100+ fields from one VIN call
Vehicle Specifications API
Decode any 17-character VIN into structured data.
- Identity (year, make, model, trim, body style)
- Engine, transmission, drivetrain, fuel economy
- 70+ equipment flags, colors, factory warranties
- Dimensions, weight, seating, original pricing
Our benefits
Built for the first integration in your stack.
Depth beyond a basic decode
About 30 attributes, 70+ equipment flags, factory colors and warranty terms. A basic decoder gives you year, make and model, then stops.
Integrate in minutes
Two required parameters and a JSON response. Copy the request from the panel below, swap in your key, and the first decode runs in minutes.
Support that knows the data
Docs with a live test VIN, a free sandbox, and support that will tell you when a field is thin for your market rather than guessing.
Take only what you need
Add deepdata=1 for extended fields, disableIntVINDecoding=1 to skip the international fallback, or format=xml. Defaults suit most integrations.
For developers
See the whole response, not a summary.
The panel on the right is a real request and the response it returns for VIN WBAFR7C57CC811956. Scroll it to the end to see how much comes back from one call, then copy the request into your terminal and swap in any VIN you have.
- Four blocks in every response
- attributes, equipment, colors and warranties, each returned as its own object.
- Every field is optional
- A field missing from attributes means that data was not available for this VIN, not that we guessed.
- Errors that name the fix
- A 404 tells you to retry with deepdata=1. A 400 tells you the VIN is not 17 characters.
curl -G https://api.carsxe.com/specs \
-d key=YOUR_API_KEY \
-d vin=WBAFR7C57CC811956{
"success": true,
"input": { "vin": "WBAFR7C57CC811956", "key": "..." },
"attributes": {
"year": "2012",
"make": "BMW",
"model": "5 Series",
"trim": "535i",
"engine": "3.0L L6 DOHC 24V",
"drivetrain": "RWD",
"transmission": "8-Speed Automatic",
"fuel_type": "Gasoline"
},
"equipment": { "abs_brakes": "Std.", "navigation_aid": "Std." },
"colors": [ { "category": "Exterior", "name": "Alpine White" } ],
"warranties": [ { "type": "Basic", "miles": "50,000 mile", "months": "48 month" } ]
}For AI agents
Built into the AI tools you already use
Point your coding agent at the CarsXE MCP server and it can call the API on its own, no client library, no glue code. The same tools are available to chat agents over plain HTTP.
- Claude Code
- Cursor
- GitHub Copilot
- Grok Bot
- Codex
- Gemini
- Hermes Agent
- OpenClaw
- opencode
- & more
One command. Register the CarsXE MCP server with your editor.
claude mcp add --transport http carsxe https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp \
--header "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"Then just ask. The agent picks the right CarsXE tool and returns structured vehicle data.
Decode VIN WBAFR7C57CC811956 and list its equipmentAgent onboarding. Are you an AI agent? Fetch this skill to get an API key and start pulling vehicle data.
curl -s https://carsxe.com/agent-onboarding/SKILL.mdFair billing
No data, no charge
A lookup we cannot resolve comes back as a 404 and costs you nothing. You are billed only when the API returns data.
{ "success": true, "input": { "vin": "WBAFR7C57CC811956" }, "attributes": { ... } }Billed. One lookup.
{
"success": false,
"message": "No data found for this VIN. Try a deep search by setting deepdata=1 in your request"
}No charge.
Priced per answer, not per request.
3 countries supported
Robust international support
Deep specifications cover the United States, Canada and Mexico. VINs from other markets fall back to the international decoder.
Canada
CA
Mexico
MX
United States
US
Customer stories
Companies love building with CarsXE
How teams build on CarsXE vehicle data.
“
CarsXE offers MotorTango's customers accurate and reliable vehicle data across many makes and models. Their VIN decoder and specs API are second to none.
Andy Liakos
CTO, MotorTango
“
The API is super easy to work with...it's a damn good API. And trust me, I deal with a lot of third parties and you're the creme de la creme. It's great. Documentation is sound, the result sets are sound. I have nothing to say but, man, it's too easy to work with.
Alan Deitch
Senior Engineering Leader, SpotHero
“
When a customer calls a dealership, we know they have an open recall instantly. That changes what the call is worth. Our agents book the recall alongside whatever the customer originally called about, and the dealer captures service work that used to walk out the door unnoticed. CarsXE's recall data is what makes that possible on every call, at every rooftop we run.
Samee Khan
Founder & CEO, PAM
“
With their VIN decoder and images, we can accurately document what's needed to perform repairs and ADAS calibrations, and we do it much more efficiently — saving dozens of minutes on every single repair. The result is consistent, reliable service at scale for all of our customers, backed by data we trust. CarsXE has become a critical part of our workflow and our ability to grow.
Philip Brossy
Founder & CEO, ADAS Safe
Same key, more endpoints
Keep building from the vehicle record
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our customer support team.
Get started
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