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io.github.Carwhere/vin-mcp

Official registry E-commerce

Decode any US-market VIN, check NHTSA recalls, and look up verified buyer-paid car prices. Free.

Source code Documentation

Install

Add this to your client's MCP configuration (Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json; Cursor: .cursor/mcp.json; VS Code and others use the same "mcpServers" shape).

NPM package carwhere-vin-mcp
Claude Code 
claude mcp add vin-mcp -- npx -y carwhere-vin-mcp@0.1.3
JSON configuration (Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code) 
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "vin-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "carwhere-vin-mcp@0.1.3"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Documentation

From the project's README on GitHub, refreshed weekly. Links open on GitHub.

Contents
  1. carwhere-vin-mcp
  2. What it does
  3. Install
  4. Data sources
  5. Citation
  6. Commercial disclosure
  7. Configuration
  8. Development
  9. License

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

ToolReturns
decode_vinYear, make, model, trim, engine, transmission, plant from NHTSA vPIC + CarWhere buyer pricing + open recalls + AI insight
check_recallsOpen NHTSA safety recalls by VIN or year/make/model
get_pricingVerified buyer-transaction pricing for any year/make/model (optionally state)
validate_vin_check_digitOffline ISO 3779 / 49 CFR §565.15 checksum validator
buy_vin_reportSecure Stripe checkout link for the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report (window sticker, MSRP & options, recall scan, market price)
about_carwhereServer 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 default https://www.carwhere.com base 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

Frequently asked questions

What is io.github.Carwhere/vin-mcp?

Decode any US-market VIN, check NHTSA recalls, and look up verified buyer-paid car prices. Free.

How do I install io.github.Carwhere/vin-mcp?

It runs on your machine. In Claude Code: claude mcp add vin-mcp -- npx -y carwhere-vin-mcp@0.1.3. For other clients, paste the JSON configuration from this page into their MCP settings.

Does io.github.Carwhere/vin-mcp need an API key?

Its registry entry lists no required key or secret. Some features may still need an account with the service it connects to.

Is io.github.Carwhere/vin-mcp open source?

Yes. Its code is on GitHub under the MIT license.

Who maintains io.github.Carwhere/vin-mcp?

It is published by carwhere. AI.tn lists it but does not maintain or endorse it.

From the official MCP Registry. Listing is not an endorsement: review a server's code and permissions before giving it access to your data.