What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that allows AI applications to securely connect to external data sources and tools. The CarsXE MCP server provides direct access to our comprehensive automotive database.

What is the CarsXE MCP Server?

The CarsXE MCP server is a Node.js/TypeScript application that exposes a suite of tools for querying comprehensive vehicle data from the CarsXE API. It is designed for seamless integration with LLMs (like Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, etc.), chatbots, and developer tools, providing:

• Clean, modular code for each CarsXE endpoint
• Consistent, Markdown-rich output for chat/LLM environments
• Robust error handling and user-friendly messages
• Easy extensibility for new endpoints and features

Why Use CarsXE with MCP?

Connecting CarsXE to your AI editor or chat client via MCP gives you a supercharged vehicle data experience — directly inside the tools you already use:

Features

• Provides structured, Markdown-ready results that LLMs and MCP clients can use to generate comprehensive, professional answers based on the API data and user query
• Query vehicle specs, history, images, recalls, market value, and more
• Decode license plates and VINs (including OCR from images)
• Decode OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) codes
• All endpoints return elegant, grouped, emoji-rich Markdown
• Modular code: types, API logic, and formatters are separated for maintainability
• Simple to run, test, and extend

Prerequisites

• CarsXE API key (get one here)
• Node.js 18+ and npm — required by editors that launch the MCP server via npx mcp-remote@latest (Claude Desktop, Windsurf). Download Node.js
• An MCP-compatible client or editor — one of: Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code with the GitHub Copilot extension, Windsurf, or any other MCP-compatible tool

Installation by Editor

All editors use the same remote MCP endpoint. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key in every config below.

Claude Desktop

1. Download and Install Claude Desktop

• Go to the official Claude Desktop download page
• Download the installer for your operating system (macOS, Windows, or Linux)
• Install Claude Desktop by following the on-screen instructions

2. Configure Claude Desktop to Use the CarsXE MCP Server

a. Open Claude Desktop Settings

• Launch the Claude Desktop app
• Go to Settings click on CTRL + , (or CMD + , on Mac) to open settings
• In the Settings window, go to the Developer tab (you may need to scroll or expand advanced options)
• Click Edit Config (or Open Config File)

b. Edit the Configuration File

• This will open the claude_desktop_config.json file in your default text editor.
• Locate the "mcpServers" section. If it does not exist, add it as shown below.
• Add or update the following entry for CarsXE:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "carsxe": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote@latest",
        "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp",
        "--header",
        "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
      ]
    }
  }
}

• Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API Key
• Tip: You can add multiple MCP servers under "mcpServers" if you use more than one.
• Save the configuration file and close your editor.

c. Restart Claude Desktop

• Close and reopen the Claude Desktop app to apply the new configuration.

  It may take a short delay for the changes to take effect.

3. Verify the CarsXE MCP Server is Available

• After restarting, open Claude Desktop.
• Go to the tools or plugins section (usually in the search bar or under a tools menu).
• You should see carsxe listed as an available MCP server/tool.
• Try running a CarsXE tool (e.g., get-vehicle-specs) to verify everything is working.

  This will only work if your API key is associated with an active subscription.

Cursor

Install CarsXE MCP for Cursor

Click to install

The install dialog will open pre-filled with:

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key, then click Install.

Visual Studio Code (GitHub Copilot)

Install CarsXE MCP for VS Code

Click to install

After clicking install, you'll need to add your API key manually:

1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Run MCP: List Servers
3. Find CarsXE in the list and click on it
4. Click Show Configuration
5. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "CarsXE": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

6. Save the file — VS Code will connect automatically.

Note: Make sure you have the GitHub Copilot extension installed and agent mode enabled (chat.agent.enabled in VS Code settings).

Windsurf

1. Open MCP Configuration

• Go to Windsurf Settings → MCP (or press Ctrl+, and search for MCP)
• Click "Edit Config" to open ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

2. Add the CarsXE Server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "carsxe": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote@latest",
        "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp",
        "--header",
        "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
      ]
    }
  }
}

3. Restart Windsurf

Claude CLI

The Claude CLI supports direct HTTP connections to MCP servers.

1. Add the Server

Using the Command Line:

claude mcp add --transport http carsxe https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp \
  --header "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Manual Configuration:

Edit ~/.claude.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "carsxe": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

2. Verify and Start

List configured servers:

claude mcp list

Start Claude CLI:

claude

Gemini CLI

1. Configure the Server

Edit: ~/.gemini/settings.json

{
  "theme": "Default",
  "selectedAuthType": "oauth-personal",
  "mcpServers": {
    "carsxe": {
      "url": "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key.

2. Start Gemini

gemini

The CarsXE MCP server will be available immediately.

Kiro CLI

1. Configure the Server

Ensure you have the Kiro CLI tool installed on your machine.

Create or edit ~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "carsxe": {
      "url": "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      },
      "disabled": false
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key.

2. Connect

1. Open your terminal and run:

kiro-cli

2. Activate MCP servers:

/mcp

3. The CarsXE server will be listed and ready to use

Codex CLI

1. Configure the Server

Ensure you have the Codex CLI tool installed on your machine.

Edit ~/.codex/config.toml:

[mcp_servers.carsxe]
url = "https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp"
http_headers = { "X-API-Key" = "YOUR_API_KEY" }

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual CarsXE API key.

2. Start Codex

codex

Then list MCP servers:

/mcp

The CarsXE server will be available in the list.

Example Usage

Here are some example prompts you can try:

Available Tools

For a full list of supported tools and their descriptions, visit the CarsXE Products page.

Supported Regions

• United States: Full coverage for all tools
• Canada: VIN decoding and market values
• International: VIN decoding for major markets
• Europe: Limited VIN decoding support

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Authentication Error

• Verify your API key is correct
• Ensure you have an active subscription with sufficient API credits
• Check that your API key has the necessary permissions

Connection Issues

• For clients that launch the MCP server via npx (e.g., Claude Desktop, Windsurf), confirm Node.js is installed and accessible; for VS Code/Cursor setups that connect directly to the HTTP endpoint, Node.js is only needed if your client uses npx to start a local server.
• Verify your internet connection
• Check that the MCP server URL is correct: https://mcp.carsxe.com/mcp

Tool Not Found

• Restart your MCP client
• Verify the configuration syntax
• Check the server logs for errors

Getting Help

• Documentation: Full API Documentation
• Support: Contact Support
• MCP Registry: View on MCP Registry
• Glama.ai: View on Glama.ai

Ready to revolutionize your AI-powered vehicle data workflows with CarsXE MCP server!