CarsXECarsXE

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

APIWhat it returns
VIN DecoderMake, model, year, engine, trim, standard equipment
Market ValueRetail, trade-in, and auction estimates
Vehicle HistoryTitle events, salvage, junk, and insurance records
RecallsOpen safety recalls by VIN
Plate DecoderVIN lookup from a license plate (50+ countries)
Vehicle ImagesPhotos by make, model, and year
RecognitionVIN and plate extraction from images
Year Make ModelYear/make/model vehicle search and OBD-II code decoder
Lien & TheftActive 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.

Connect your AI agent

Connect your AI agent to the CarsXE documentation using Model Context Protocol (MCP). Your agent can retrieve documentation and code examples to help you build your integration.

  1. Open your agent's MCP settings.

  2. Add a remote MCP server with these settings:

    SettingValue
    NameCarsXE Docs
    URLhttps://docs.carsxe.com/mcp
    TransportHTTP / Streamable HTTP
    AuthenticationNone; no CarsXE API key required.

  3. Save and enable the server.

To verify the connection, ask your agent:

Use CarsXE Docs to explain how to authenticate and decode a VIN, with links to the relevant documentation.

Confirm your agent uses the documentation tools and returns an explanation with links to the relevant CarsXE docs.

For vehicle-data tools, connect the separate CarsXE API MCP. See the agent guide for more ways to use CarsXE documentation with AI agents.

API Keys

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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

Authentication

Every vehicle API 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.

Quickstart

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

Decode a VIN

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.