## What is the CarsXE Node for n8n?

The CarsXE node for n8n is an official community node that brings comprehensive vehicle data to your automation workflows. Decode VINs, look up license plates, fetch market values, run history reports, check recalls, and more — all without writing a single line of code.

**n8n Integration Page**: [n8n.io/integrations/carsxe](https://n8n.io/integrations/carsxe/)

**npm Package**: [n8n-nodes-carsxe](https://www.npmjs.com/package/n8n-nodes-carsxe)

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

1. A running n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted)
2. A CarsXE API account — [Sign in or create an account here](https://api.carsxe.com/signin)
3. Your CarsXE API key

## Installation

### Via Community Nodes (Recommended)

1. In your n8n instance, go to **Settings** → **Community Nodes**
2. Click **Install a community node**
3. Enter `n8n-nodes-carsxe`
4. Click **Install**

### Via npm (Self-hosted)

<CodeGroup title="Terminal">
```bash
# Global installation
npm install -g n8n-nodes-carsxe
# Then restart n8n
n8n start
```
</CodeGroup>

### Via Docker

<CodeGroup title="Docker">
```bash
docker run -d \
  --name n8n \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -e N8N_COMMUNITY_PACKAGES=n8n-nodes-carsxe \
  -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
  n8nio/n8n
```
</CodeGroup>

## Setup

### Step 1: Get Your API Key

1. Visit the [CarsXE API dashboard](https://api.carsxe.com/dashboard/developer)
2. Navigate to your API keys section
3. Copy your API key

### Step 2: Add CarsXE Credentials in n8n

1. In n8n, go to **Credentials** → **New**
2. Search for **CarsXE API**
3. Paste your API key and click **Save**

## Available Operations

### VIN Operations

| Operation | Description |
|-----------|-------------|
| Decode VIN | Full vehicle specifications from a 17-character VIN |
| Decode International VIN | Worldwide VIN support for non-US vehicles |
| Get History Report | Ownership records and accident history |
| Get Market Value | Current market valuation |
| Get Safety Recalls | Manufacturer recall information |

### License Plate Operations

| Operation | Description |
|-----------|-------------|
| Decode License Plate | Vehicle information from a plate number (US, CA, AU, UK, and more) |
| Recognize Plate From Image | OCR extraction of a plate number from a photo URL |

### Vehicle Data Operations

| Operation | Description |
|-----------|-------------|
| Get Images | Professional vehicle photos by make, model, and year |
| Query by Year/Make/Model | Search vehicle data without a VIN |

### Diagnostic Operations

| Operation | Description |
|-----------|-------------|
| Decode OBD Code | Interpret check engine and diagnostic trouble codes |
| Extract VIN From Image | OCR extraction of a VIN from a photo URL |

## Example Workflows

### VIN Decoder API

```
[Webhook] → [CarsXE: Decode VIN] → [HTTP Response]
```

Receive a VIN via webhook and instantly return full vehicle specifications to the caller.

### License Plate Scanner

```
[Webhook] → [CarsXE: Decode License Plate] → [Database]
```

Accept a plate number and country, look up the vehicle, and store the result in your database.

### Daily Recall Checker

```
[Schedule] → [CarsXE: Get Safety Recalls] → [Email / Slack]
```

Run a scheduled check against a list of VINs and notify your team of any newly issued recalls.

### Market Value Monitor

```
[Schedule] → [CarsXE: Get Market Value] → [Google Sheets / CRM]
```

Periodically pull updated market valuations for your inventory and sync them to a spreadsheet or CRM.

## Quick Example: Decode a VIN

Configure the **CarsXE** node with:

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Resource | VIN |
| Operation | Decode VIN |
| VIN | `WBAFR7C57CC811956` |

**Response:**

<CodeGroup title="JSON Response">
```json
{
  "success": true,
  "vin": "WBAFR7C57CC811956",
  "year": "2012",
  "make": "BMW",
  "model": "7 Series",
  "trim": "750i",
  "engine": "4.4L V8 Turbocharged"
}
```
</CodeGroup>

## Quick Example: License Plate Lookup

Configure the **CarsXE** node with:

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Resource | License Plate |
| Operation | Decode License Plate |
| Plate | `7XER187` |
| Country | `US` |
| State *(Additional Options)* | `CA` |

**Response:**

<CodeGroup title="JSON Response">
```json
{
  "success": true,
  "plate": "7XER187",
  "state": "CA",
  "make": "BMW",
  "model": "750Li"
}
```
</CodeGroup>

## Troubleshooting

### Common Issues

**"Request failed with status code 401"**

- Check your API key in **Credentials**
- Ensure your account has sufficient credits
- Generate a new key from the [CarsXE Dashboard](https://api.carsxe.com/dashboard/developer)

**"Invalid VIN format"**

- VINs must be exactly 17 characters
- Example: `WBAFR7C57CC811956`

**Node not appearing after installation**

- Refresh your browser
- Clear the n8n cache: `rm -rf ~/.n8n/cache`
- Restart your n8n instance

Ready to automate your vehicle data workflows with CarsXE and n8n!