Privacy Policy

Who we are

eli5cars.com (“eli5cars,” “we,” “us”) is an independent consumer car-information website. The site is operated by an individual publisher based in the United States. If you need to reach us, email hello@eli5cars.com.

What data this site collects — honestly

What we currently do NOT collect

eli5cars is a statically generated Next.js website with no user accounts, no comment system, and no analytics platform installed. As of this writing:

• We do not run Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, or any similar tracking script.
• We do not set first-party tracking or advertising cookies.
• We do not collect your name, email address, or any personal information unless you voluntarily email us.
• We do not build profiles, sell data, or share personal information with data brokers.

VIN Lookup tool

The VIN lookup tool on our homepage sends the VIN you type to the NHTSA vPIC public API to decode your vehicle's year, make, and model. We do not store your VIN on our servers. The request is routed through an edge function to avoid exposing the API endpoint directly. NHTSA may log the request on their end; refer to NHTSA's privacy policy for details.

Vercel hosting

Our site is hosted on Vercel. Vercel's infrastructure logs standard server access data (IP address, browser user agent, pages requested, timestamps) for security and uptime monitoring. These logs are subject to Vercel's privacy policy. We do not have access to raw visitor IP logs.

YouTube embeds

Some pages embed YouTube videos using a “facade” approach: only a thumbnail image loads by default. The actual YouTube player (and YouTube's cookies and tracking) loads only if you click the play button. Once you click play, you are interacting with YouTube directly and Google's privacy policy applies. Thumbnail images are served from img.youtube.com — YouTube may log that request regardless of whether you click play.

Amazon links

Some pages include links to Amazon.com for auto parts or tools. Clicking these links takes you to Amazon's website. Amazon may set cookies when you visit. See our Affiliate & Advertising Disclosure for details on our relationship with Amazon Associates. Amazon's data practices are governed by Amazon's Privacy Notice.

What may change in the future

If we add analytics (e.g., Google Analytics or a privacy-friendly alternative like Plausible) or display advertising (e.g., Google AdSense), this policy will be updated before those services go live. If we add AdSense or similar advertising, we will implement a consent management platform (CMP) as required by applicable law for EU/EEA and UK visitors.

Cookies

eli5cars currently sets no first-party cookies. The YouTube player (if activated by you) and Amazon links may result in third-party cookies from those platforms. Your browser's privacy settings control whether and how those cookies are stored.

Your rights (GDPR / CCPA)

Because we collect no personal data directly, there is currently nothing for us to provide, correct, delete, or port on request. If you have questions or concerns about data that may have been collected through third-party services (Vercel, YouTube, Amazon), contact those services directly.

If you are a California resident with a question about your data rights under the CCPA, or an EU/EEA/UK resident with a question under GDPR, you are welcome to email us at hello@eli5cars.com and we will respond within the legally required timeframe.

Children's privacy

eli5cars is a general automotive information site and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when we add new features or services. Material changes will be reflected in the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Email hello@eli5cars.com.