CheckMyVIN
Decodificador de VIN gratuito y consulta de retiradas del NHTSA para vehículos de EE. UU. Servidor MCP remoto (Streamable HTTP, sin autenticación) con las herramientas decode_vin y check_recalls, que utiliza datos oficiales de vPIC y de retiradas del NHTSA.
Servidor MCP alojado
npx add-mcp 'https://checkmyvin.net/api/mcp'Se instala en Claude Code, Codex, Cursor y más
Documentación
Home / Docs / MCP Server
Available Tools
| Tool | Use it for |
|---|---|
| decode_vin | NHTSA VPIC specs, the recall campaigns on file for that make, model and year, and a recallsQueryable flag (see below) from a 17-character VIN — plus a shareable report_url to the free report on CheckMyVIN. Your assistant analyzes the returned NHTSA data itself; the tool returns no model-generated text. |
| check_recalls | The NHTSA recall campaigns on file for a make, model and model year, when the user asks about a vehicle without giving a VIN. |
Connect from Claude Desktop
Edit claude_desktop_config.json (Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/ · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\):
{
"mcpServers": {
"checkmyvin": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["mcp-remote", "https://checkmyvin.net/api/mcp"]
}
}
}
Quit and reopen Claude Desktop. The CheckMyVIN tools appear in the tools menu.
Connect from Claude.ai
- Open Settings → Connectors in Claude.ai.
- Click Add custom connector (requires a paid plan).
- Paste the server URL:
https://checkmyvin.net/api/mcp - Choose Streamable HTTP transport. No authentication required.
- Enable the connector for the conversations you want.
Note: the Claude.ai web connector is currently in beta and the handshake may be unreliable. If it fails, use Claude Desktop (config above) or any standard MCP client — those connect cleanly.
Connect from ChatGPT
ChatGPT supports MCP via Custom Connectors on Business / Enterprise / Edu plans (Settings → Connectors → Build a connector).
- Choose MCP Server as the connector type.
- Paste the server URL:
https://checkmyvin.net/api/mcp - Set transport to Streamable HTTP. Leave auth empty.
- Save and enable in any chat that should use VIN tools.
Example Conversation
You: I'm looking at a 2013 Ford F-150, VIN 1FTFW1ET9DFC10312. Worth buying?
Assistant (Claude / ChatGPT with CheckMyVIN connected):
→ calls decode_vin(vin="1FTFW1ET9DFC10312")
← {vin: "1FTFW1ET9DFC10312", vehicle: {make: "FORD", model: "F-150", ...},
recalls: [3 campaigns], recallsQueryable: true, generatedAt: "...",
report_url: "https://checkmyvin.net/report/1FTFW1ET9DFC10312"}
Based on the NHTSA data, this is a 2013 F-150, 3.5L EcoBoost, 4WD, built in
Dearborn. NHTSA has 3 recall campaigns on file for this year, make and model,
including a fuel-pump campaign — ask a dealer to confirm by VIN whether they
apply and have been fixed before buying. Full report from CheckMyVIN (specs, recalls,
printable): https://checkmyvin.net/report/1FTFW1ET9DFC10312
🔴 Reading the recall fields correctly
recalls comes back as an empty array in two unrelated situations, and recallsQueryable is the only field that separates them:
recallsQueryable: true— NHTSA was queried and reports no open campaigns for this year/make/model. That is a result.recallsQueryable: false— no query was possible, usually because VPIC returned nomodelfor the VIN. Common for vehicles never sold in the US. That is not a result.
An assistant must not tell a user “no open recalls” when recallsQueryable is false. Say the lookup could not be run, and point the user at the manufacturer's own VIN recall lookup. Someone may be deciding whether to buy a car on the strength of that one sentence.
Data Source & Limits
- Specs from NHTSA VPIC (official US federal database).
- Recalls from NHTSA recalls API (live, cached at most 24 hours per VIN).
- The tool returns only official NHTSA data — no model-generated text, no score, no buying advice. Your assistant writes its own analysis from the fields it receives. We never send the user's identity or any private data.
- Free, and there is no paid tier of this server. Both NHTSA endpoints behind it are public-domain US federal APIs with no key and no per-call cost, so there is no vendor quota being resold here. What CheckMyVIN sells is a one-time report about a single vehicle, not tool access.
- Rate limit: 500 requests per IP per UTC day on this endpoint. Need more? Email support@checkmyvin.net — raised case by case, free of charge. See also the API docs.
Transport notes
Implementation is MCP Streamable HTTP in stateless JSON-response mode — every request is independent, no session ID required, every tool call returns standard application/json. Works in any MCP 1.0 client.
Prefer a REST API?
Not using an MCP client? The same decode + recall data is available over a plain HTTP endpoint — see the API docs for the OpenAPI spec, request format, and rate limits.
Browse without an assistant
Everything the MCP server returns is also on the site, free and without a client. Start with the free VIN decoder for a single vehicle, or go straight to a brand:
- BMW VIN decoder, Ford VIN decoder, Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder, Audi VIN decoder and 50 more brands — engine codes, assembly plant, body class and recall campaigns per marque.
- GM VIN decoder — which division a 1G, 2G, 3G or KL VIN belongs to, with the full WMI table.
- NHTSA recall archive — browse campaigns by brand, model year and model rather than by VIN.
- What is a VIN? — all 17 positions explained, plus model-year codes and the check digit calculator.
- Embed the decoder — a free iframe widget for dealer and forum sites.
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