Get Started - CarsXE Docs

CarsXE is a REST API for vehicle data. Pass an API key and a VIN (or plate), get structured JSON back. No SDKs required, no complex auth — just HTTP.

What's available

API	What it returns
VIN Decoder	Make, model, year, engine, trim, standard equipment
Market Value	Retail, trade-in, and auction estimates
Vehicle History	Title events, salvage, junk, and insurance records
Recalls	Open safety recalls by VIN
Plate Decoder	VIN lookup from a license plate (50+ countries)
Vehicle Images	Photos by make, model, and year
Recognition	VIN and plate extraction from images
Year Make Model	Year/make/model vehicle search and OBD-II code decoder
Lien & Theft	Active liens and stolen vehicle status

All endpoints use simple GET requests with query parameters. A handful of image/recognition endpoints use POST with a JSON body.

Your API key lives in the developer dashboard. Sign in above to copy it directly, or open the dashboard to manage usage and rotate keys.

Keep it secret. Store your key in an environment variable — never hardcode it or commit it to source control.

# .env
CARSXE_API_KEY=your_key_here

# .gitignore
.env
.env.local

Every request requires your key as the key query parameter — no headers, tokens, or OAuth flows.

curl "https://api.carsxe.com/specs?key=YOUR_API_KEY&vin=WBAFR7C57CC811956"

That's it. A 401 means the key is missing or wrong. A 403 means your plan doesn't include that endpoint.

Decode your first VIN — swap in your key and run it:

Code

curl -G https://api.carsxe.com/specs \
  -d key=YOUR_API_KEY \
  -d vin=WBAFR7C57CC811956

A 200 with JSON vehicle specs means you're live. From here, explore the API Reference or check the Errors guide for handling failures.