Cars.com Scraper

Cars.com Scraper creates a structured dataset of vehicle listings collected from Cars.com, the US automotive marketplace. Each dataset item represents one vehicle and can include price, year, make, model, trim, VIN, mileage, transmission, engine, dealer details, and image URLs. Query the source by pasting Cars.com search-result URLs, control the result limit with maxItems, and retrieve records through the Apify Dataset API or export them as JSON, CSV, Excel, or another supported format.

Dataset at a glance

Property	Value
Source	cars.com (US automotive marketplace)
Record unit	One vehicle listing
Input methods	Cars.com search-result URLs (searchUrls)
Main identifiers	listingId, listingUrl, vin
Delivery	Apify Dataset and API
Export formats	JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, HTML (Apify dataset exports)
Update model	Fresh records per Actor run
Pricing	$1.00 per 1,000 vehicles

Coverage and available records

The Actor collects vehicles from public Cars.com search-result pages using a URL entry point:

• URL-based: Pass one or more Cars.com search-result URLs in searchUrls (for example https://www.cars.com/shopping/results/?stock_type=new&zip=72076&maximum_distance=all). Filters encoded in the URL query string — zip, maximum distance, stock type, makes, models, and price/year/mileage ranges — are applied during collection.
• Detail enrichment: Each vehicle in the search results is visited to collect its detail-page fields (specs, dealer information, images, and financing calculator values).

Record types and limits:

• Listing records are always collected: listingId, listingUrl, title, year, make, model, trim, exteriorColor, and imageUrls.
• Detail fields are conditional: price, mileage, vin, transmission, engine, fuelType, drivetrain, bodystyle, interiorColor, dealerName, dealer location, and seller/stock information are returned when the vehicle's detail page is available.
• Financing fields (calc_* and listPrice) appear only when the listing publishes a calculator breakdown.
• Result cap: maxItems limits the number of vehicles collected (0 means unlimited, the default).

Known exclusions: MPG is not collected; content Cars.com only shows behind login is not collected; each run captures page state at run time (no historical snapshots).

Data dictionary

Field names below match dataset record JSON properties exactly. Fields marked conditional appear only when the vehicle's detail page is available.

Field	Type	Nullable	Description	Example
listingId	string	No	Cars.com vehicle identifier; best stable deduplication key	926ec45f-5f2e-4758-9869-4496095498db
listingUrl	string	No	Vehicle detail page URL	https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/926ec45f-.../
title	string	No	Full listing title	2026 Lotus Emira V6 SE
year	integer	No	Model year	2026
make	string	No	Manufacturer	Lotus
model	string	No	Model name	Emira
trim	string	Yes	Trim level	V6 SE
price	number	Yes	Listed sale price (USD)	124200.0
msrp	number	Yes	Manufacturer's suggested retail price when published	null
mileage	integer	Yes	Odometer reading	5
vin	string	Yes	Vehicle identification number	SCCLEJAX1THB10627
exteriorColor	string	Yes	Exterior color	Magma Red
interiorColor	string	Yes	Interior color	Black
transmission	string	Yes	Transmission type	6-Speed Manual
engine	string	Yes	Engine specification	3.5L V6 24V MPFI DOHC Supercharged
fuelType	string	Yes	Fuel type	Gasoline
drivetrain	string	Yes	Drivetrain configuration	Rear-wheel Drive
bodystyle	string	Yes	Body style	Coupe
stockType	string	Yes	New or used	New
certifiedPreowned	boolean	No	Certified pre-owned flag	false
sellerType	string	Yes	Seller type (dealership or private)	dealership
dealerName	string	Yes	Selling dealer name	Star Motor Cars
dealerCity	string	Yes	Dealer city	Houston
dealerState	string	Yes	Dealer state abbreviation	TX
dealerZip	string	Yes	Dealer ZIP code	77024
imageUrl	string	Yes	Primary listing image URL	https://platform.cstatic-images.com/...jpg
imageUrls	string[]	Yes	All listing image URLs	["https://...jpg", ...]
listPrice	string	Yes	Rendered list price with currency symbol	$124,200
searchUrl	string	No	Search-result URL the vehicle was found on	https://www.cars.com/shopping/results/?...

