NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash-tests new cars and rates them from 1 to 5 stars.
Used for: The safety stars on every car and the top safety picks in the buyer guides.
nhtsa.gov/ratingsWhat AutoTier does
Vehicle grades
Every car scored on safety, recalls and fuel, in plain English instead of spec sheets.
Browse cars →Listing checker
Paste a used-car listing. Get red flags, a repair estimate, a price check and what to ask the seller.
Check a listing →Buyer guides
Top 5 lists for safety, winter, fuel, first-time drivers, low theft risk and more.
See the guides →Where our data comes from
Every number on AutoTier comes from one of these sources. When a source doesn't cover a car, we say so instead of guessing.
Transport Canada recalls
The Government of Canada's official database of safety recalls for vehicles sold in Canada.
Used for: The recall count for each model year. Fewer recalls ranks higher in the guides.
Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls DatabaseNRCan fuel consumption ratings
Natural Resources Canada publishes the official fuel use (L/100 km) for new vehicles sold in Canada.
Used for: Fuel numbers, the plain-English fuel notes and the fuel-efficient commuter guide.
Fuel consumption ratings searchReal Canadian listing prices
Asking prices from real used-car listings on Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, AutoTrader and dealer sites, plus listings people check here.
Used for: The price check (is this asking price normal?) and typical prices in the buyer guides. We keep only year, make, model, km, price and city.
Google Gemini
An AI model that reads a pasted listing or screenshot and pulls out the year, model, km, price and anything the seller mentions.
Used for: Reading listings in the checker. It only reports what the listing says; grades and prices come from the data above.
ai.google.devAutoTier's own notes
Winter driving, theft risk and maintenance notes are our own plain-English guidance.
Used for: The winter, theft and upkeep tags. They're our judgement, not official ratings.
Before you buy any used car
Get a vehicle history report
CARFAX Canada shows accident claims, liens and where the car has been registered.
carfax.caLook up open recalls
Search Transport Canada's recall database for the year, make and model, then ask if the work was done.
Transport Canada recallsBook a pre-purchase inspection
Have an independent mechanic you choose look it over before you pay. It usually costs far less than one surprise repair.
Frequently asked questions
- Where does your data come from?
- Crash ratings from NHTSA, recalls from Transport Canada, fuel use from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), and asking prices from real Canadian listings we track.
- What is NHTSA?
- The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It crash-tests new cars and rates them from 1 to 5 stars. Canada doesn't run its own star-rating program, and most cars sold here are the same models, so NHTSA stars are the standard reference.
- What is NRCan?
- Natural Resources Canada, the federal department that publishes the official fuel consumption ratings (L/100 km) for new vehicles sold in Canada.
- What are Transport Canada recalls?
- Transport Canada keeps the official list of safety recalls for vehicles sold in Canada. We count them for each model year. Recall repairs are done free at a dealer, so ask the seller if they've been done.
- Is the price check an appraisal?
- No. It compares the asking price with similar listings (same model, within a year), from the same province when we have enough, otherwise from across Canada. It tells you if the price is in the normal range, not what this exact car is worth.
- Does it work everywhere in Canada?
- Yes. Checks work in every province. Prices are compared with listings from the same province when we have enough, otherwise from across Canada. Our price data started in Alberta and we're adding more provinces.
- Which listing sites work?
- Any: Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, AutoTrader or a dealer site. Paste the listing text, add screenshots, or both.
- Can it tell if a car was in an accident or has a lien?
- Only if the listing says so. Before buying, get a CARFAX Canada report (it covers accident claims and liens) and have a mechanic inspect the car.
- What happens to my listing and screenshots?
- They're sent to Google's Gemini AI to read the details. We don't store your listing text or screenshots. We keep only the basics (year, make, model, km, price, city and province) to improve price checks.
- Do dealers pay to rank higher?
- No. Nobody can pay for a better grade or a spot in a guide. Rankings come only from the data.
Checks, packs and passes
- What counts as a check?
- Each new listing you check. Adding a missing price or km to a listing you already checked is free, and a check that fails to read the listing doesn't count.
- Check Pack or Buyer Pass?
- The Check Pack gives you 10 checks to use anytime within a year, and leftover checks carry over when you top up. The Buyer Pass gives you unlimited checks for 30 days, best if you're looking at lots of listings.
- Do I need an account?
- No. Free checks work right away, and a Check Pack or Buyer Pass is just a code saved in your browser.
- Does anything renew automatically?
- No. Both are one-time payments. Nothing is charged again.
- Can I use it on more than one device?
- Yes. After paying you get a code. Enter it on any device under “Already have a code?”.
- Does the Buyer Pass have a limit?
- A fair-use cap of 40 checks a day, far more than any car shopper needs.
- How do I pay? Is it secure?
- Payment runs through Stripe's secure checkout with a credit or debit card. We never see or store your card number.
- I paid but don't see my code.
- Open the Pricing page again in the same browser: it finishes activating automatically. Still nothing? Email autotier.app@gmail.com with your Stripe receipt.
- Can I get a refund?
- If something went wrong, email autotier.app@gmail.com and we'll sort it out.
- Why charge at all?
- Every check runs an AI model that costs us money. Passes keep the guides free and the site independent.
Still have a question?
Ask our AI helper, or write to us at autotier.app@gmail.com. We usually reply within a day.