Cars.com, LLC (“Cars.com”) connects its dealership customers (“Dealer(s)”) with consumers to facilitate a seamless car buying experience on Cars.com (“Marketplace”). Cars.com remains an industry leader that protects the integrity of its Marketplace by encouraging and enabling its Dealers to provide price transparency and facilitating a process in which Marketplace consumers can provide feedback on Dealers’ listings and their consumer experience. This Cars.com Vehicle Listing Policy (“Listing Policy”) sets forth the terms and conditions to which Dealers must adhere when listing vehicles on Marketplace and are incorporated into Cars.com Terms and Conditions: https://www.carscommerce.inc/marketplace-terms-conditions/.
I. DEALER OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Dealers that list on Marketplace are solely responsible for appropriate and transparent listings, and Dealers are solely responsible for complying with applicable governing regulations in addition to this Listing Policy. The Listing Policy generally requires Dealers to comply with the following obligations and responsibilities, including but not limited to:
- GOVERNING ADVERTISING LAWS: Dealers must comply with applicable regulations that protect consumers who purchase goods or services from businesses, which include but are not limited to federal, state, and local regulations and laws implemented to prevent unfair and deceptive advertising practices, (commonly referred to as “UDAP laws”). Dealers must understand vehicle advertising laws and related services and product sales regulations in the states in which Dealers conduct business.
- AVAILABLE VEHICLES: Dealers must only list vehicles that are (1) physically present and available for purchase at their location (“Vehicle Location”), and (2) approved for US distribution. Dealers with multiple locations are responsible for only displaying vehicles on the Dealer’s lot or available as part of Cars.com specialized listing solutions, where appropriately advertised. Dealers must promptly remove all sold, unavailable, reserved, or pending vehicles from its listing feed as soon as the Dealer sells the vehicle or the vehicle becomes unavailable. Dealers are responsible for accurately advertising vehicle inventory with clear identifiers of vehicle status. Cars.com reserves the right to remove any vehicles in violation of this requirement.
- TOTAL VEHICLE LIST PRICE: Dealers must display a complete, all-in price for each vehicle in USD, broken down to show all non-governmental fees and taxes (“Total Vehicle List Price“). Governmental fees, taxes, and other legally excludable costs (“Excluded Fees“) may be omitted from this total. Listings must display an actual vehicle price, and vehicles without pricing (e.g., $0.00, “Contact Dealer for Pricing,” or “Call for Pricing”) are prohibited. The Total Vehicle List Price may not contain conditional pricing such as financing incentives, down payments, or loyalty discounts. Dealers are solely responsible for keeping all prices current and accurate.
- CONTENT REQUIREMENTS: If a Dealer listing contains media content, including images and videos, the media must accurately depict the vehicle the Dealer is selling (“Content”). Dealers are prohibited from using any Content to promote special offers, prices other than the price offered in the listing, or to model potential payments or financing. Dealers must only use Content that Dealer owns or has a valid license to post on Cars.com’s Marketplace. If the Content contains individual images/media, the Dealer must have each individual’s written consent to use the individual’s name, image, and likeness usage on the Cars.com Marketplace as required pursuant to Cars.com Terms and Conditions.
- PROHIBITED VEHICLES. Dealers are prohibited from posting any industrial equipment, commercial vehicles, or custom/non-mass-produced consumer vehicles on Cars.com. Commercial vehicles include without limitation cargo vans, box trucks, utility/freight vehicles, and those modified with commercial equipment (lift gates, utility beds, etc.). Standard passenger-capable trucks (e.g., F-150) and SUVs are permitted. Cars.com reserves the discretion to promptly remove non-compliant listings.
II. DEAL BADGE OR DEALER VERIFIED CONDITION DESIGNATIONS
Cars.com has the sole discretion to designate Dealer vehicles with a Deal Badge tag (“Deal Badge”) or a Dealer Verified Condition tag (“Dealer Verified Condition”). These tags are a privilege and Cars.com may revoke tag(s) at any time without prior notice.
