Frequently Asked Questions

Carlio uses AI to understand your lifestyle and match you with the perfect car. Instead of endless filters, you have a conversation with our AI about how you live — your commute, family size, hobbies, and budget. Our AI then analyzes thousands of listings to find vehicles that truly fit your needs, explaining why each recommendation makes sense for you.

Yes, Carlio is completely free for car buyers. You get full access to our AI-powered recommendations, known issues database, inspection checklists, and price analysis at no cost. We make money from dealer referral fees when you choose to contact a dealer through our platform — you never pay a cent.

Carlio currently serves the major Texas metro areas: Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. Our AI and known issues database are optimized for the Texas market, considering factors like hot summers, long commutes, and local vehicle preferences.

Our AI considers multiple factors from your conversation: daily commute distance, number of passengers, cargo needs, preferred features, budget range, and lifestyle activities. It then searches thousands of listings, filtering for vehicles that match your criteria and explaining why each recommendation fits your specific situation.

Our known issues database covers common problems, recalls, and reliability concerns for the top 50 best-selling used cars in Texas. For each model, we provide severity ratings, estimated repair costs, and what years are most affected. This helps you know what to watch for before you buy.

When you are considering a specific car, we generate a personalized inspection checklist based on that exact make, model, and year. The checklist includes what to look for, what questions to ask the seller, and red flags specific to that vehicle. You can use it when you go to see the car in person.

When you find a car you are interested in, you can request to contact the dealer directly through our platform. We will share your contact information and vehicle interest with the dealer, who will then reach out to you. You are never obligated to buy, and you can contact as many or as few dealers as you want.

Yes, we take your privacy seriously. Your conversations and personal information are encrypted and stored securely. We never sell your data to third parties. When you contact a dealer, we only share the information necessary for them to assist you. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Yes! If you create a free account, your conversation history and preferences are saved. You can come back anytime to continue where you left off, refine your search, or start fresh.

Just tell our AI! The conversation is interactive. If a recommendation does not feel right, explain why and the AI will adjust. Maybe the car is too big, too expensive, or not quite your style — the AI learns from your feedback to provide better matches.