diff --git a/src/commands/add.ts b/src/commands/add.ts
index 4c58194..9aa5dfc 100644
--- a/src/commands/add.ts
+++ b/src/commands/add.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import { Command } from 'commander'
 import { runAdd } from '../add/add.js'
 import type { AddOptions } from '../add/types.js'
 import { MIN_RUNWAY_DAYS } from '../common/constants.js'
+import { isCarFile } from '../utils/car-detection.js'
+import { log } from '../utils/cli-logger.js'
 import { addAuthOptions, addProviderOptions } from '../utils/cli-options.js'
 import { addMetadataOptions, resolveMetadataOptions } from '../utils/cli-options-metadata.js'
 
@@ -29,6 +31,15 @@ export const addCommand = new Command('add')
         ...(dataSetMetadata && { dataSetMetadata }),
       }
 
+      // Check if the file is a CAR file and warn the user
+      if (await isCarFile(path)) {
+        log.warn(
+          `Warning: You are adding a CAR file. Did you mean to 'import' it?
+'add' wraps the file in a new UnixFS DAG.
+To import existing CAR data, use 'filecoin-pin import'.`
+        )
+      }
+
       await runAdd(addOptions)
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Add failed:', error instanceof Error ? error.message : error)
diff --git a/src/test/unit/car-detection.test.ts b/src/test/unit/car-detection.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f4d4978
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/unit/car-detection.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import { createWriteStream } from 'node:fs'
+import { unlink } from 'node:fs/promises'
+import { join } from 'node:path'
+import { CarWriter } from '@ipld/car'
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { isCarFile } from '../../utils/car-detection.js'
+import { CID } from 'multiformats/cid'
+import * as raw from 'multiformats/codecs/raw'
+import { sha256 } from 'multiformats/hashes/sha2'
+
+describe('isCarFile', () => {
+    const tempDir = process.cwd()
+    const validCarPath = join(tempDir, 'valid.car')
+    const invalidCarPath = join(tempDir, 'invalid.car')
+    const textFilePath = join(tempDir, 'text.txt')
+
+    it('should return true for a valid CAR file', async () => {
+        // Create a valid CAR file
+        const { out, writer } = await CarWriter.create([
+            CID.create(1, raw.code, await sha256.digest(new Uint8Array([1, 2, 3])))
+        ])
+        const { Readable } = await import('node:stream')
+        const stream = createWriteStream(validCarPath)
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+            Readable.from(out).pipe(stream)
+            stream.on('error', reject)
+            stream.on('finish', () => resolve())
+            writer.close()
+        })
+
+        expect(await isCarFile(validCarPath)).toBe(true)
+    })
+
+    it('should return false for a text file', async () => {
+        const stream = createWriteStream(textFilePath)
+        stream.write('This is just a text file')
+        stream.end()
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => stream.on('finish', () => resolve()))
+
+        expect(await isCarFile(textFilePath)).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('should return false for a random binary file', async () => {
+        const stream = createWriteStream(invalidCarPath)
+        stream.write(Buffer.from([0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]))
+        stream.end()
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => stream.on('finish', () => resolve()))
+
+        expect(await isCarFile(invalidCarPath)).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    // Cleanup
+    it('cleanup', async () => {
+        try { await unlink(validCarPath) } catch { }
+        try { await unlink(textFilePath) } catch { }
+        try { await unlink(invalidCarPath) } catch { }
+    })
+})
diff --git a/src/utils/car-detection.ts b/src/utils/car-detection.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec3eacd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/car-detection.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { createReadStream } from 'node:fs'
+import { asyncIterableReader, createDecoder } from '@ipld/car/decoder'
+
+export async function isCarFile(filePath: string): Promise<boolean> {
+  let stream: ReturnType<typeof createReadStream> | undefined
+
+  try {
+    stream = createReadStream(filePath)
+    const reader = asyncIterableReader(stream)
+    const decoder = createDecoder(reader)
+    const header = await decoder.header()
+    return !!(header && header.version === 1 && header.roots)
+  } catch (error) {
+    return false
+  } finally {
+    if (stream) {
+      stream.destroy()
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file