CarsXE Developer

Claude Code Plugin

Access the full suite of CarsXE vehicle data APIs directly from Claude Code — decode VINs, look up license plates, get market values, check history, recalls, liens, OBD codes, and more.

What is the CarsXE Plugin for Claude Code?

The CarsXE Plugin for Claude Code provides direct access to our comprehensive automotive APIs through simple commands and auto-invoked skills. Decode VINs, look up license plates, get market values, check vehicle history, recalls, liens, OBD codes, and more — all within your Claude Code environment.

GitHub Repository: carsxe-claude-plugin

Installation

Step 1: Add the CarsXE Marketplace

Claude Code Terminal

/plugin marketplace add carsxe/carsxe-claude-plugin

Step 2: Install the Plugin

Claude Code Terminal

/plugin install carsxe

Setup

1. Get Your CarsXE API Key

  1. Visit the CarsXE API dashboard
  2. Navigate to your API keys section
  3. Copy your API key

2. Authenticate with Your API Key

Use the auth command to validate credentials and establish session access:

Available Commands

CommandDescription
/carsxe:auth <API_KEY>Validate and configure API credentials
/carsxe:specs <VIN>Decode a VIN — full vehicle specs
/carsxe:plate <PLATE> <COUNTRY> [STATE]Look up vehicle from license plate
/carsxe:value <VIN>Get current market value
/carsxe:history <VIN>Full vehicle history report
/carsxe:images <MAKE> <MODEL> [YEAR]Fetch vehicle photos
/carsxe:recalls <VIN>Check for open safety recalls
/carsxe:intvin <VIN>Decode international (non-US) VINs
/carsxe:ocr <IMAGE_URL>Extract VIN from a photo
/carsxe:lien <VIN>Check for liens and theft records
/carsxe:plateocr <IMAGE_URL>Extract license plate from a photo
/carsxe:ymm <YEAR> <MAKE> <MODEL> [TRIM]Look up vehicle by Year/Make/Model
/carsxe:obd <CODE>Decode an OBD diagnostic trouble code

Usage Examples

Decode a VIN

Look up a California Plate

Check Market Value

Get Vehicle History

Find Vehicle Images

Check Recalls

Decode an International VIN

Extract VIN from a Photo

Check Liens and Theft

Extract Plate from a Photo

Look up by Year/Make/Model

Decode an OBD Code

Skills (Auto-invoked)

Skills are automatically triggered by Claude based on the conversation context. No need to type a command — just describe what you need naturally.

Natural Language QueryTriggered Skill
"What are the specs of VIN WBAFR7C57CC811956?"vehicle-specs
"Does this car have any recalls?"vehicle-recalls
"What does the check engine code P0300 mean?"obd-decoder
"What's the value of this vehicle?"market-value
"Show me images of a 2020 Tesla Model 3"vehicle-images
"Get the history report for this VIN"vehicle-history

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Authentication Error

  • Verify your API key is correct
  • Ensure the CARSXE_API_KEY environment variable is set
  • Check that your API key has the necessary permissions

Plugin Not Found

  • Verify you've added the marketplace correctly
  • Try reinstalling the plugin
  • Restart Claude Code

Command Not Working

  • Check the command syntax matches the examples above
  • Ensure all required parameters are provided
  • Verify your API account has sufficient credits

Ready to supercharge your vehicle data workflows with CarsXE and Claude Code!

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