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TradeBasis Automotive Appraisal MCP (US)

by tradebasis.net · remote · no sign-in to list tools · v1.1.1 · published by net.tradebasis

Free US VIN decoding and research; VIN-optional market appraisals via a separate pilot endpoint.

Changes · 3
CompareRegistry entry

4 tools: 3 change things and 1 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 automotive-appraisal https://tradebasis.net/mcp

Tools

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

4 tools

Changes things 3Claude Code: ask
  • tradebasis_aboutWhat TradeBasis is, the problem it solves, what makes it different, and who it's for, plus how to connect to the separate free, limited US appraisal pilot.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
    What TradeBasis is, the problem it solves, what makes it different, and who it's for, plus how to connect to the separate free, limited US appraisal pilot. Static markdown; as_of is the explicit content review date.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
    • destructiveHint: false
    • openWorldHint: false
  • tradebasis_pricing_and_tiersTradeBasis paid subscription tiers — Lite (1 user, $99/mo USD) vs Pro (up to 10 users, $249/mo USD).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
    TradeBasis paid subscription tiers — Lite (1 user, $99/mo USD) vs Pro (up to 10 users, $249/mo USD). Separate from the free MCP appraisal pilot and the $99 one-time consumer report. Static markdown; as_of is the explicit content review date.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
    • destructiveHint: false
    • openWorldHint: false
  • tradebasis_vin_decodeDecode a 17-character VIN into vehicle identity: year, make, model, trim, body style, drivetrain, engine, transmission and fuel type.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 17-character VIN into vehicle identity: year, make, model, trim, body style, drivetrain, engine, transmission and fuel type. Hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles also return their electrification level and, where stated, battery and charging facts. Identification only — this tool returns no valuation, no comparable listings and no market data.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
    • destructiveHint: false
    • openWorldHint: true
Only reads 1Claude Code: allow
  • tradebasis_research_librarySearch published TradeBasis US dealer research, BHPH (buy here pay here) economics and portfolio benchmarks, the experimental BHPH Macro Conditions Index and its methodology, publi…No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • The description's first verb is "search": a word for reading.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    Search published TradeBasis US dealer research, BHPH (buy here pay here) economics and portfolio benchmarks, the experimental BHPH Macro Conditions Index and its methodology, public blog articles, and legacy briefs. No arguments lists the catalog. topic retrieves a document by ID/slug/title; topic + section retrieves a section or continuation part. query searches; optional limit is an integer 1–20 (default 5). These modes cannot be combined. Returns published Markdown tables, dated evidence, sources and qualifications, not new financial analysis. Long documents return an overview and section directory. Publication is rechecked on every retrieval; unverifiable sources return retryable errors, not cached article text. Blog access uses the public internet. Publication/update dates, CMS modification, data coverage and retrieval time are distinct. Structured output uses operation=list/search/get/section/invalid; retrieval includes the requested Markdown and publisher caveats. Unknown dates and coverage remain null. No search cursor is supported; use returned section/part IDs for long content.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
    • destructiveHint: false
    • openWorldHint: 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 1.1.1. Values in angle brackets are yours to fill in.

claude mcp add --transport http automotive-appraisal https://tradebasis.net/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__automotive-appraisal__tradebasis_research_library"
    ],
    "ask": [
      "mcp__automotive-appraisal__tradebasis_about",
      "mcp__automotive-appraisal__tradebasis_pricing_and_tiers",
      "mcp__automotive-appraisal__tradebasis_vin_decode"
    ],
    "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 automotive-appraisal. Review it before you use it.