Coming soon to iPhone and Android. For the whole US, launching first in Dallas–Fort Worth.
Sample listings and people. Pre-release app.
How it works
Post it in minutes.
About a minute if you have the VIN. It’s one page, and your draft saves as you go.
1
Identify it
Scan the VIN barcode on the door jamb or type the 17 characters, and the year, make, model, engine and drivetrain are decoded for you. No VIN handy? Pick the year, make and model from the catalog and fill in the rest yourself.
2
Add photos
3 to 15 photos, shot in daylight: front three-quarter, rear three-quarter, both sides, interior, the dash with the car running and the odometer. They’re resized on your phone, and location data is removed before upload.
You can add a photo of the VIN plate too. It’s optional and isn’t shown on your listing.
3
Add the details and a price
Mileage, title status, accident history, previous use and color. Then a price in whole dollars, from $500 to $2,000,000, with “Open to offers” if you’re flexible. Buyers see your city and a distance, never your address, and the location is moved about half a mile on your phone before it’s saved.
4
Post it and share it
When every section is done, tap Post vehicle. Listings are set to run for 60 days. Share a link to your listing anywhere you already talk to people.
Sample listings and people. Pre-release app.
Your listing
What buyers see.
When a seller enters the VIN, year, make, model, engine and drivetrain are decoded from it using NHTSA’s public VIN decoder and locked on the listing. Sellers state the title status and mileage; Throttle doesn’t check titles.
Example listing
2019 Chevrolet Silverado LT
$28,400
Negotiable
Decoded from the VIN
Locked once it’s posted
Year
2019
Make
Chevrolet
Model
Silverado
Body
Pickup
Engine
5.3L V8
Drivetrain
4WD
Fuel
Gas
Transmission
Automatic
Stated by the seller
Branded or financed titles get a badge
Trim
LT
Mileage
84,120 mi
Title
Clean title
Accident
None disclosed
Previous use
Personal
Exterior
White
Not on the listing
Buyers message you in the app
Your phone number
Your exact location
Your VIN plate photo, if you add one
Location data from your photos
An example, not a real listing. The VIN facts are a real decode of a sample VIN; the price and the seller’s entries are sample values. No VIN handy when you post? The body, drivetrain, fuel and transmission come from you instead, and the listing labels its details “Entered by the seller”.
Messages and fees
Keep your number. Lose the fees.
Buyers reach you through the app instead of your phone number. And selling here costs nothing.
Buyers message you in the app
They write from your listing, and you answer from your phone without giving out a number. Quick replies cover the usual.
Yes, still availableWhen works for you?Sold, sorry
Contact details are removed automatically
Phone numbers, emails, links and social handles are taken out of listing descriptions and messages, and replaced with a note.
If a message you’re about to send mentions escrow, a wire transfer, a cashier’s check, an overpayment or shipping, Throttle explains how that scam works before it goes.
Block and report
Blocking stops someone from messaging you or starting a conversation with you, and their listings no longer show when you browse. A person reads every report. We aim to look within one business day.
What selling costs
Posting your car
Free
Renewing
Free
Bump to the top
Free
Messaging buyers
Free
Paid placement
None
When it sells
No cut
Listing, buying and messaging will stay free. Throttle doesn’t handle the money, so it takes no cut of the sale.
Run the listing from your phone. None of it costs anything.
Edit itChange the price, photos, condition or description any time, or take it down. The VIN and decoded specs stay locked.Any time
Mark it pendingA deal in progress? Mark it pending from the listing or right from the conversation. It stays up with a “Sale pending” badge, so buyers know where things stand.Sale pending
Mark it soldWhen it’s gone, mark it sold and it comes out of search. The “Sold, sorry” quick reply takes care of anyone still asking.Sold
Bump it to the topPut it back at the top of the newest listings, free, once every 7 days.Every 7 days
Renew itListings are set to run for 60 days, and renewing restarts the clock. Listings near the end wait under “Needs attention” in Your listings, and “Keep it live” renews them in one go.60 days
See how it’s doingViews by day, plus saves, shares and messages, and where the views came from: search, your profile, a shared link or elsewhere in the app.Per listing
Tips
Tips for a faster sale.
