try.vin
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MCP server

VIN Decoder MCP Server

Connect any AI assistant to live U.S. vehicle data. Decode any 17-character VIN and look up open NHTSA recalls right inside the chat — Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT, Continue, or any custom MCP client. Free, no auth, copy-paste install.

No API key
Read-only
HTTP / Streamable
Endpoint
https://try.vin/mcp/vin
Transport
HTTP (Streamable)
Authentication
None — public, rate-limited
Tools
2 read-only lookups

Install in your AI client

Pick your client and copy the snippet. Restart the client and the decode_vin and lookup_recalls tools will appear in the tool picker.

Claude Desktop

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Merge into the JSON, save, and restart. 

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "try-vin": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://try.vin/mcp/vin"
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

Run this in your terminal. Add --scope user for global install. Verify with /mcp. 

claude mcp add --transport http try-vin https://try.vin/mcp/vin

Cursor

Open Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP and add this entry. Restart Cursor. 

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "try-vin": {
      "url": "https://try.vin/mcp/vin"
    }
  }
}

ChatGPT

ChatGPT supports MCP via custom connectors. Add a new connector with these values. 

Settings → Connectors → Add a custom MCP connector

Name:  try-vin
URL:   https://try.vin/mcp/vin
Auth:  None

Anthropic SDK

Use the MCP server from any custom integration via the mcp_servers parameter on messages.create. 

import Anthropic from '@anthropic-ai/sdk';

const client = new Anthropic();

const message = await client.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-opus-4-7',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  messages: [
    { role: 'user', content: 'Decode VIN 1HGCM82633A123456 and check for recalls.' },
  ],
  mcp_servers: [
    {
      type: 'url',
      url: 'https://try.vin/mcp/vin',
      name: 'try-vin',
    },
  ],
});

Tools

These are the tools the MCP server advertises to your AI client. Each one has a JSON schema the AI uses to call it correctly without any glue code on your side.

decode_vin

Decode VIN

Decode a 17-character Vehicle Identification Number into structured vehicle data — year, make, model, trim, series, engine displacement, engine model, and country of assembly. Sourced from NHTSA's vPIC dataset.

ArgumentTypeRequiredDescription
vinstringyesThe 17-character VIN. Case-insensitive. Cannot contain the letters I, O, or Q.
lookup_recalls

Look up NHTSA recalls

Look up open NHTSA safety recalls for a specific U.S. vehicle by make, model, and model year. Returns each recall campaign number, summary, consequence, remedy, and the official NHTSA URL.

ArgumentTypeRequiredDescription
makestringyesVehicle manufacturer (e.g. "Honda", "Ford", "Toyota").
modelstringyesVehicle model (e.g. "Accord", "F-150", "Camry").
yearintegeryesFour-digit model year, 1981 or later.

Try a prompt

Once the MCP server is installed, paste any of these into your AI client. The model will automatically pick the right tool and call it.

Decode a VIN from a listing

"I'm looking at a used car listing with VIN 1HGCM82633A123456. Decode it and tell me what year, make, model, and engine I'm about to look at."

Check recalls before a test drive

"I'm about to test-drive a 2018 Honda Accord. Look up any open NHTSA recalls so I can mention them to the seller."

One-shot used-car vetting

"Here's a VIN: 5YJ3E1EA7JF005893. Decode it, then look up every NHTSA recall on file for that year/make/model. Summarize anything I should park-it-now or worry about."

Triage a fleet of VINs

"I have a fleet of 5 VINs (1FTFW1ET5DKE82010, 1HGCM82633A123456, 5YJ3E1EA7JF005893, JTDKB20U887763811, 4T1B11HK5JU123456). Decode each one and group them by make."

Frequently asked questions

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