Carparts
Car-Part.com operates an online marketplace for used and recycled auto parts, aggregating inventories from 4,200+ recyclers across the US, Canada, and Mexico. The platform offers free buyer search alongside subscription-based inventory, business, and interchange tools for professional auto recyclers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersFort Thomas, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Carparts does
Car-Part.com (legal entity Used-Car-Parts.com, Inc.) operates an online marketplace connecting buyers—individual vehicle owners, professional auto repair shops, collision/body shops, and insurance companies—with auto recyclers across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Founded in 1998 by an auto recycling family in partnership with Phoneware.com's president, it was the first platform to offer searchable inventory search for auto recyclers' websites and currently aggregates more than 250 million inventoried parts from 4,200+ recyclers. Its proprietary technology stack centers on SmartVin VIN decoding and the Car-Part Interchange database (built on licensed Hollander Interchange data plus MOTOR Information Systems and AAIA supplements), with features including image-based search, real-time barcoding, and live chat between buyers and recyclers.
The company monetizes through three streams: (1) subscription-based professional software tools for recyclers, including the Checkmate inventory management suite, Partmate, Bidmate, Photomate, Order Trakker, CrashLink, iCPM messaging, Coremate, Real Time Barcoding, Car-Part Mobile, and the Car-Part Pro professional-buyer tier; (2) marketplace transaction and listing fees paid by recyclers; and (3) web services that enable recyclers to list inventory on Car-Part.com and on their own business websites. End buyers access basic search for free on a freemium basis, while enterprise recycler pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution extends beyond the primary domain to recycler partner websites, state recycler association portals, and mobile apps. The company remains a private, bootstrapped Kentucky corporation with no disclosed external funding, no leadership changes on record, and 27 years of continuous operations.
Carparts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Carparts
- Legal name
- Used-Car-Parts.com, Inc.
- Website
- https://car-part.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Car-Part.com operates an online marketplace for used and recycled auto parts, aggregating inventories from 4,200+ recyclers across the US, Canada, and Mexico. The platform offers free buyer search alongside subscription-based inventory, business, and interchange tools for professional auto recyclers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Carparts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Used Auto Parts Marketplace
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Parts (Used) Merchant Wholesalers (423140), Automotive Parts and Accessories Retailers (44133)
- SIC
- Retail-Auto & Home Supply Stores (5531), Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Automotive Parts & Mobility Recommerce (Parts, Accessories, Bikes/Scooters) (CRAFAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Automotive Parts, Tools & Accessories Marketplaces (CRAFABAJ), Automotive Parts, Tires & Workshop Supplies Marketplaces (CRAFAHAD)
Keywords
Where Carparts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fort Thomas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Carparts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Recycler Tools and Software Subscriptions: Car-Part.com sells professional inventory management, business management, and parts sales tools to auto recyclers. Products include Checkmate (inventory management system), Bidmate (salvage buying tool), Partmate (portable inventory tool), and other software solutions. Revenue comes from subscription fees and software licensing to recycler customers.
- Marketplace Transaction Fees: The platform facilitates transactions between buyers and auto recyclers. While basic search is free for end users, the company earns revenue through fees charged to recyclers for listing inventory and potentially transaction facilitation.
- Web Services and Integration: Online part listings for recyclers to list parts on Car-Part.com and their own business websites. Reaches body shops, garages, insurance companies, and retail customers through web services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free search for buyers |
| Subscription | Monthly | Professional Recycler Tools |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Carparts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Car-Part.com operates an online marketplace connecting buyers (individual car owners, body shops, repair shops, insurance companies) with auto recyclers for used and recycled auto parts across the US, Canada, and Mexico. The platform indexes over 250 million inventoried parts searchable by VIN, make/model, or part type and lets buyers contact recyclers directly via Live Chat. The company additionally sells subscription-based B2B software tools (Checkmate, Partmate, Bidmate, Photomate, CrashLink, etc.) to auto recyclers for inventory management, business operations, and parts sales.
Product overview
Car-Part.com operates as an online marketplace platform for used auto parts, connecting buyers (repair shops, insurance companies, individual consumers) with auto recyclers. The platform is built around a core marketplace with over 250 million inventoried parts and provides a comprehensive suite of tools for recyclers including Checkmate (inventory management), Partmate (portable inventory), Bidmate (salvage buying), Photomate (mobile imaging), Real Time Barcoding, and Order Trakker (work order tracking). Additional services include Car-Part Pro (professional buyer tier), iCPM instant messaging, Car-Part Exchange (recycler-to-recycler parts locating), CrashLink (collision pricing), Coremate (core pricing), and Car-Part Mobile. The platform's VIN decoding technology (SmartVin) and interchange system (Car-Part Interchange) form the core data infrastructure enabling part matching across the marketplace.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Car-Part.com Marketplace Flagship online marketplace connecting buyers with auto recyclers, featuring a database of 250 million+ inventoried parts searchable by VIN, make/model, or part type across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Free for buyers to search.
- Checkmate Full-featured inventory and business management system for auto recyclers, managing inventory, tracking sales, processing work orders, and integrating with the Car-Part.com marketplace. Provides access to 8 Car-Part tools from within one program.
- Partmate Portable inventory tool that decodes interchange from VIN, automatically completes descriptions, and determines damage codes; includes SmartList feature to identify profitable parts.
- Bidmate Salvage buying tool that calculates vehicle value based on sales history, Car-Part marketplace search data, and stock levels.
