fuel economy and vehicle specifications. Ratings depend on the engine and transmission configuration; actual consumption depends on driving conditions.

Combined, city, and highway MPG ratings
Annual fuel cost estimates
Engine displacement, cylinder count, transmission type
CO2 emissions and smog ratings

Update frequency: Reference data is refreshed when its cache expires, up to 90 days, during a collection run.

AutoTrader

Public market snapshots

Public market pages use AutoTrader aggregates for the model years and trims in our catalog. The latest successful snapshot records a listing sample, not every vehicle for sale in the United States.

Listing counts by model year and supported trim groups
Average asking prices where the source provides enough data
Mileage estimates where the source provides mileage buckets
Dated snapshots for supported historical comparisons

Update frequency: Collection is scheduled weekly. Use the snapshot date shown on each page; a failed collection can leave an older snapshot in place.

Coverage

Coverage follows our vehicle catalog and the data available in each successful collection.

Catalog models

Vehicle Coverage

Model year

Comparison Unit

Nationwide

Listing Sample

Weekly

Collection Schedule

Update Schedule

How data flows from source to publication.

1
Source Collection
Public market snapshots come from AutoTrader. Safety and fuel-economy records come from NHTSA and EPA public APIs. Paid scout matches use a separate MarketCheck feed and are not part of this public dataset.
2
Verification & Standardization
Source records are matched to catalog makes, models, and years. The collection process applies range and consistency checks. It cannot independently verify a seller's description, condition, or asking price.
3
Storage
Successful collections create dated snapshots. Historical charts use the snapshots available for that vehicle. A gap in collection does not mean there were no listings or that prices stayed the same.
4
Publication
Public pages show the latest available snapshot and its date. Counts can change between collection and your visit. Confirm any individual car's availability and price directly with its seller.

How to read a market snapshot

Use the figures as a comparison sample, not a valuation or a promise of availability.

Compare the same model year and trim where possible. An average across different years, engines, mileage, or condition can hide the difference that matters to you. Recent model years can include both new and used inventory.

An asking price is what a seller advertises. It is not a completed sale price or an out-the-door quote. Taxes, fees, transport, and repairs can change your total cost. The cheapest listing in a sample is not a reliable target price.

Small samples and missing values limit a comparison. A blank figure means the data is unavailable, not zero. Mileage estimates derived from source buckets are approximate. Changes in the mix of listings can move an average even when no individual car changes price.

When citing a figure, include the vehicle, model year or trim, listing count, snapshot date, and source-page link. Do not describe an older snapshot as today's inventory.

Citation Guide

Use any of the following formats when citing CarScout data. Replace bracketed placeholders with actual values.

APA

CarScout. (2026). [Page title]. Retrieved from [URL]

MLA

"[Page title]." CarScout, [date], [URL].

BibTeX

@misc{carscout2026,
  author = {CarScout},
  title  = {[Page title]},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {[URL]},
  note   = {Accessed: [date]}
}

License

How you may use CarScout data and images.

Chart Images

All chart images generated by CarScout are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). You are free to share and adapt these images for any purpose, including commercial use, provided you give appropriate credit.

Data Compilations

Factual data compilations (pricing statistics, recall counts, fuel economy figures) are free to cite with attribution. Link back to the source page on CarScout when possible.

Attribution Format

When attributing, use: "Source: CarScout (usecarscout.com)" or include a direct link to the relevant page.

Explore Our Data

Tools and pages built on the datasets described above.