None of this is required. All of it helps.
Shoot it in daylight
Work through the shot list: front three-quarter, rear three-quarter, both sides, interior, the dash with the car running and the odometer. Use photos of the car you’re selling, never someone else’s.
Price it to be found
Buyers filter by price, so a real number gets seen. Skip the “$1” and “call for price” tricks. If it sits, lower it: a price cut shows a “Price dropped” badge for 7 days.
Answer the first questions up front
Say what buyers ask first: one owner, service records, new tires, recent work, known issues and why you’re selling. An honest description saves everyone a wasted trip.
Meet somewhere safe
Meet somewhere public in daylight and bring someone. Get paid in person, sign the title together and ride along on test drives.
Short answers about fees, VINs, photos, privacy and how long a listing runs.
How does Throttle make money?
It doesn’t yet. Listing, buying and messaging are free. There are no ads, and Throttle doesn’t sell your information.
Listing, buying and messaging will stay free. If paid extras are ever added, they’ll be optional, they won’t be paid placement and they’ll be announced on this site first.
Throttle is new, and it’s launching first in Dallas–Fort Worth. Listing is free, so there’s nothing to lose by posting your car here too.
Every listing has its own link you can share anywhere: text it to a friend, post it in a group or put it in your bio. Nobody can pay to be placed above you, and you can bump your listing to the top for free once every 7 days.
Will buyers see my phone number or address?
No. Buyers message you in the app, and phone numbers, emails, links and social handles are removed from listings and messages automatically.
Your listing shows your city and a distance, never your address, and the location is blurred on your phone before it’s saved. Photos are resized on your phone, and location data is removed before upload.
If you’re a dealer, you can show more: with business mode on, your business address, hours and phone number (behind a Show number tap) appear on your dealer page.
Yes. Listing, buying and messaging are free. No listing fees, no buyer fees, no subscriptions, no paid placement, no card needed.
Bumping a listing to the top is free too, once every 7 days. The only cost you might see is your carrier’s: sign-in codes come by text, and message and data rates may apply.
What can I list?
Cars, trucks, SUVs and vans: pickups, SUVs, sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, wagons, vans and convertibles. Vehicles only, so no parts, motorcycles, RVs or boats.
It has to be a vehicle you own or are authorized to sell, and any VIN you enter has to be its real one. Prices are real asking prices in whole dollars, from $500 to $2,000,000, checked when a listing is posted and whenever it’s edited. “$1” and “call for price” listings aren’t allowed.
It helps, but you don’t need it. Scan the VIN barcode on the driver’s door jamb or type the 17 characters. When you enter the VIN, the year, make, model, engine and drivetrain are decoded from it using NHTSA’s public VIN decoder and locked on the listing.
No VIN handy? Pick the year, make and model from the catalog instead, and choose the body, drivetrain, fuel and transmission yourself. Your listing then labels those details “Entered by the seller” instead of “From the manufacturer’s record.” Either way, you can post it in minutes. About a minute if you have the VIN.
How many photos do I need?
Between 3 and 15, all of the actual vehicle. Shoot in daylight: front three-quarter, rear three-quarter, both sides, interior, the dash with the car running and the odometer.
Photos are resized on your phone, and location data is removed before upload. You can also add one photo of the VIN plate to help show the car is yours. It’s optional, and it isn’t shown on your listing.
How long does a listing stay up?
Listings are set to run for 60 days. Renewing restarts the clock.
While it’s up, you can bump it to the top for free once every 7 days, mark it pending or sold and take it down any time. Its analytics show views, saves, shares and messages, and where the views came from.
Can I change my listing after it’s posted?
Yes. Edit the price, condition, description and photos any time. When you cut the price, buyers see a Price dropped badge on your listing for 7 days.
The VIN and the specs decoded from it are locked once the listing is posted. If the VIN itself is wrong, contact support from the app and pick Correct a VIN.
