Cars.com Privacy Notice

Cars.com LLC (“Cars.com” “we” “us” or “our”) respects your privacy and the information that you have entrusted to us. This Privacy Notice (the “Privacy Notice”) describes our information handling practices in connection with the website located at www.cars.com and any other websites owned or operated by Cars.com where this Privacy Notice appears ("Site(s)"), and any other services offered by Cars.com (“Services"). This Privacy Notice does not apply to applicants applying for open positions with Cars.com. Please go to the Careers page for more information.

This Privacy Notice does not describe our collection, use, and disclosure of information through means other than the Sites (e.g., off-line) or the collection, use and disclosure practices of any affiliate or other third parties.

By using the Sites and the Services, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to this Privacy Notice and expressly consent to Cars.com’s data processing as described below including its information collection. You additionally agree that you are subject to the Cars.com Terms and Conditions of Use.

The Privacy Notice is divided into sections for your convenience. If you are a California resident, see our California Notice at Collection. Residents of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia can find information provided pursuant to each state's data protection law in the supplemental privacy notice below. You may request that we not "sell" or "share" your Personal Information by clicking "My Privacy Choices" in the footer of our Sites.

1. Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It

Information we collect about you:

We may collect both “non-personal” and “personal” information from you when you interact with our Site and Services. For purposes of this notice:

"Non-Personal Information" refers to information that may not by itself be reasonably associated with, linked to, or used to individually identify you or someone else. For example, this includes general, non-identifying information regarding your use of the Site and Services or derived from the information that you provide to us through the Site and Services.

"Personal Information" refers to information that may be reasonably associated with, linked to, or used to individually identify you or allow you to be personally identified or contacted. For example, Personal Information may include information such as your name, email address, telephone number, address, either alone or in combination with other information.

"Sensitive Personal Information" refers to Personal Information regarding more sensitive areas, which may include financial information, bank account, credit scores, and/or credit card numbers, depending on the applicable law where you reside. Residents of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia may reference our Supplemental Privacy Notice for additional information about the categories of Sensitive Personal Information we collect.

Personal Information We Collect from You

How we collect this information:

• Directly from you when you provide it to us, including any correspondence or communication with us, such as through e-mail, webforms, text messaging SMS, online surveys, online feedback, promotions, contests, sweepstakes, subscriptions to newsletters, editorial content, or promotional content, and anything else in connection with other products, services, features, or requests made available through the Site.
• When you call the phone numbers for the dealerships listed on the Site. If you dial one of these phone numbers, Cars.com or a service provider operating on Cars.com's behalf may record the date, time, length and content of your call and the phone number from which the call originated, along with other information that may be captured. The types of personal information that you provide will depend on the nature of the submission, but could include your name, address, phone number, and email address.
• From third parties, for example, our business partners.
• Automatically as you navigate the Sites. Information collected automatically may include usage details, IP addresses, and information collected through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies.

You should not provide any information to us, whether via the Services or through the Site, unless you agree to the use of that information in accordance with this Privacy Notice. Your use of Cars.com Sites or Services will not be limited if you opt out of receiving telemarketing calls or texts. However, you agree that Cars.com may send to you, and you cannot opt out of, communications of a transactional or relationship nature, including, but not limited to, communications regarding fraudulent or illegal activity, the status of your SIY Account, changes to this Privacy Notice or the Cars.com Terms and Conditions of Use, as well as communications to confirm, fulfill and follow up on your SIY Account registration or a request submitted through the Site.

2. How We Use Your Information

We may use the Non-Personal Information we collect and obtain for any lawful business purpose without any duty or obligation of accounting or otherwise to you, provided that the information remains Non-Personal Information. This will include, by way of example, developing products, services, and other offerings based on the Non-Personal Information and providing those offerings to other users and third parties.

