# CarsXE — how to use (mcp.ai)

Connect your CarsXE account and use 12 tools for developer tools straight from your AI agent. Connect with your own API key. CarsXE provides vehicle data APIs for VIN specifications, recalls, license plate decoding, market values, history, images, recognition, and related automotive lookups.

## Option A — via MCP (recommended)
Remote MCP endpoint (HTTP, streamable): `https://api.mcp.ai/p_carsxe?ms=1787291400000`
Add it as a custom/remote MCP connector in your client (Claude, Cursor, VS Code…), then authenticate when prompted. Once connected, ask the agent to use the server's tools (e.g. `carsxe_check_lien_and_theft`).

## Option B — via direct REST API
Base URL: `https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe`
Auth: `Authorization: Bearer sk_live_…` — create a workspace API key at https://mcp.ai/settings/api-keys
Discover endpoints: `GET https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/_endpoints`

### Endpoints
- `POST https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/check/lien/and/theft` — Retrieve reportable US lien and theft events for a VIN. A no-data response means CarsXE has no reportable record and is not proof that the vehicle is clear.
  - body: { vin: string }
- `POST https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/decode/license/plate` — Look up vehicle identity from a license plate using CarsXE's current global v2 decoder.
  - body: { plate: string, state?: string, country?: string, district?: string, require_vin?: boolean }
- `POST https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/decode/obd/code` — Translate an OBD-II diagnostic trouble code into a readable diagnosis.
  - body: { code: string }
- `POST https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/get/market/value` — Estimate wholesale, retail, and trade-in values for a VIN using CarsXE's current v2 valuation, optionally adjusted for state, mileage, and condition.
  - body: { vin: string, state?: string, mileage?: number, condition?: string }
- `POST https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/get/recall/batch` — Make exactly one read request for a CarsXE recall batch. The default status view returns current progress. The results view is available only when the batch is completed or partial and returns a bound
  - body: { view?: string, batch_id: string, result_limit?: integer, result_offset?: integer }
- `POST https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/get/vehicle/history` — Retrieve title, brand, junk/salvage, insurance, VIN-change, and historical title records for a VIN.
  - body: { vin: string }
- `POST https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/get/vehicle/images` — Find up to 10 vehicle photos by make and model, with optional year, trim, angle, image type, size, color, quality, transparency, and license filters.
  - body: { make: string, size?: string, trim?: string, year?: string, angle?: string, color?: string, model: string, license?: string, photo_type?: string, transparent?: boolean, validate_images?: boolean }
- `POST https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/get/vehicle/recalls` — Find safety recall campaigns either for one VIN or for a year, make, and model. Supply exactly one lookup method.
  - body: { vin?: string, make?: string, year?: string, model?: string }
- `POST https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/get/vehicle/specs` — Decode a 17-character VIN into vehicle identity, specifications, equipment, colors, and warranty data. International decoding is used automatically when CarsXE needs it unless explicitly disabled.
  - body: { vin: string, include_extended_data?: boolean, disable_international_fallback?: boolean }
- `POST https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/get/year/make/model/data` — Look up detailed vehicle and trim information by year, make, and model without a VIN. Returns bounded trim summaries rather than large feature and color payloads.
  - body: { make: string, trim?: string, year: integer, model: string, include_all_trim_options?: boolean }
- `POST https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/recognize/license/plate` — Analyze a publicly accessible vehicle image and return license-plate candidates, regions, confidence, bounding boxes, and detected vehicle details.
  - body: { image_url: string }
- `POST https://api.mcp.ai/api/carsxe/submit/recall/batch` — Create one asynchronous CarsXE recall-check batch for 1 to 10,000 VIN entries. Submission charges one Recalls Batch unit per unique valid VIN after CarsXE normalizes and deduplicates the list. The act
  - body: { vins: string[] }

## Example prompts
- "What can I do in CarsXE?"
- "Show me a summary of my CarsXE account"

## More
- Page: https://mcp.ai/carsxe
- Agent spec (llms.txt): https://mcp.ai/carsxe/llms.txt
- Postman collection: https://mcp.ai/carsxe/postman.json