io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server
REMOTE · NHTSA.CASEYJHAND.COM · 2 COMPONENTS · SCANNED SEP 28
Decode VINs, search recalls, complaints, crash ratings, and investigations.
Available components
How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. How we score → Why this is hard to score →
Endpoint Security83
- The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key. View diagnostics → Pass
- No authorisation is required to call this server. Every tool declares its destructiveHint and none is destructive, so open access doesn't expose one. See how to fix → View diagnostics → Partial
- HTTPS is enforced; there's no plaintext access path. View diagnostics → Pass
- The HSTS (Strict-Transport-Security) header is present. View diagnostics → Pass
- DNSSEC is configured correctly; the domain's records validate against the full chain to the root. View diagnostics → Pass
Transport & Reachability100
- Verified streamable-http transport via a live MCP handshake. View diagnostics → Pass
Schema Quality & AI Usability67
- AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).Pass
- Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 1541 tokens (~220/item across 7 items; 7 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params. See how to fix → Fail
- Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples. See how to fix → Fail
Stability & Change Management100
- No destabilizing schema changes in the last 30 days.Pass
Tool Coverage100
- 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).Pass
- 100% of tool parameters carry a description.Pass
- Structured output schemas are declared (100% of tools); any adoption earns full credit.Pass
Tool Safety100
- No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.Pass
- We read all 7 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.Pass
- An AI judge read all 8 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.Pass
Capabilities100
- Implements a current MCP spec version (2026-07-28).Pass
How do I install the io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server server?
io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server is a hosted endpoint at https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.
remote · nhtsa.caseyjhand.com
claude mcp add --transport http cyanheads-nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server 'https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp'
{
"mcpServers": {
"cyanheads-nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server": {
"url": "https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
}
}
} {
"servers": {
"cyanheads-nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
}
}
} [mcp_servers.cyanheads-nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server] url = "https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
{
"$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
"mcp": {
"cyanheads-nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server": {
"type": "remote",
"url": "https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp",
"enabled": true
}
}
} openclaw mcp add cyanheads-nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server --url 'https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp' --transport streamable-http
mcp_servers:
cyanheads-nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server:
url: "https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp" {
"McpServers": {
"cyanheads-nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server": {
"Transport": "http",
"Url": "https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
}
}
} assistant mcp add cyanheads-nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server -t streamable-http -u 'https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp'
{
"mcpServers": {
"cyanheads-nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
}
}
} The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.
Every change we have recorded for this component, newest first. Security-relevant changes are always shown. ▲ marks a change for the better, ▼ a change for the worse; unmarked changes are neutral.
- 28 Sept 26 +7
- We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server See what changed → functional
- 25 Sept 26 0
- We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server See what changed → functional
- 20 Sept 26 0
- Server version: 0.9.5 → 0.9.6 functional
- 9 Sept 26 0
- Stability: 0.97 → pass security
- 8 Sept 26 +1
No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 93 to 97. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 28 days of observed history at the previous scan, 29 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.
- 7 Sept 26 −1
- Stability: pass → 0.93 functional
- 29 Aug 26 0
- Stability: fail → pass ▲ security
- 26 Aug 26 0
- We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server See what changed → functional
Diagnostic detail from the automated scan of this channel: what the scanner observed at each step, so you can see exactly where a check passed or failed. It is informational only and never changes the trust score.
Captured 28 Sept 2026 · Probed https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp
TLS valid
Negotiated TLS 1.3 with TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256 .
| Subject | Issuer | Valid from | Valid until | Key | Signature | Serial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN=caseyjhand.com | CN=WE1,O=Google Trust Services,C=US | 4 Sept 2026 | 3 Dec 2026 | ECDSA 256 | ECDSA-SHA256 | a6985204ed51ae050e7738aa6be668e9 |
| SANs: caseyjhand.com, *.caseyjhand.com | ||||||
| CN=WE1,O=Google Trust Services,C=US (CA) | CN=GTS Root R4,O=Google Trust Services LLC,C=US | 13 Dec 2023 | 20 Feb 2029 | ECDSA 256 | ECDSA-SHA384 | 7ff31977972c224a76155d13b6d685e3 |
| CN=GTS Root R4,O=Google Trust Services LLC,C=US (CA) | CN=GlobalSign Root CA,OU=Root CA,O=GlobalSign nv-sa,C=BE | 15 Nov 2023 | 28 Jan 2028 | ECDSA 384 | SHA256-RSA | 7fe530bf331343bedd821610493d8a1b |
Background: What to check on a remote MCP endpoint →
DNSSEC secure
Validation of nhtsa.caseyjhand.com. — Secure
| Zone | DS | Keys | Algorithms | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | trust_anchor | 20326, 38696 | 8, 8 | Verified |
| com. | present | 19718 | 13 | Verified |
| caseyjhand.com. | present | 2371 | 13 | Verified |
| nhtsa.caseyjhand.com. | Verified address RRset verified with the apex keys |
Authentication No authorisation required
The endpoint answered without asking for a token. Anyone who knows the URL can reach it.