- Photomate Mobile imaging solution for capturing part photos and inventory documentation on phones and tablets.
- CrashLink Collision pricing, interchange, and diagram tool that launches searches from IMS systems, searching by VIN or OEM number with pricing history included.
- Car-Part Exchange Recycler-to-recycler parts locating system providing one-button access to parts from 4,200 recyclers and aftermarket vendors.
- iCPM (Car-Part Messaging) Instant messaging system for auto recyclers to communicate with other recyclers, body shops, insurance companies, and retail customers, with built-in interchange.
- Car-Part Pro Professional marketplace tier designed for auto appraisers and repairers that increases recycled part sales by showcasing parts for high-volume buyers.
- Car-Part Mobile Mobile application for phones and tablets enabling recyclers and buyers to search and sell parts on the go, including a mobile app and mobile website.
- Coremate Core pricing assistance tool that helps recyclers determine which parts to core during dismantling and provides access to core prices in Checkmate.
- Web Services Online part listing services enabling recyclers to list parts on Car-Part.com and on their own business websites, reaching body shops, garages, insurance companies, and retail customers.
Companies that use Carparts
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Carparts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Carparts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Claims Services Group, Inc. (Hollander Interchange)coreCar-Part.com licenses the Hollander Interchange database from Claims Services Group, Inc. This interchange data is included with or forms the basis for Car-Part Interchange. The Hollander Interchange is used to provide parts fitment and interchangeability information across the platform. Separate sublicense terms govern recyclers' use of this data.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Carparts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Copart: Copart operates the largest online salvage vehicle auction platform in North America. While focused on whole-vehicle auctions rather than parts, its salvage vehicle flow directly feeds the recycled parts inventory that powers Car-Part.com's marketplace.
Broad incumbents
- LKQ Corporation: LKQ is the largest North American distributor of recycled, aftermarket, and refurbished auto parts. It operates salvage yards and recycling facilities that overlap with Car-Part.com's recycler base, though its business is primarily physical distribution at much larger scale.
- AutoZone: AutoZone is the largest US retailer of aftermarket auto parts with 6,000+ stores. While focused on new parts and serving DIY customers, it competes for the same consumer mindshare when buyers decide between new and recycled parts.
- O'Reilly Auto Parts: O'Reilly is a major US auto parts retailer with 6,000+ stores focused on professional and DIY markets. It competes indirectly with Car-Part.com for the professional repair shop purchasing decision.
- Genuine Parts Company (NAPA): Genuine Parts Company distributes through NAPA, the largest US automotive aftermarket parts distribution network. It serves both professional repairers and consumers with new parts, competing with Car-Part.com for buyer-side spend.
Direct peers
- eBay Motors: eBay Motors operates a major online marketplace for used and new auto parts alongside vehicle listings. It competes directly with Car-Part.com for buyers searching online for recycled parts, though at much broader consumer scale.
- RockAuto: RockAuto is an online retailer specializing in aftermarket auto parts across all vehicle makes and models. While primarily new parts, it competes for the same DIY buyer audience searching online for affordable replacement parts.
- PartsGeek: PartsGeek is an online auto parts retailer offering OEM and aftermarket replacement parts. It directly competes with Car-Part.com for online parts-search buyers, though with a heavier skew toward new aftermarket parts.
Regional players
- Pull-A-Part: Pull-A-Part operates self-service salvage yards across the US Southeast and Midwest. Its yard inventory overlaps with what recyclers list on Car-Part.com, making it both a potential supplier and adjacent competitor for self-service buyers.
Others
- Hollander (a Solera company): Hollander provides the industry's leading parts interchange database, which Car-Part.com licenses as the foundation for its Car-Part Interchange product. As the upstream data provider, Hollander is a critical infrastructure partner rather than a competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Carparts social profiles
Digital presenceCarparts compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Carparts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Carparts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Carparts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Carparts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Carparts
What does Carparts do?
Car-Part.com operates an online marketplace connecting buyers (individual car owners, body shops, repair shops, insurance companies) with auto recyclers for used and recycled auto parts across the US, Canada, and Mexico. The platform indexes over 250 million inventoried parts searchable by VIN, make/model, or part type and lets buyers contact recyclers directly via Live Chat. The company additionally sells subscription-based B2B software tools (Checkmate, Partmate, Bidmate, Photomate, CrashLink, etc.) to auto recyclers for inventory management, business operations, and parts sales.
Is Carparts a public or private company?
Carparts is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Carparts founded?
Carparts was founded in 1998.
Where is Carparts based?
Carparts is headquartered in Fort Thomas, United States, in the North America region.
How does Carparts make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Recycler Tools and Software Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are marketplace Transaction Fees and web Services and Integration.
Who are Carparts's main competitors?
Copart is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are LKQ Corporation, AutoZone, O'Reilly Auto Parts and Genuine Parts Company (NAPA). Direct peers are eBay Motors, RockAuto and PartsGeek. Pull-A-Part is listed as a regional player. Hollander (a Solera company) is listed as an others.
Does Carparts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Carparts.
What industry is Carparts in?
Carparts's product category is Online Used Auto Parts Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAGAI, Automotive Parts & Mobility Recommerce (Parts, Accessories, Bikes/Scooters), with a secondary code of CRAFABAJ, Automotive Parts, Tools & Accessories Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 423140 and its SIC code is 5531.