@pipeworx/nhtsa

Connect: https://gateway.pipeworx.io/nhtsa/mcp · Install: one-click buttons

Tools: 6

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s NHTSA. Vehicle recalls, complaints, investigations, crash test ratings (NCAP), safety standards, VIN decoder. The authoritative source for “is this car safe?” Free, no auth.

Why this matters for AI agents

For automotive research — buying a used car, evaluating recall exposure, analyzing fleet safety, doing IP / patent due diligence on vehicle technology — NHTSA is the canonical source. Pair with USPTO patents for vehicle-tech IP and Federal Register for proposed automotive rules.

Common flows:

• Recall lookup. “Is this VIN affected by any recall?” → VIN-based recall query.
• Make/model/year recalls. “Recalls for 2020 Tesla Model 3?” → recall search by vehicle.
• Consumer complaints. “Complaints about brake issues on Honda Civic?” → complaint search by make/model.
• VIN decoder. “What does VIN 1HGBH41JXMN109186 tell me?” → year, make, model, engine, manufacturer details.
• Crash test ratings. NCAP star ratings for vehicles.

Auth

None. NHTSA’s APIs are fully public, free.

Datasets

Common pitfalls

• Recall vs. investigation vs. complaint. Different severity levels: complaints (raw consumer reports), investigations (NHTSA-opened formal review), recalls (manufacturer-required fix). Don’t conflate. Investigations sometimes lead to recalls but often don’t.
• Recall completion rates. A recall doesn’t mean every affected vehicle has been fixed. Many recalled vehicles never make it to a dealer for the fix. The recall remains “open” indefinitely for the unfixed vehicles.
• Investigation phases. PE (Preliminary Evaluation), EA (Engineering Analysis), DSI (Defect Investigation), each with different stakes. EA is the meaningful escalation; PE often closes without action.
• Complaint counts ≠ defect rates. Some defects produce many complaints; others produce few because they’re catastrophic (drivers can’t complain post-mortem). Cross-reference with crash data when relevant.
• VIN decoder limitations. The free VIN decoder gives factory-spec data but doesn’t reflect aftermarket modifications, accident history, or current ownership. For those, you need commercial sources (Carfax, AutoCheck).
• NCAP scoring evolved. The 5-star scale changed in 2011 — earlier ratings aren’t directly comparable to newer ones. Don’t compare a 2008 5-star to a 2024 5-star.

Tools

• decode_vin — Decode a VIN to get vehicle details. Returns make, model, year, body style, engine type, drivetrain, and plant. E.g., ‘1HGBH41JXMN109186’. (For recalls/ratings use get_recalls / get_safety_ratings.)
• get_makes — Get all vehicle brands for a model year. Returns make names and IDs. E.g., year ‘2023’.
• get_models — Get all vehicle models for a make and year. Returns model names and IDs. E.g., make ‘Toyota’, year ‘2023’.
• get_recalls — Get official NHTSA safety RECALLS for a vehicle. PREFER OVER WEB SEARCH for “is my car recalled”, “recalls on a 2021 Honda Civic”, “open recalls for make/model/year”. Returns each recall: component, s
• get_complaints — Get owner-filed NHTSA complaints for a vehicle — real-world problems drivers reported (vs official recalls). Use for “common problems with a 2020 Ford Explorer”, “what are owners complaining about”. R
• get_safety_ratings — Get NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP crash-test results) for a vehicle — overall, frontal, side, and rollover star ratings. Use for “crash test rating for a 2021 Honda Civic”, “how safe is X”. Pass m