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Cars.comLTS:0HTZ -1.64%60 Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.46 as of Mar. 2026, which is 20% above its 10-year median of 2.89. GuruFocus rates LTS:0HTZ with a GF Score™ of 60/100 and a GF Value™ of $19.60 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 305 Interactive Media companies, Cars.com ranks worse than 78.69% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Cars.com's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
LTS:0HTZ'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -1.96 Med: 2.89 Max: 3.67
Current: 2.9
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Cars.com was 3.67. The lowest was -1.96. And the median was 2.89.
LTS:0HTZ's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 78.69% of 305
companies
in the Interactive Media industry
Industry Median: 0.67
vs LTS:0HTZ: 2.90
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
Cars.com Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Cars.com Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Cars.com's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
LTS:0HTZ vs NRDS, MAX, SSTK: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Internet Content & Information subindustry, Cars.com's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Cars.com Debt-to-EBITDA vs Interactive Media Industry
For the Interactive Media industry and Communication Services sector, Cars.com's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Cars.com's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
Cars.com (LTS:0HTZ) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.46 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Cars.com. This is 20% above median its historical median of 2.89. According to the industry distribution chart, Cars.com ranks #240 out of 305 companies in the Interactive Media industry, placing it in the top 78.7%.
Is Cars.com's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Cars.com's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.46 is 20% above median its 10-year median of 2.89. The Interactive Media industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 0.67. Cars.com's value of 3.46 is 416.4% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Cars.com ranks #240 out of 305 companies in the Interactive Media industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Cars.com has a GF Score™ of 60/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Cars.com's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to NRDS and MAX?
According to the Interactive Media industry distribution chart, Cars.com ranks #240 out of 305 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places Cars.com in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 0.67. Cars.com's value of 3.46 is 416.4% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 2.89 vs. the industry median of 0.67, Cars.com has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for an Interactive Media company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Interactive Media companies is 0.67, based on 305 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Cars.com's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.46 is 416.4% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Cars.com. For the Interactive Media industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 0.67 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Cars.com's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.46, which is 20% above median its own 10-year median of 2.89. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Cars.com stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Cars.com (LTS:0HTZ) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $19.60, compared to a current price of $11.92 — trading 39.2% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.46, which is 20% above median its 10-year median of 2.89 and 416.4% above the Interactive Media industry median of 0.67. Cars.com's overall GF Score™ is 60/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Cars.com (LTS:0HTZ), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.46 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Cars.com (LTS:0HTZ) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Cars.com stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $11.92 is trading 39.2% below its estimated GF Value™ of $19.60.
GuruFocus considers Cars.com to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for LTS:0HTZ:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 3.46 (20% above median its 10-year median of 2.89)
GF Value™: $19.60 vs. price of $11.92 (39.2% below fair value)
Industry Position: 416.4% above the Interactive Media median (#240 of 305)
No single metric tells the full story. See the LTS:0HTZ stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Cars.com Inc is an audience-powered and data-driven technology platform that simplifies buying and selling cars. The flagship Cars.com marketplace connects consumers to dealerships across the U.S., powering the car-buying experience with artificial intelligence (AI) shopping tools, vehicle reviews and content. Its ecosystem of products enables dealers and OEMs to sell more cars by leveraging the marketplace, dealer websites, trade and appraisal tools and proprietary in-market media solutions. The platform provides shoppers with data, resources and digital tools to make informed buying decisions and connect with automotive retailers. The Company also provides dealerships and OEMs with solutions and data-driven intelligence to reach and influence its 26 million monthly shoppers.
60GF Score
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Debt-to-EBITDA is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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