Financing calculator fields (calc_car_price, calc_down_payment, calc_net_tradein_value, calc_estimated_sales_tax_(0.0%), calc_total_loan_amount, calc_total_interest_paid, calc_total_loan_&_interest_paid) are all string values produced from the listing's calculator output and are conditional on that output being present.

Example dataset record

Real record produced from a Cars.com search for new Honda Accords (searchUrls with makes[]=honda&models[]=accord, maxItems: 3). The imageUrls array is truncated to two items for readability.

{
  "listingId": "926ec45f-5f2e-4758-9869-4496095498db",
  "listingUrl": "https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/926ec45f-5f2e-4758-9869-4496095498db/",
  "title": "2026 Lotus Emira V6 SE",
  "year": 2026,
  "make": "Lotus",
  "model": "Emira",
  "trim": "V6 SE",
  "price": 124200.0,
  "msrp": null,
  "mileage": 5,
  "vin": "SCCLEJAX1THB10627",
  "exteriorColor": "Magma Red",
  "interiorColor": "Black",
  "transmission": "6-Speed Manual",
  "engine": "3.5L V6 24V MPFI DOHC Supercharged",
  "fuelType": "Gasoline",
  "drivetrain": "Rear-wheel Drive",
  "bodystyle": "Coupe",
  "stockType": "New",
  "certifiedPreowned": false,
  "sellerType": "dealership",
  "dealerName": "Star Motor Cars",
  "dealerCity": "Houston",
  "dealerState": "TX",
  "dealerZip": "77024",
  "imageUrl": "https://platform.cstatic-images.com/xlarge/in/v2/stock_photos/926ec45f-.../1.jpg",
  "imageUrls": [
    "https://platform.cstatic-images.com/xlarge/in/v2/stock_photos/926ec45f-.../1.jpg",
    "https://platform.cstatic-images.com/xlarge/in/v2/stock_photos/926ec45f-.../2.jpg"
  ],
  "listPrice": "$124,200",
  "searchUrl": "https://www.cars.com/shopping/results/?stock_type=new&zip=72076&maximum_distance=all"
}

The record above was produced with this input:

{
  "searchUrls": [
    { "url": "https://www.cars.com/shopping/results/?stock_type=new&makes[]=honda&models[]=accord&zip=72076&maximum_distance=all" }
  ],
  "maxItems": 3,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"]
  }
}

Query and input reference

Input	Type	Required	Default	Accepted values	Description
searchUrls	array (requestListSources)	Yes	—	Cars.com search-result URLs	URL-based entry point. Filters are read from the URL query string
maxItems	integer	No	0	0 or any positive integer	Maximum vehicles to collect; 0 = unlimited
proxyConfiguration	object	No	Apify proxy, RESIDENTIAL group	Apify proxy groups or custom proxies	Residential proxies are recommended; datacenter IPs are frequently rate-limited

Minimal request:

{
  "searchUrls": [
    { "url": "https://www.cars.com/shopping/results/?stock_type=new&zip=72076&maximum_distance=all" }
  ]
}

Advanced request with a result cap:

{
  "searchUrls": [
    { "url": "https://www.cars.com/shopping/results/?stock_type=new&makes[]=toyota&models[]=rav4&zip=10001&maximum_distance=50" }
  ],
  "maxItems": 500,
  "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"] }
}

Retrieve the data through the API

The Actor runs on the Apify platform, so there is no server to host and no crawling infrastructure to maintain.

1. Start the Actor with a JSON input (console or API).
2. Wait for the run to finish, or use a synchronous endpoint if you want the response inline.
3. Retrieve items from the run's default dataset.
4. Paginate or export the dataset.

