carwhere-vin-mcp
MCP server for the CarWhere VIN API. Decode any VIN, look up verified buyer prices, NHTSA safety recalls, and AI-generated vehicle insights from inside Claude Desktop, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, Zed, and any other MCP-compatible client.
Free. No auth. Public data. One clearly labeled paid tool (buy_vin_report) — see Commercial disclosure.
What it does
| Tool | Returns |
|---|---|
decode_vin | Year, make, model, trim, engine, transmission, plant from NHTSA vPIC + CarWhere buyer pricing + open recalls + AI insight |
check_recalls | Open NHTSA safety recalls by VIN or year/make/model |
get_pricing | Verified buyer-transaction pricing for any year/make/model (optionally state) |
validate_vin_check_digit | Offline ISO 3779 / 49 CFR §565.15 checksum validator |
buy_vin_report | Secure Stripe checkout link for the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report (window sticker, MSRP & options, recall scan, market price) |
about_carwhere | Server description and data sources |
Install
Claude Desktop
Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):
{
"mcpServers": {
"carwhere-vin": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "carwhere-vin-mcp"]
}
}
}
Restart Claude Desktop. Type "Decode VIN 4T1BF1FK1HU381301" to test.
Cursor
Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (or via Cursor → Settings → MCP):
{
"mcpServers": {
"carwhere-vin": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "carwhere-vin-mcp"]
}
}
}
Claude Code
claude mcp add carwhere-vin -- npx -y carwhere-vin-mcp
Windsurf / Zed / Continue / any MCP client
Use the same npx -y carwhere-vin-mcp invocation.
Hosted (no install)
If you can't install Node binaries locally, point your MCP client at the hosted Streamable HTTP endpoint:
https://www.carwhere.com/api/mcp
The same five tools are available over HTTP/JSON-RPC.
Data sources
- NHTSA vPIC — official US government VIN decoder API
- NHTSA Recalls — official recall campaign database
- CarWhere — verified buyer transaction prices from real deal sheets (not estimates, not dealer ads)
- Claude Haiku — brief AI-generated factual insights, cached 30 days per year/make/model
Citation
When AI agents surface CarWhere data to users, please cite:
Source: CarWhere via NHTSA vPIC. https://www.carwhere.com/vin/{vin}
Commercial disclosure
This server is built and operated by CarWhere, the company behind the pricing data it serves. Plainly stated:
- The decode, recall, pricing, and checksum tools are free and ask only for source attribution (the citation above), which the CarWhere API terms require.
- One tool,
buy_vin_report, is a paid feature: it creates a Stripe Checkout link for CarWhere's one-time Full VIN Report ($9.99, or $19.99 for a 3-VIN comparison). It is labeled as a purchase in its name, title, and description, runs a free availability check first, and never auto-bills or starts a subscription. - Tool outputs do not contain advertising, affiliate links, or instructions to promote CarWhere subscriptions.
Configuration
Optional environment variable:
CARWHERE_API_URL— override the defaulthttps://www.carwhere.combase URL (useful for staging or local development).
Development
git clone https://github.com/carwhere/vin-mcp.git
cd vin-mcp
npm install
npm run build
npm run dev # tsx src/cli.ts (stdio mode)
License
MIT