We may use your Personal Information for the purposes described below:

• To submit and transmit lead data to Cars.com advertisers.
• To provide targeted advertising both on the Site and on third-party advertising platforms (for example, in connection with our FUEL advertising product).
• To power individualized or targeted user experiences across the Sites and to improve those experiences.
• To engage in data analytics, including attribution and analytics modeling such as lead scoring, vehicle views and average pricing, lead submission frequencies, consumer browser interactions, and performance reporting to advertisers and dealers.
• To confirm or fulfill a request that you make (e.g., in order to send you a price quote or other information you have requested, Cars.com may share your contact information and content interests with a participating Cars.com dealer and/or manufacturer).
• To deliver marketing communications via text or SMS, which, by providing your mobile number to Cars.com, you have expressly consented to receive.
• To follow up on any request that you have previously made (e.g., Cars.com may contact you to determine whether the dealer and/or manufacturer responded to your original request).
• To communicate with you regarding the Cars.com service (e.g., Cars.com may send you emails or call you to confirm a price quote request or to notify you that you have received a lead regarding a vehicle you have advertised or to request that you participate in a survey).
• To send promotional materials, newsletters or other content via email, text message, physical mailer, or otherwise. If you no longer wish to receive a particular email newsletter or other promotion from Cars.com, you must follow the opt-out instructions included in such email newsletters, text messages, and promotions. Please note that the messages that Cars.com sends to you to confirm, fulfill or follow up on a request may incidentally include promotional material or other content from Cars.com or its partners.
• To permit third parties (to whom Cars.com may disclose Personal Information specifically for direct marketing purposes) to send you promotional or informational messages, but contact is via phone or SMS only if you have first affirmatively agreed to receive such messages.
• To manage Cars.com’s business and its relationships with affiliates, customers, lending partners and other third-parties to which Cars.com may disclose Personal Information pursuant to this Privacy Notice.
• To assist in Site administration, analysis, research, development, optimization and other internal purposes.
• To improve user experience.
• For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information.
• With your consent.

Note that we may combine and enhance the Personal Information we collect and obtain about you with information we receive from third parties, provided that we use the combined information in accordance with this Privacy Notice and as permitted under applicable laws. We may also combine and enhance that Non-Personal Information with other Non-Personal Information we receive or obtain from third parties. When we do so, we will take reasonable measures to ensure that the Non-Personal Information is no longer personally identifiable and may not later be reasonably associated with, linked to, or used to identify you. This will include, by way of example, storing the Non-Personal Information separately from any Personal Information. Once we generate Non-Personal Information from any Personal Information, we will not later attempt to again make that information personally identifiable.

3. Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose the Non-Personal Information we collect and obtain for any lawful business purpose without any duty or obligation of accounting or otherwise to you, provided that the information remains Non-Personal Information. This will include, by way of example, sharing that Non-Personal Information with third parties. We may disclose Personal Information that we collect or you provide as described in this Privacy Notice:

