nhtsa-mcp-connector 1.0.0

MCP server providing 5 tools for querying U.S. vehicle data from NHTSA APIs (VIN decode, recalls, complaints, safety ratings)

NHTSA MCP Connector

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides LLMs with access to real-time U.S. vehicle data from official NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) government APIs.

No API key required — all NHTSA endpoints are free and public.

Highlights

• Pydantic validation — All tool inputs are validated (VIN format, year range, non-empty fields)
• Parallel execution — full_vehicle_report fetches recalls, complaints, and ratings concurrently via ThreadPoolExecutor
• Streaming progress — Tools report progress via MCP Context for real-time status in supporting clients
• Standardized interface — Works with any MCP-compatible client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, etc.)

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Tools (5)

#	Tool	Description
1	decode_vin	Decode a 17-character VIN into full vehicle specs (make, model, year, engine, transmission, body style, plant info)
2	get_recalls_by_vin	Get all safety recalls for a specific VIN (campaign numbers, descriptions, remedy info)
3	get_complaints	Get consumer complaints filed with NHTSA for a vehicle by make/model/year
4	get_safety_ratings	Get NCAP crash test safety ratings (1-5 stars: overall, frontal, side, rollover)
5	full_vehicle_report	Generate a comprehensive report combining decode + recalls + complaints + ratings from a single VIN

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Installation

From PyPI (recommended)

pip install nhtsa-mcp-connector

From source

git clone https://github.com/SathiskumarJothi/nhtsa-mcp-connector.git
cd nhtsa-mcp-connector
pip install .

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Configuration

Claude Code (CLI / Desktop App)

Run this command to add the NHTSA connector:

claude mcp add nhtsa -- nhtsa-mcp-connector

Or manually add to ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nhtsa": {
      "command": "nhtsa-mcp-connector"
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop App

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nhtsa": {
      "command": "nhtsa-mcp-connector"
    }
  }
}

Using uvx (no install needed)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nhtsa": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["nhtsa-mcp-connector"]
    }
  }
}

Using pip + python

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nhtsa": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "nhtsa_mcp_connector.server"]
    }
  }
}

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Usage Examples

Once configured, ask your AI assistant natural language questions:

Decode a VIN

"What car is VIN 1HGCM82633A004352?"

→ Calls decode_vin → Returns: 2003 Honda Accord, 3.0L V6, 5-speed automatic, sedan...

Check Recalls

"Are there any recalls on VIN 5YJSA1DN5DFP14705?"

→ Calls get_recalls_by_vin → Returns: list of recall campaigns with descriptions and remedies

Get Complaints

"What complaints have been filed for the 2020 Toyota Camry?"

→ Calls get_complaints(make="Toyota", model="Camry", model_year=2020) → Returns: consumer complaints with crash/injury data

Safety Ratings

"How safe is the 2023 Honda Civic in crash tests?"

→ Calls get_safety_ratings(make="Honda", model="Civic", model_year=2023) → Returns: NCAP star ratings

Full Vehicle Report

"Give me a full report on VIN 1HGCM82633A004352 — I'm considering buying this car."

→ Calls full_vehicle_report → Returns: combined decode + recalls + complaints + safety ratings (fetched in parallel)

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Testing

Run standalone

nhtsa-mcp-connector

Test with MCP Inspector

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector nhtsa-mcp-connector

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Data Sources

All data comes from official U.S. government APIs:

API	Source
vPIC (VIN Decode)	https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/
Recalls	https://api.nhtsa.gov/recalls
Complaints	https://api.nhtsa.gov/complaints
Safety Ratings	https://api.nhtsa.gov/SafetyRatings

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Architecture

nhtsa-mcp-connector/
├── src/nhtsa_mcp_connector/
│   ├── __init__.py      # Package version
│   └── server.py        # MCP server with all 5 tools
├── mcp_server.py        # Backward-compatible entry point
├── pyproject.toml       # Package metadata & dependencies
├── requirements.txt     # Alt dependency file
├── LICENSE              # MIT
└── README.md

How It Works

┌──────────────────┐     MCP Protocol      ┌────────────────────┐     HTTP      ┌──────────────┐
│  MCP Client      │ ◄──── stdio ────────► │  nhtsa-mcp-server  │ ◄──────────► │  NHTSA APIs  │
│  (Claude, Cursor) │   tool calls/results  │                    │   REST/JSON   │  (public)    │
└──────────────────┘                        │  - Pydantic valid. │               └──────────────┘
                                            │  - Parallel exec   │
                                            │  - Progress stream │
                                            └────────────────────┘

1. Client sends a tool call (e.g. decode_vin) over MCP stdio
2. Server validates input with Pydantic (rejects bad VINs, empty fields, etc.)
3. Server calls NHTSA public APIs, streaming progress back to the client
4. full_vehicle_report runs 3 API calls in parallel after the initial VIN decode
5. JSON result is returned to the client

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Input Validation

Field	Rule
vin	Exactly 17 alphanumeric chars, no I/O/Q, auto-uppercased
make	Non-empty string, auto-trimmed
model	Non-empty string, auto-trimmed
model_year	Integer between 1900 and 2030

Invalid inputs return a clear Pydantic validation error before any API call is made.

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Publishing (for maintainers)

pip install build twine
python -m build
twine upload dist/*

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License

MIT