Python example:

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR-APIFY-TOKEN")

run_input = {
    "searchUrls": [
        {"url": "https://www.cars.com/shopping/results/?stock_type=new&zip=72076&maximum_distance=all"}
    ],
    "maxItems": 20,
}

run = client.actor("datascrapers/cars-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item["listingId"], item["year"], item["make"], item["model"], item["price"])

Apify generates ready-to-run Python, JavaScript, and cURL examples on the Actor's API tab. Do not put a real API token in shared code or URLs.

Data quality and record handling

• Conditional fields: detail fields are present only when the vehicle's detail page is available. A fallback record contains the listing-only fields when the detail page cannot be read.
• Source changes: Cars.com page structure and values can change; unreadable fields are returned as null rather than fabricated.
• Deduplication: each run appends fresh records; the Actor does not deduplicate vehicles across runs. Use listingId as the stable key and filter repeated runs against previously stored IDs.
• Overlapping searches: the same vehicle may appear under multiple search URLs and will be emitted once per matching URL.
• Rate limits: Cars.com rate-limits automated traffic. Residential proxies are recommended for consistent coverage.

Export and pipeline examples

Destination	Recommended method	Typical use
PostgreSQL / Supabase	Dataset API poll or webhook consumer	Store inventory alongside market-trend tables
Google Sheets	Apify Google Sheets integration	Share vehicle shortlists with buyers
CRM / lead pipeline	Webhook on run completion	Push new listings into outreach workflows
S3 / cloud storage	Scheduled export via Apify scheduler + integration	Archival of inventory snapshots

Pricing and cost examples

The Actor uses pay-per-event pricing with one chargeable result event, billed per vehicle:

Event	Trigger	Rate (per 1,000 vehicles)
Vehicle result	Every vehicle record pushed to the dataset	$1.00

Example costs:

Records	Estimated base cost
1,000	$1.00
10,000	$10.00
100,000	$100.00

Apify paid plans reduce the per-1,000 rate (for example $0.80 per 1,000 vehicles at the Gold tier). Compute units consumed by the run are billed by your Apify plan. Estimates depend on the verified pricing model and the options selected for the run.

Limitations and responsible data use

• The Actor collects publicly accessible data from Cars.com pages only.
• MPG is not collected; financing calculator fields appear only when the listing publishes them.
• Field availability depends on what Cars.com renders at run time; some values can be null or missing, and site changes can alter fields.
• The Actor does not provide historical snapshots unless you store them yourself.
• Large runs require residential proxies; without them, coverage may degrade due to rate limiting.
• You are responsible for compliance with Cars.com's terms of service, applicable privacy law, and any contractual obligations before using the data.

Dataset questions

What does one dataset item represent?

One vehicle listing from Cars.com search results, enriched with its detail-page data when available.

Which field should I use as a unique identifier?

listingId is the stable Cars.com identifier and is the recommended deduplication key. The listingUrl and vin are reasonable secondary keys.

Are fields nullable or conditional?

Yes. Detail fields (price, mileage, vin, transmission, engine, dealer details) exist only when the vehicle's detail page is read; financing calc_* fields exist only when the listing publishes a calculator breakdown. Fields the listing does not render are returned as null.

Can I retrieve the records as CSV or JSON?

Yes. The dataset can be exported as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, or HTML from the Apify Console, and queried through the Dataset API.

Does the Actor return historical data?

No. Each run captures the state of the listings at run time. To track price or inventory changes, schedule repeated runs and store the outputs yourself.

What counts as a billable result?

One pay-per-event charge applies for every vehicle record pushed to the dataset ($1.00 per 1,000 vehicles).

Related datasets from Data Scrapers

• Apartments.com Scraper — Rental property listings with optional detail enrichment, useful alongside vehicle data for location-based market research.
• Redfin Scraper — Property listings and price signals for asset-market research.
• Glassdoor Jobs Scraper — Job listings and labor-market signals that complement vehicle pricing in regional economic analysis.

Data Scrapers support

Need an additional field, record type, or export workflow? Contact Data Scrapers at stardustspotlight@gmail.com. Include a sample source URL, required fields, expected record volume, and preferred delivery format.