Dealer is solely responsible for any damages or liability related to or arising from the Deal Badge or Dealer Verified Condition tags. Dealer shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Cars.com, its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, suits, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs) arising out of or related to the Deal Badge or Dealer Verified Condition tags. Dealer’s duty to defend is independent of and broader than its duty to indemnify, and arises upon the assertion or tender of any such claim, regardless of whether the claim is ultimately determined to be meritorious. Cars.com reserves the right, at its own expense and in its sole discretion, to participate in or assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to defense or indemnification by Dealer, and Dealer shall cooperate fully in such defense. Dealer shall not settle any such claim in a manner that imposes any obligation or liability on, or requires any admission by, Cars.com without Cars.com’s prior written consent. For clarity, Dealer’s obligations within this Listing Policy are in addition to and are not limited by the indemnification, defense, and hold harmless obligations set forth in the Cars.com Terms and Conditions. If there is a conflict between this Listing Policy and the Cars.com Terms and Conditions with respect to the Dealer obligations identified herein, then the provision affording Cars.com the broader protection will control.
(A) DEALER VERIFIED CONDITION TAG
Dealers must ensure that the Dealer Verified Condition Report, as defined herein, accurately reflects the vehicle’s condition and attest to the report’s accuracy to receive a Dealer Verified Condition tag. “Dealer Verified Condition Report” means the standardized vehicle condition report completed and submitted by a Dealer through the Cars.com Marketplace that documents the then-current mechanical, structural, cosmetic, and operational condition of a specific listed vehicle, including any results obtained from an on-board diagnostic (“OBD”) scan where used. The Dealer Verified Condition Report must be completed and attested to as accurate by a Dealer-authorized representative qualified to conduct a vehicle inspection, must be kept current to reflect any change in the vehicle’s condition, and serves as the basis on which Cars.com may, in its sole discretion, assign or maintain a Dealer Verified Condition tag.
Dealers must not misrepresent or inaccurately record a vehicle’s condition in the report. Only Dealer-authorized representatives qualified to conduct a vehicle inspection may complete and attest to accuracy of the Dealer Verified Condition Report. If a Dealer uses an on-board diagnostic scanner to determine or assist in determining the condition of the vehicle, the Dealer must ensure the scanner is in working condition.
If a vehicle’s condition changes after a Dealer submits a Dealer Verified Condition Report, the Dealer is required to immediately update the Dealer Verified Condition Report to reflect the vehicle’s updated condition. If a Dealer fails to ensure the accuracy of a Dealer Verified Condition Report, Cars.com, in its sole discretion, may remove a Dealer Verified Condition tag from a Dealer’s vehicle or entire inventory.
(B) DEAL BADGE TAG
Dealers must provide an up to date and accurate Total Vehicle List Price and Vehicle Location to receive a Deal Badge. Dealers are responsible for updating Vehicle Location if it changes. Cars.com may, in its sole discretion, remove the Deal Badge for any vehicle. Dealer is solely responsible for any damages or liability related to inaccurate Total Vehicle List Prices and/or the Deal Badge, including any liability or damages that Cars.com incurs, without limitation of liability.
III. LISTING POLICY VIOLATION
Dealers are solely responsible for the integrity of their vehicle listings. Cars.com has certain mechanisms to identify limited listing concerns and at its discretion will provide Dealers with information regarding their non-compliant listings. Cars.com also reviews concerns from regulatory agencies and complies with government mandates to provide vehicle listing information for their investigations. Cars.com also reviews vehicle listing concerns for consumers and other Dealer customers. Cars.com allows any person or party with a listing concern to contact siteadherence@cars.com. All listing concerns must include 1) the name and location of the Dealer, 2) the URL link to the listing concern, and 3) any other documentation showing a UDAP law or Listing Policy violation.
While Cars.com will endeavor to provide Dealers with notice and a remediation period, in certain instances Cars.com may remove the listing concern without notice. Cars.com will base its decision to remove listings based on potential or actual violations of the law or this Listing Policy, harm to consumers, and/or harm to the Cars.com reputation. If Cars.com, in its sole discretion, determines that a Dealer repeatedly provides inaccurate Total Vehicle List Prices in a manner that will not only jeopardize the Dealer but also places Cars.com and its consumers at risk, then Cars.com may in its sole discretion suspend the Dealer from listing vehicles on Cars.com and, if it allows the Dealer to reinstate listings, may require the Dealer to agree to additional safeguards that will ensure listing compliance.
Last Revised: June 23, 2026
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