Cars Vehicle Search

Cars Vehicle Search is a United States Cars.com listings API for keyword and optional ZIP-radius research, returning source-linked vehicle records in one normalized 35-field Dataset.

• United States-focused input: the public country cannot route to an unrelated international market.
• Automatic Cars.com source lock: every focused run is restricted to the named marketplace.
• Optional ZIP-area search: a resolved US ZIP applies a 50-mile Cars.com distance.
• 35 documented fields: absent source values remain empty instead of becoming inferred vehicle facts.

Run a one-result test · View the API page

For the smallest controlled test, use Toyota Camry near 10001, set max_results to 1, and budget at most $0.01900 on the FREE tier for one published item plus Actor Start. The runtime is source-locked to Cars.com; the public Store and API pages were not live during the July 21, 2026 audit and remain a publication gate.

Why Choose This API

Cars.com inventory with automatic source control

Cars Vehicle Search accepts a vehicle keyword and publishes normalized records from public Cars.com inventory. A qualifying result can include price, currency, make, model, trim, year, mileage, body type, fuel, drivetrain, condition, exterior color, VIN, seller or location context, images, listing ID, and a direct Cars.com URL when the source exposes those values.

The public schema is intentionally focused on the United States and does not expose a platform selector. The runtime resolves this Actor to Cars.com before country and location checks, so an input payload cannot broaden a run to another United States marketplace. Use All Vehicle Scraper when multi-source comparison is intentional.

Source-linked, nullable data

Every item uses a common vehicle schema, but no source is required to populate every field. Missing values remain empty. source_url provides the review path for inventory, price, mileage, seller, and vehicle-detail checks.

Cars Vehicle Search is not affiliated with Cars.com. It is not an inspection, title-history service, ownership database, valuation guarantee, financing offer, or dealer-contact enrichment product. Listings can be updated or removed after collection.

Quick Start Guide

How to run a controlled search

1. Open Cars Vehicle Search.
2. Keep country set to United States and enter Toyota Camry.
3. Optionally enter a city or ZIP such as 10001.
4. Set max_results to 1, start the Actor, and confirm platform is Cars.com before increasing volume.

Use the same scenario in the Console and integrations:

{
  "country": "United States",
  "keyword": "Toyota Camry",
  "location": "10001",
  "max_results": 1
}

The keyword is trimmed but not translated, expanded, or replaced. A supplied location must resolve to a US postal code for the Cars.com geographic filter. Omit location for a countrywide search. max_results is a ceiling, not guaranteed inventory.

Input Parameters

Configuration fields

Parameter	Type	Required	Accepted value and behavior
country	string	Yes	United States, the only public country for this focused Actor.
keyword	string	Yes	A non-empty make, model, trim, or vehicle phrase.
location	string	No	US city or ZIP. A resolved ZIP applies a 50-mile Cars.com search distance.
max_results	integer	Yes	1 to 10,000; maximum records returned by the source-locked Cars.com run.

Country, keyword, and max results are required; location remains optional. Source selection is deliberately absent because the focused runtime enforces Cars.com and ignores any attempt to override the source.

Location behavior

Use a five-digit ZIP for the most deterministic geographic input. If a city resolves to a postal code, the normalized ZIP is used. If it does not resolve, the Actor rejects the source for that location rather than labeling countrywide results as local.

Output Data Schema

Complete normalized record

Each result uses 33 vehicle fields plus processor and processed_at, for 35 fields total.

Field group	Fields
Identity	title, listing_id, vin, description
Images	main_image, images
Price	price, currency, price_text
Vehicle	year, make, model, trim, condition, body_type, fuel, transmission, engine, drive_type, exterior_color, interior_color
Mileage	mileage, mileage_unit
Seller and market	seller, seller_type, location, country, platform
Links and dates	source_url, platform_url, official_url, posted_at, updated_at
Processing	processor, processed_at

This abbreviated example shows the contract without representing a current live listing:

{
  "main_image": "https://example.com/cars/toyota-camry.jpg",
  "title": "Used 2021 Toyota Camry XLE",
  "price": 24500,
  "currency": "USD",
  "year": 2021,
  "make": "Toyota",
  "model": "Camry",
  "trim": "XLE",
  "mileage": 58200,
  "mileage_unit": "mi",
  "condition": "used",
  "location": "New York, NY",
  "country": "United States",
  "platform": "Cars.com",
  "source_url": "https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/example/",
  "listing_id": "example",
  "processor": "https://apify.com/username/actor_name",
  "processed_at": "2026-07-21T12:00:00Z"
}

The default Dataset overview exposes all 35 fields. Current export formats are documented by the Dataset items API and include JSON, JSONL, CSV, Excel, XML, HTML, and RSS.

Integration Examples

REST API

The intended owner/name identifier is agentx/cars-vehicle-search. The public Store API returned no current Actor record for this identifier on July 21, 2026, so this README does not invent a numeric Actor ID or reuse old online statistics.

After publication, run the controlled scenario synchronously:

curl -L "https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/agentx~cars-vehicle-search/run-sync-get-dataset-items?maxItems=1" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_TOKEN>" \
  -d '{
    "country": "United States",
    "keyword": "Toyota Camry",
    "location": "10001",
    "max_results": 1
  }'

The official synchronous Actor endpoint documents current authentication, timeout, response, and charge-limit options.

