CarsXE

The CarsXE MCP server exposes vehicle data directly to AI editors and agents. Once configured, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, and Windsurf can look up VINs, decode plates, pull recalls, and more — all from within your AI workflow.

Available tools

ToolDescription
get-vehicle-specsFull vehicle specifications from a VIN
decode-vehicle-plateLicense plate → VIN lookup (50+ countries)
international-vin-decoderDecode non-US international VINs
get-market-valueRetail, trade-in, and auction estimates
get-vehicle-historyTitle events, salvage, and insurance records
get-vehicle-imagesVehicle photos by make, model, and year
get-vehicle-recallsOpen safety recalls by VIN
recognize-plate-imageExtract plate info from an image URL
vin-ocrExtract VIN text from an image via OCR
get-year-make-modelLook up vehicles by year, make, and model
decode-obd-codeDecode OBD-II diagnostic trouble codes

Setup

Add the CarsXE server to your editor's MCP configuration. Replace your_key_here with your API key from the developer dashboard.

MCP configuration

Code
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "carsxe": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "carsxe-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "CARSXE_API_KEY": "your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Config file locations

EditorConfig file
Claude Desktop (macOS)~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Claude Desktop (Windows)%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Cursor.cursor/mcp.json (project) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global)
VS Code.vscode/mcp.json (project) or User Settings JSON
Windsurf~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

Using the tools

After configuration, restart your editor. The CarsXE tools will appear in your AI assistant's tool list. You can invoke them naturally:

"What are the specs for VIN WBAFR7C57CC811956?"

"Are there any open recalls on this car?"

"What's the market value of a 2019 BMW 5 Series with 45,000 miles in California?"

The server formats all responses as readable Markdown so results are easy to scan in chat.

Best practices

Use npx -y to always run the latest version. The -y flag skips the install confirmation prompt and ensures you're on the current release.

Never commit your API key. Store it only in the editor config file (which lives outside your repo) or in a secrets manager. Rotate it from the developer dashboard if it's ever exposed.