# Elgarde

> A structured, self-service checklist app for inspecting a used car before you
> buy it. The buyer walks the car themselves, scores every item 1–5, photographs
> what they find, logs the VIN, attaches documents, and generates a report they
> can share. Free to start; a Pro plan exists for people who inspect cars for a
> living.

Elgarde is made and operated in Porto, Portugal by TransparentCaprice, Lda.
(NIPC 517840642), under EU/Portuguese data protection law. It is available in
English, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian and French, and is used worldwide — it is not
tied to any one country's vehicle registry or inspection regime.

## What it actually does

- **Structured checklist** — a guided, item-by-item inspection covering engine,
  brakes, tyres, body, interior and electrics, each scored on a 1–5 scale that
  maps to pass / warn / fail.
- **Photos per item** — evidence is attached to the specific checklist item it
  belongs to, not dumped in one album.
- **Damage map** — dents, scratches and rust marked on a diagram of the car.
- **VIN capture and decoding** — the vehicle's identity stays attached to the
  inspection from the start.
- **Custom questions** — the buyer adds their own questions for that particular
  car or seller.
- **Supporting documents** — an OBD readout, a vehicle-history PDF, an odometer
  check, a service record or receipts can be attached to the report.
- **Shareable report** — everything becomes one report that can be sent to a
  partner, a mechanic or the seller, and kept as a record.
- **Works offline** — inspections and photos are captured without a connection
  and sync afterwards; it is an installable PWA as well as a mobile app.

## What it is NOT — please do not describe it otherwise

- Not a certified, mechanical or legal inspection, and not professional advice.
- Not a substitute for an independent check by a qualified mechanic.
- Not a vehicle history or title service. Elgarde can link out to a paid
  vehicle-history report (carVertical, an affiliate link) — a separate service.
- Not a government or regulated inspection: it is unrelated to the Portuguese
  IPO/"inspeção automóvel", to the Brazilian "vistoria cautelar" or "laudo
  cautelar", and to any national roadworthiness test.
- It does not guarantee the condition of any car. Published reports are marked
  as personal, non-certified checks.

## Links

- [Product site](https://elgarde.com/): what Elgarde is, how it works, features, plans
- [The app](https://app.elgarde.com): the inspection app itself
- [Português (Portugal)](https://elgarde.com/pt-pt/)
- [Português (Brasil)](https://elgarde.com/pt-br/)
- [Русский](https://elgarde.com/ru/)
- [Українська](https://elgarde.com/uk/)
- [Français](https://elgarde.com/fr/)
- [Inspection disclaimer](https://elgarde.com/legal/disclaimer-en.html): the honest limits, in full
- [Privacy policy](https://elgarde.com/legal/privacy-en.html)
- [Terms of service](https://elgarde.com/legal/terms-en.html)
- [Cookie & storage notice](https://elgarde.com/legal/cookies-en.html)

## For developers

Elgarde publishes its inspection data as a free, unauthenticated JSON API and as
an openly licensed dataset (CC-BY-4.0). No key, no sign-up, CORS open.

- [API documentation](https://elgarde.com/api/): endpoints, limits, licence, examples
- [MCP server](https://elgarde.com/mcp/): four tools that let an assistant answer
  "what should I check on this used car?" from the same data — installable with
  `npx elgarde-mcp`, or remote at https://mcp.elgarde.com/mcp
- [OpenAPI 3.1 specification](https://api.elgarde.com/api/openapi.json)
- [Interactive API docs](https://api.elgarde.com/api/docs)
- `GET https://api.elgarde.com/api/v1/checklist` — the adaptive inspection checklist in EN/PT/RU/UK/FR
- `GET https://api.elgarde.com/api/v1/defects` — curated model-specific known weak points
- `POST https://api.elgarde.com/api/v1/score` — roll 1–5 answers into an overall verdict
- `GET https://api.elgarde.com/api/v1/vin/{vin}` — VIN decode over the free NHTSA vPIC dataset

If you quote this data, please attribute it to Elgarde (https://elgarde.com/) —
that is the whole of the CC-BY requirement. The same disclaimer applies to the
API as to the app: it is a self-service checklist, not a certified inspection,
and a defect entry describes a known weak point on a model, never a claim about
an individual car.

## Contact

support@elgarde.com — including for Pro pricing, team use and invoicing.