Question 1

What is CarVector.io?

Accepted Answer

CarVector is a developer API for vehicle data — specs and representative images, federal recall campaigns, and OBD-II DTC reference — bundled in one API with an open-source Model Context Protocol client. It's built for backend developers, AI agent builders, shop-management ISVs, and anyone who needs structured vehicle data inside their product without writing their own scrapers.

Question 2

Does CarVector have a free tier?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Free tier allows 500 requests/month at no cost and no credit card. Paid tiers are Developer ($39/month, 10,000 requests/month), Pro ($79/month, 100,000/month), and Business ($249/month, 1,000,000/month). Enterprise pricing is custom. Agents without an account can also pay per request via x402 at $0.01 per call, settled in USDC on Base.

Question 3

How do I authenticate to the CarVector API?

Accepted Answer

Send your key as Authorization: Bearer cv_… or as X-API-Key: cv_… on every request. The REST endpoints and the MCP server accept both header styles. Keys are minted in the dashboard at carvector.io/dashboard; the raw value is shown once at creation.

Question 4

How do I use CarVector with Claude Desktop, Cursor, or another MCP client?

Accepted Answer

Install the open-source MCP client with `npx -y carvector-mcp`. Add it to your MCP client config with one block: { "mcpServers": { "carvector": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "carvector-mcp"], "env": { "CARVECTOR_API_KEY": "cv_your_key" } } } }. The package is published on npm and in the official Model Context Protocol registry as io.github.carvectorio/carvector-mcp.

Question 5

What data does CarVector cover?

Accepted Answer

The catalog covers 12,000+ vehicles spanning 1925–2029, with multi-source-verified specs (engine, drivetrain, body, representative image) and federal recall campaigns. Catalog images are illustrations, not photos. The OBD-II DTC table is reference-only — title, category, severity, safety/emissions flags — not a repair-cost or fix-time dataset. Deeper trim coverage, image variants, and DTC enrichment are on the roadmap, not live features.

Question 6

Where is the CarVector MCP server published?

Accepted Answer

The source is at github.com/carvectorio/carvector-mcp under MIT. The npm package is carvector-mcp. It is published in the official Model Context Protocol registry as io.github.carvectorio/carvector-mcp at version 1.0.1, status active.

Question 7

Is CarVector the only vehicle-data MCP server?

Accepted Answer

No. Other vehicle-adjacent MCP servers exist in the official registry (NHTSA wrappers, VIN decoders, recall checkers). CarVector's positioning is bundled specs + recalls + DTC reference for developers — not category novelty.

1997 Ford

Aerostar Cargo

Aerostar Passenger

Aspire

Club Wagon

Contour

Crown Victoria

Econoline E150 Cargo

Econoline E250 Cargo

Econoline E350 Cargo

Escort

Expedition

Explorer

F150 Regular Cab

F150 Super Cab

F250 Crew Cab

F250 Regular Cab

F250 Super Cab

F350 Crew Cab

F350 Regular Cab

F350 Super Cab

Mustang

Probe

Ranger Regular Cab

Ranger SuperCab

Taurus

Thunderbird

Windstar Cargo

Windstar Passenger