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io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server

by cyanheads · remote · local (npm) · no sign-in to list tools · v0.10.0 · published by GitHub user cyanheads

Decode VINs, search recalls, complaints, crash ratings, and investigations.

Changes · 1
CompareRegistry entry

7 tools: 1 change things and 6 only read.

Scanned Oct 21, 2026

No check matched anything in the tool definitions. No finding is not a safety guarantee. How the checks work.

claude mcp add --transport http nhtsa-vehicle-safety https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp

Tools

Open a tool for its reasons and full description. Descriptions are the publisher's own words, shown as they are.

7 tools

Changes things 1Claude Code: ask
  • nhtsa_decode_vinDecode a Vehicle Identification Number to extract make, model, year, body type, engine, safety equipment, and manufacturing details.No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • Nothing in its name or description says what it does, so it is counted as a write.
    • The server marks it read-only (readOnlyHint: true), but an annotation never lowers a class.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    Decode a Vehicle Identification Number to extract make, model, year, body type, engine, safety equipment, and manufacturing details. Pass a single 17-character VIN string, or an array of up to 50 VINs for batch decode. Partial VINs accepted — use * for unknown positions.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
Only reads 6Claude Code: allow
  • nhtsa_get_safety_ratingsGet NCAP crash test ratings and ADAS feature availability for a vehicle.No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • The name "nhtsa_get_safety_ratings" says "get": a word for reading.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    Get NCAP crash test ratings and ADAS feature availability for a vehicle. Use when the user specifically wants crash test stars, rollover risk, or wants to compare safety features across vehicles. NCAP data available from 1990+, best coverage for 2011+.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
  • nhtsa_get_vehicle_safetyGet a comprehensive safety profile for a vehicle.No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • The name "nhtsa_get_vehicle_safety" says "get": a word for reading.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    Get a comprehensive safety profile for a vehicle. Combines NCAP crash test ratings, recalls, and complaint summary into a single response. Use as the default when asked about vehicle safety, reliability, or purchase decisions.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
  • nhtsa_lookup_vehiclesLook up valid makes, models, and vehicle types in NHTSA's database.No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • The name "nhtsa_lookup_vehicles" says "lookup": a word for reading.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    Look up valid makes, models, and vehicle types in NHTSA's database. Use to resolve ambiguous vehicle names, find correct make/model spelling, or discover what models a manufacturer produces.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
  • nhtsa_search_complaintsSearch consumer safety complaints filed with NHTSA for a specific vehicle.No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • The name "nhtsa_search_complaints" says "search": a word for reading.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    Search consumer safety complaints filed with NHTSA for a specific vehicle. Returns a component breakdown over all matching complaints plus a paginated slice of the most recent complaints. Use for common problems, failure patterns, or owner-reported issues.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
  • nhtsa_search_investigationsSearch NHTSA defect investigations from the ODI flat file — covering Preliminary Evaluations (PE), Engineering Analyses (EA), Defect Petitions (DP), Recall Queries (RQ), Audit Quer…No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • The name "nhtsa_search_investigations" says "search": a word for reading.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    Search NHTSA defect investigations from the ODI flat file — covering Preliminary Evaluations (PE), Engineering Analyses (EA), Defect Petitions (DP), Recall Queries (RQ), Audit Queries (AQ), and additional ODI types. make, model, and component are structured filters against the investigation record's vehicle associations. All filters are ANDed. Use nhtsaId to fetch one investigation by its exact ID — including the investigationId nhtsa_search_recalls returns for a campaign. Investigations may link to a resulting recall campaign via recallCampaign.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
  • nhtsa_search_recallsSearch recall campaigns by vehicle or campaign number.No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • The name "nhtsa_search_recalls" says "search": a word for reading.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    Search recall campaigns by vehicle or campaign number. Use for specific recall lookups, recall history for a vehicle, or looking up a known campaign number.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true

This is not a safety rating, and no finding is not a safety guarantee. The groups and findings come from fixed checks of the tool definitions the server returned on the date shown, not from its code or what it does when called. How the checks work.

Install

Pinned to version 0.10.0. Values in angle brackets are yours to fill in.

claude mcp add --transport http nhtsa-vehicle-safety https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp

Run in a terminal.

Claude Code permissions

Allow the reads, ask before a change, deny the deletes. Paste into .claude/settings.json.

.claude/settings.json
{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "mcp__nhtsa-vehicle-safety__nhtsa_get_vehicle_safety",
      "mcp__nhtsa-vehicle-safety__nhtsa_search_recalls",
      "mcp__nhtsa-vehicle-safety__nhtsa_search_complaints",
      "mcp__nhtsa-vehicle-safety__nhtsa_get_safety_ratings",
      "mcp__nhtsa-vehicle-safety__nhtsa_search_investigations",
      "mcp__nhtsa-vehicle-safety__nhtsa_lookup_vehicles"
    ],
    "ask": [
      "mcp__nhtsa-vehicle-safety__nhtsa_decode_vin"
    ],
    "deny": []
  }
}

Tools that only read are allowed, tools that change things ask first, tools that delete or cancel are denied. It assumes the server is installed as nhtsa-vehicle-safety. Review it before you use it.