MCP

Apify currently documents a hosted Streamable HTTP MCP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=actors,docs"
    }
  }
}

After the Actor is published, ask the MCP client to find agentx/cars-vehicle-search, inspect its schema, run the one-result Toyota Camry scenario, and retrieve the Dataset item. Cars.com is selected automatically. Running Actors requires authentication. See the Apify MCP guide.

Scheduled and workflow runs

Apify schedules, webhooks, Make, n8n, and client SDKs can consume the same input and Dataset after publication. Scheduled inputs use the same four-field contract and remain source-locked to Cars.com. Verify Actor identity in the live integration picker rather than pasting an unverified numeric ID.

Pricing & Cost Calculator

Cars Vehicle Search uses pay-per-event pricing. Actor Start is charged when a run begins, and one result event is charged for every item written to the default Dataset.

Billed event and tier	Price per event	Billing unit
Actor Start	$0.01000	One Actor run start.
Result - FREE	$0.00900	One published Dataset item.
Result - BRONZE	$0.00870	One published Dataset item.
Result - SILVER	$0.00840	One published Dataset item.
Result - GOLD	$0.00810	One published Dataset item.
Result - PLATINUM	$0.00810	One published Dataset item.
Result - DIAMOND	$0.00810	One published Dataset item.

On the FREE tier, the smallest one-result test costs $0.01000 + $0.00900 = $0.01900. A run that publishes no item can still incur Actor Start. Each Cars.com record written to the default Dataset creates one result event. Confirm live pricing on the Store after publication.

Use Cases & Applications

Inventory and pricing research

Collect repeated Cars.com samples for a make, model, or trim and compare asking price, year, mileage, condition, and location. Use source URLs to review outliers before placing them in a report.

Dealer and market monitoring

Track public inventory changes for a ZIP area, create review queues for newly observed listings, or export seller and location context when present. This is research data, not permission to contact or profile a seller.

Data pipelines and AI-assisted analysis

Load normalized records into spreadsheets, databases, dashboards, search indexes, or internal analysis workflows. Keep nullable fields nullable and retain source_url as provenance. AI-generated conclusions should not override the source page or an independent vehicle inspection.

When to choose another option

Use the multi-platform All Vehicle Scraper when cross-market comparison is intentional. Browse Cars.com manually for a one-off purchase decision requiring full page context. Use an authorized dedicated feed when contractual completeness or every native field is required.

FAQ

Which inputs are required?

country, keyword, and max_results are required. location is optional; no platform selector is exposed.

Can I select another United States marketplace?

No. This focused Actor is locked to Cars.com. Use All Vehicle Scraper when another marketplace or multi-source comparison is intended.

How does location work?

A resolved US ZIP is sent with a 50-mile distance. Omit location for a countrywide keyword search.

Why are some fields empty?

Cars.com search results do not expose every normalized field for every listing. The Actor does not invent missing values.

Does max_results guarantee that count?

No. It is a ceiling. Live inventory, source availability, unique listing IDs, and publishable records determine the result count.

Can records become outdated?

Yes. Listings, prices, and availability can change after collection. Rerun for current data and treat older items as historical.

Can I schedule the Actor?

Yes, after publication. Scheduled runs remain source-locked without a platform field.

How is billing counted?

Each Dataset item triggers one result event; Actor Start is billed separately.

Trust & Data Quality

• Traceable records: direct Cars.com source URLs support manual verification.
• Stable public contract: 35 Dataset fields align with the current normalized output schema.
• Transparent optionality: absent source values remain empty.
• Conservative proof: old online data, ratings, user counts, and unverified Actor IDs are not treated as current evidence.
• Source-lock regression gate: a record attributed to any platform other than Cars.com is treated as a defect.

For a reproducible issue, provide the run ID, exact input, expected platform, and one public source URL. Do not include API tokens, private data, or dealer credentials.

Legal & Compliance

Cars Vehicle Search is intended for lawful analysis of publicly accessible vehicle listing information. Users are responsible for applicable laws, source terms, privacy rules, intellectual-property rights, data retention, and contractual restrictions. Do not use output for unlawful profiling, discrimination, fraud, unauthorized resale, or access to non-public information.

Vehicle information should be independently verified before purchase, financing, insurance, safety, or valuation decisions. This Actor does not certify a vehicle or seller.

Related Tools

Vehicle research

• All Vehicle Scraper supports intentional multi-country and multi-source research.
• AutoTrader Vehicle Search is source-locked to Autotrader US.
• Auto Trader UK Vehicle Search focuses on UK inventory and requires a postal location at runtime.

Enrichment and workflow tools

• Google Maps Store Scraper supports separate public business research.
• All Shopping Scraper supports product and retail comparisons.
• All Jobs Scraper supports multi-platform job listing workflows.

These project relationships were verified locally; each Store link must be rechecked after publication.

Support & Community

• Store: Cars Vehicle Search
• API: Cars Vehicle Search API
• Official source: Cars.com Toyota Camry listings
• Platform help: Apify documentation
• Community: Apify Actor Telegram
• Direct support: AiAgentApi support

Verified against local schemas, pricing metadata, source-lock regression evidence, and the current public Cars.com surface on July 21, 2026. Local Cars.com-only routing now passes; unresolved Store/API links remain a publication gate.

Run a one-result Cars.com test · Review the API page