NHTSA Vehicle Safety MCP Server

NHTSA Vehicle Safety

NHTSA vPIC API decodes Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) to get make, model, year, body type, engine, safety features, and manufacturer details. Also provides recall data, complaints, and crash test ratings. The VIN decoder is the primary capability — works for any 17-character VIN.

Data Model

• VIN decoding — decode any 17-character VIN to extract make, model, model year, body class, drive type, engine (cylinders, displacement, fuel type), GVWR, plant info, manufacturer.
• Recalls — safety recall campaigns by VIN, make/model/year, or campaign number. Includes component, summary, consequence, remedy, and recall date.
• Complaints — consumer complaints filed with NHTSA including component, description, crash/fire/injury data, and ODI number.
• Manufacturers — manufacturer details by name, ID, or vehicle type.
• Vehicle catalog — browse all vehicle makes and models by manufacturer, model year, and vehicle type. Look up manufacturer details by name or ID.

Gotchas

• Format parameter: Append ?format=json to all endpoints to receive JSON responses; default is XML.
• VIN length: Standard VINs are 17 characters. The API can do partial decoding for shorter sequences but results may be incomplete.
• Results array: VIN decode responses contain a Results array with variable-value pairs, not a flat object. Each result has Variable, Value, ValueId, and VariableId fields.
• No authentication: Completely open API with no keys or rate limit headers, though excessive requests may be throttled.