The CarsXE MCP server exposes vehicle data directly to AI editors and agents. All clients connect to the same hosted endpoint https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp and authenticate with the X-API-Key header.

Available on marketplaces

The CarsXE MCP server is listed on all major MCP marketplaces and registries:

What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that allows AI applications to securely connect to external data sources and tools. The CarsXE MCP server provides direct access to our comprehensive automotive database.

What is the CarsXE MCP server?

The CarsXE MCP server is a Node.js/TypeScript application that exposes a suite of tools for querying comprehensive vehicle data from the CarsXE API. It is designed for seamless integration with LLMs (like Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, etc.), chatbots, and developer tools, providing:

• Clean, modular code for each CarsXE endpoint
• Consistent, Markdown-rich output for chat/LLM environments
• Robust error handling and user-friendly messages
• Easy extensibility for new endpoints and features

Why use CarsXE with MCP?

Connecting CarsXE to your AI editor or chat client via MCP gives you a supercharged vehicle data experience — directly inside the tools you already use:

Available tools

See all CarsXE products for full endpoint details.

Prerequisites

• CarsXE API key (get one here)
• Node.js 18+ and npm — required by editors that launch the MCP server via npx mcp-remote@latest (Claude Desktop, Windsurf). Download Node.js
• An MCP-compatible client or editor — one of: Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code with the GitHub Copilot extension, Windsurf, or any other MCP-compatible tool

Installation by editor

All editors use the same remote MCP endpoint. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key in every config below.

Claude Desktop

1. Download and install Claude Desktop

• Go to the official Claude Desktop download page
• Download the installer for your operating system (macOS, Windows, or Linux)
• Install Claude Desktop by following the on-screen instructions

2. Configure Claude Desktop to use the CarsXE MCP server

a. Open Claude Desktop settings

• Launch the Claude Desktop app
• Go to Settings (Ctrl + , or Cmd + , on Mac)
• In the Settings window, go to the Developer tab (you may need to scroll or expand advanced options)
• Click Edit Config (or Open Config File)

b. Edit the configuration file

• This opens the claude_desktop_config.json file in your default text editor.
• Locate the "mcpServers" section. If it does not exist, add it as shown below.
• Add or update the following entry for CarsXE:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "carsxe": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote@latest",
        "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp",
        "--header",
        "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
      ]
    }
  }
}

• Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key.
• Tip: You can add multiple MCP servers under "mcpServers" if you use more than one.
• Save the configuration file and close your editor.

c. Restart Claude Desktop

• Close and reopen the Claude Desktop app to apply the new configuration. It may take a short delay for the changes to take effect.

3. Verify the CarsXE MCP server is available

• After restarting, open Claude Desktop.
• Go to the tools or plugins section (usually in the search bar or under a tools menu).
• You should see carsxe listed as an available MCP server/tool.
• Try running a CarsXE tool (e.g. get-vehicle-specs) to verify everything is working. This only works if your API key is associated with an active subscription.

Cursor

The install dialog will open pre-filled with:

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key, then click Install.

Visual Studio Code (GitHub Copilot)

After clicking install, add your API key manually:

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Run MCP: List Servers
3. Find CarsXE in the list and click on it
4. Click Show Configuration
5. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key:

{
  "servers": {
    "CarsXE": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

6. Save the file — VS Code will connect automatically.

Note: Make sure you have the GitHub Copilot extension installed and agent mode enabled (chat.agent.enabled in VS Code settings).

Windsurf

1. Open MCP configuration

• Go to Windsurf Settings → MCP (or press Ctrl+, and search for MCP)
• Click Edit Config to open ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

2. Add the CarsXE server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "carsxe": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote@latest",
        "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp",
        "--header",
        "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
      ]
    }
  }
}

3. Restart Windsurf

Claude CLI

The Claude CLI supports direct HTTP connections to MCP servers.

Using the command line:

claude mcp add --transport http carsxe https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp \
  --header "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Manual configuration — edit ~/.claude.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "carsxe": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

List configured servers with claude mcp list, then start the CLI with claude.

Gemini CLI

Edit ~/.gemini/settings.json:

{
  "theme": "Default",
  "selectedAuthType": "oauth-personal",
  "mcpServers": {
    "carsxe": {
      "url": "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key, then start the CLI with gemini. The CarsXE MCP server will be available immediately.

Kiro CLI

Ensure you have the Kiro CLI tool installed. Create or edit ~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "carsxe": {
      "url": "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      },
      "disabled": false
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key. Then run kiro-cli, activate MCP servers with /mcp, and the CarsXE server will be listed and ready to use.

Codex CLI

Ensure you have the Codex CLI tool installed. Edit ~/.codex/config.toml:

[mcp_servers.carsxe]
url = "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp"
http_headers = { "X-API-Key" = "YOUR_API_KEY" }

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key. Start the CLI with codex, then list MCP servers with /mcp.

Config file locations

Example usage

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

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

Supported regions

• United States — full coverage for all tools
• Canada — VIN decoding and market values
• International — VIN decoding for major markets
• Europe — limited VIN decoding support

Best practices

mcp-remote@latest keeps the stdio bridge current. Clients that launch the server via npx (Claude Desktop, Windsurf) fetch the latest bridge each start, so you always talk to the current hosted endpoint. Direct-HTTP clients (Cursor, VS Code, and the CLIs) need no local install.

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.

Troubleshooting

Authentication error

• Verify your API key is correct
• Ensure you have an active subscription with sufficient API credits
• Check that your API key has the necessary permissions

Connection issues

• For clients that launch the MCP server via npx (e.g. Claude Desktop, Windsurf), confirm Node.js is installed and accessible; for VS Code/Cursor setups that connect directly to the HTTP endpoint, Node.js is only needed if your client uses npx to start a local server.
• Verify your internet connection
• Check that the MCP server URL is correct: https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp

Tool not found

• Restart your MCP client
• Verify the configuration syntax
• Check the server logs for errors

Getting help

• Documentation: Full API documentation
• Support: Contact support