1. Affiliates and Subsidiaries. Cars.com may share your Personal Information with affiliates and/or subsidiaries in a manner consistent with this Privacy Notice.
2. Leads and Requests. If you submit a lead or request information or services through the Site, you agree that Cars.com may share Personal Information with third parties as may be necessary to provide such information to or perform such services for you. For example, if you use the Site's "Email the Dealer" form in a vehicle listing to request a price quote from a dealership, Cars.com will share the information you entered with that dealership (or its designee). If that vehicle listing was provided by an automobile manufacturer on behalf of a dealer, Cars.com may also share the Personal Information you submit as part of the request with the automobile manufacturer and/or its affiliates. Similarly, if through the Site you request additional information from a financial institution, Cars.com will share your information with that institution. Personal Information also may be included in reports to these third parties, but only when you have intended to submit the information to the third party as described above. After the information is provided to such third parties, the subsequent use or disclosure of such information is subject to those third parties' privacy policies and practices, and Cars.com does not control their subsequent use or disclosure of information.
3. Dealerships. Cars.com may share your Personal Information, including data collected through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies with dealerships and/or dealer groups to enhance our reporting performance with our dealerships.
4. Sweepstakes/Promotions. In the event that you participate in a sweepstakes, contest or other promotion on the Site that is sponsored by Cars.com and a third party, Cars.com reserves the right to share Personal Information collected in conjunction with the sweepstakes, contest or promotion with the third party. After the information is provided to such third parties, the subsequent use or disclosure of such information is subject to those third parties' privacy policies and practices.
5. Third Party Marketing. Except as provided herein, it is Cars.com's general practice not to disclose Personal Information of our customers to third parties specifically for the third parties' direct marketing purposes. If you are 18 years of age or older and have affirmatively agreed to receive third-party direct marketing materials, Cars.com may share Personal Information with third parties for direct marketing purposes. Although Cars.com will notify all third-party direct marketers that the information provided to them is confidential, the subsequent use or disclosure of such information is subject to those third parties' privacy policies and practices.
6. Service Providers. Cars.com may work with third parties that provide services on its behalf, including, among others, providers of analytical, attribution, development, promotional, research, credit card processing, technical, financial lending, legal, hosting services, and other services. For example, Cars.com may ask that a third-party to conduct an online survey or send newsletters on its behalf.
7. Email List Opt-Outs. In the event Cars.com sends promotional emails to you on behalf of third-party advertisers and you inform Cars.com you wish to opt out of future promotional emails from a particular third party, Cars.com may share your email address with that third party so the third party may add you to its opt-out lists.
8. As Needed or Requested. Cars.com may share Personal Information for any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information, or with your consent.
9. Other requirements. Cars.com expressly reserves the right to release any Personal Information or other information you provide to third parties under the following circumstances: (a) when required by law or legal process, (b) to investigate and/or take action against illegal activity, suspected abuse or unauthorized use of the Site, (c) to protect the property or safety of our users or others, (d) to enforce our Terms and Conditions of Use, and (e) in connection with any sale or other transfer of ownership of all or a part of Cars.com. Further, if you make any Personal Information publicly available on the Site, Cars.com reserves the right to disclose such information to third parties, including, without limitation, insurance companies and Cars.com's affiliates and third-party distribution partners.

Categories of Personal Information Disclosed

We disclose the following categories of personal information to our service providers:

• Contact information, including your name, address, city, state, zip code, email address, and telephone number
• Online account information
• Communications with our support team
• Device data, including IP address, browser type, and unique device identifier
• Website usage information, including the pages or content you view and searches on our website

4. How We Protect Your Information

Because the Internet is not 100% secure, we cannot guarantee that your use of our Sites and Services will be completely safe. However, we use reasonable administrative, technical, physical safeguards to protect your Personal Information. We also encourage you to use caution when using the Internet. This includes not sharing your passwords. We may link to other sites or outside party services on platforms we do not control. If you click on a link to an outside party site, you will be taken to websites or platforms we do not control. We are not responsible for their practices for protecting your Personal Information.

5. Cars.com Additional Services

1. Listing Services

   Cars.com offers you the ability to either receive an Instant Offer for your vehicle, or privately list and sell your vehicle (“Listing Services”). You acknowledge that any information you choose to include in the Listing Services may be made publicly available via the Site and other media in which Cars.com vehicle listings are published, including third-party web sites and print publications. You are required to create an account in order to use the Listing Services. For any questions about the Listing Services, please contact our customer support team at:
   Phone: 312.601.5000
   Email: privacy@cars.com

2. Review Platforms and Message Boards

   Cars.com also may offer review posting platforms, message boards, bulletin boards, chat rooms, comments areas or other forums ("Forums") on the Site for use by visitors who are 18 years of age or older. Any information you disclose when posting a message in these Forums may become public. You should not include any information in your posting that you do not want other parties to see or use. Moreover, if you post any messages in the Forums that include your email address or phone number you may receive unsolicited emails or calls from third parties.

3. Email a Page

   The Site offers you the ability to email certain pages of the Site to a friend or other third party. If you choose to use the "Email a Page" functionality, your name, email address and any message you are allowed to include will be visible to the recipient of the email. The "Email a Page" functionality is for informational purposes only and may not be used for any unlawful purpose, including any harassment or threats. Information collected by Cars.com through the "Email a Page" functionality shall be used in accordance with this Privacy Notice.

6. Use of Cookies, Web Beacons, and Similar Technologies Elsewhere on the Sites

Cars.com uses cookies and pixels as automatic data collection mechanisms that collect information, including personal information, from users of our Website and services. Third parties also place these tools on our Website to collect and process information about our users for various purposes, including for security, for analytics, and to facilitate targeted advertising. For detailed information about the cookies and pixels we use, please view our cookie consent banner. By visiting our Website, or otherwise using our services, you consent to Cars.com’s use of cookies and pixels, as detailed in our Cookie Notice

7. Personal Information Retention

Except as otherwise permitted or required by applicable law or regulation, we will only retain your Personal Information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which we collected it, including as required to satisfy any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements, as necessary to resolve disputes, or as otherwise requested by you. To determine the appropriate retention period for Personal Information, we consider our legal obligations, the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the Personal Information, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure of your Personal Information, the purposes for which we process your Personal Information, and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means. This duration varies based on data type and use, but we have recorded the durations in our internal records and information management policy and schedule.

8. Children

Cars.com does not knowingly collect or use any Personal Information from children under the age of 18. Cars.com does not knowingly provide any Personal Information, regardless of its source, to any third party for any purpose whatsoever from visitors younger than 18 years of age. No information should be submitted to Cars.com by visitors younger than 18 years old. If you are a parent or legal guardian and believe your child under 18 has given us Personal Information, you can email us at privacy@cars.com.

9. External Links

Please note that the Sites and/or Services may contain links to other websites. Cars.com is not responsible for the websites, content, or privacy practices of any third party. Where any links found on the Site link to pages not belonging to Cars.com, those external pages are not governed by this Privacy Notice. Please see the privacy policies of these third-party websites to understand their practices for handling your information.

10. Exercising Your Choices

Promotional Messages: You can opt-out of receiving our marketing emails. To stop receiving our promotional emails, follow the instructions in any promotional message you get from us or reach out to us at the contact information listed below. Some of our Sites allow you to modify your preferences to opt-out. Even if you opt-out of receiving marketing messages, we will still send you transactional messages, such as responses to your questions.

Cookies: Most browsers accept Cookies until you change your browser settings. If you do not wish for the Site to collect your information using Cookies, you can typically disable the use of Cookies (or disallow the use of Cookies on specific websites) by changing your browser settings. However, if you remove or reject our Cookies, it could affect how the Site functions.

For detailed information about the cookies and pixels we use, please view our Cookie Notice

Location Information: You may disable the collection and use of your location data through browser, operating system or device-level settings. Consent concerning use of location data may be withdrawn at any time by contacting our customer support team at any of the addresses provide below.

Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to better understand how our users interact with our Sites and we may use Google Analytics Advertising Features for advertising and marketing purposes. You can learn about Google Analytics’ currently available opt-outs at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/ and manage the information collected through Google Analytics Advertising Features through the settings on the relevant browser or device being used.

Please note that the above rights are not unqualified, we may be entitled to refuse requests, wholly or partly, where exceptions under applicable law apply.

You may make any of the above requests by emailing privacy@cars.com or calling us at 312.601.5000. You may also utilize a Global Privacy Signal, which permits you to opt out of your information being used for sales and targeted advertising.

11. Changes to this Privacy Notice

We reserve the right to update and periodically amend this Privacy Notice at our discretion and at any time. If we make changes to this Privacy Notice, such changes will be posted on our Site and Services. Your continued use of the Site and Services after any such update indicates your agreement to the same.

12. Contact Information

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this Privacy Notice, the Privacy Notice for California Residents, the ways in which we collect and use your Personal Information, your choices and rights regarding such use, or wish to exercise your rights under applicable law, please do not hesitate to contact us per the information below.

We have designated a person in charge of the protection of Personal Information. You may contact them at:

Phone: 312.601.5000

Email: privacy@cars.com

You may also mail us with general questions at:

Supplemental Privacy Notice

Section last updated January 15, 2026

If you reside in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, or Canada, this page applies to you and supplements our Privacy Notice. To exercise any of the rights described below consistent with applicable law, please follow the instructions provided in the "Exercising Your Rights" section of this document.

To comply with your request, we may ask that you verify your identity for security purposes before we take further action. Only you, or someone legally authorized to act on your behalf, may make a verifiable consumer request related to your personal information. You may also make a verifiable consumer request on behalf of your minor child. To designate an authorized agent, please contact us via the methods noted above.