| Result | No authorisation required |
|---|---|
| HTTP status | 200 |
| Header | Value |
|---|---|
| strict-transport-security | max-age=63072000; includeSubDomains; preload |
| x-content-type-options | nosniff |
Background: How OAuth 2.1 works in the 2026 MCP spec →
Transports 2 probes
| Transport | URL | Outcome | Status | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| streamable-http | https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp | Verified | 200 | |
| http (plaintext) | http://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp | HTTPS enforced | 301 | https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp |
The tools this component advertises to a client, with an estimated token cost for each. Expand a tool to see its parameters and schema. The per-tool counts are indicative and are not scored directly; the schema's total context footprint is one signal in Schema Quality & AI Usability. A tool's description is untrusted text the model reads on every call, which is what makes this list a security surface and not just an inventory: how tool poisoning works →
nhtsa_decode_vin Nhtsa Decode Vin ~147
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.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| modelYear | integer | – | Model year, a whole number. Helps resolve ambiguity for pre-1980 or partial VINs. |
| vin | – | yes | A single 17-character VIN (e.g., "1HGCM82633A004352") or an array of up to 50 VINs for batch decode. Partial VINs accepted — use * for unknown positions. |
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| effectiveQuery | string | – | Number of VINs decoded and the path taken (single or batch). |
| error | object | – | Present when the call failed. Absent on success. |
| notice | string | – | Present when one or more VINs decoded with VPIC warnings (errorCode != 0) — check errorCode/errorText per vehicle. |
| vehicles | array | – | Decoded vehicle information per VIN |
No examples provided.
nhtsa_get_safety_ratings Nhtsa Get Safety Ratings ~172
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+.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| make | string | – | Vehicle manufacturer. Required with model and modelYear when vehicleId is omitted. |
| model | string | – | Vehicle model. Required with make and modelYear when vehicleId is omitted. |
| modelYear | integer | – | Model year, a whole number. Required with make and model when vehicleId is omitted. NCAP coverage increases significantly for 2011+. |
| vehicleId | number | – | Specific NCAP vehicle ID (from prior results). Skips the year/make/model lookup. |
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| error | object | – | Present when the call failed. Absent on success. |
| notice | string | – | Guidance when no NCAP ratings are found — e.g. coverage notes or adjacent year suggestion. |
| ratings | array | – | Safety ratings per vehicle variant |
No examples provided.
nhtsa_get_vehicle_safety Nhtsa Get Vehicle Safety ~124
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.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| make | string | yes | Vehicle manufacturer (e.g., "Toyota", "Ford"). Case-insensitive. |
| model | string | yes | Vehicle model (e.g., "Camry", "F-150"). Case-insensitive. |
| modelYear | integer | yes | Model year, a whole number (e.g., 2020). |
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| complaintSummary | object | – | Summary of consumer complaints |
| effectiveQuery | string | – | The vehicle queried, as "make model modelYear". |
| error | object | – | Present when the call failed. Absent on success. |
| notice | string | – | Guidance when no NHTSA records matched the vehicle — e.g. how to verify make/model/year spelling. |
| recalls | array | – | All recalls for this vehicle when available |
| safetyRatings | array | – | Crash test ratings per vehicle variant (e.g., FWD vs AWD) |
| sectionStatus | object | – | Availability of each data section in this response |
| warnings | array | – | Warnings about sections that could not be loaded from NHTSA |
No examples provided.
nhtsa_lookup_vehicles Nhtsa Lookup Vehicles ~202
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.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| limit | integer | – | Max results in the returned slice. Defaults to 100; max 200. |
| make | string | – | Make name (required for "models" and "vehicle_types"). Partial match supported. |
| manufacturer | string | – | Manufacturer name or ID (for "manufacturer" operation). Partial match supported. |
| modelYear | integer | – | Filter models to a specific year, a whole number. Only for "models" operation. |
| offset | integer | – | Pagination offset into the full result list. Defaults to 0. |
| operation | string | yes | "makes" (all NHTSA makes), "models" (models for a make), "vehicle_types" (types for a make), "manufacturer" (manufacturer details). |
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| cap | number | – | Maximum manufacturer records a single lookup retrieves. |
| effectiveQuery | string | – | The operation with key args, e.g. "models make=Toyota year=2020". |
| error | object | – | Present when the call failed. Absent on success. |
| limit | number | – | Pagination limit used for this response |
| makes | array | – | Results for "makes" operation |
| manufacturers | array | – | Results for "manufacturer" operation |
| models | array | – | Results for "models" operation |
| notice | string | – | Guidance when the result set is empty or the page is out of bounds. |
| offset | number | – | Pagination offset used for this response |
| operation | string | – | The operation that was performed |
| returned | number | – | Number of results in the returned slice |
| shown | number | – | Manufacturer records retrieved before pagination, when the cap was reached. |
| totalCount | number | – | Results retrieved before pagination. For "manufacturer" this is capped — check the truncated field, since VPIC reports no match total. |
| truncated | boolean | – | True when the "manufacturer" lookup stopped at its retrieval cap and further matches may exist upstream. |
| vehicleTypes | array | – | Results for "vehicle_types" operation |
No examples provided.
nhtsa_search_complaints Nhtsa Search Complaints ~197
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.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| component | string | – | Filter to a specific component (uppercase, e.g., "ENGINE", "AIR BAGS", "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM"). Matches within comma-separated component lists. Omit to see all. |
| limit | integer | – | Max complaint narratives to return. Defaults to 20; max 50. componentBreakdown always reflects all matching complaints. |
| make | string | yes | Vehicle manufacturer. |
| model | string | yes | Vehicle model. |
| modelYear | integer | yes | Model year, a whole number. |
| offset | integer | – | Pagination offset into the filing-date-descending complaint list. Defaults to 0. componentBreakdown is unaffected by pagination. |
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| complaints | array | – | Paginated slice of the most recent complaints, date-descending |
| componentBreakdown | array | – | Complaints grouped by component, sorted by frequency |
| effectiveQuery | string | – | "make model modelYear" with optional component filter applied, as the server used it. |
| error | object | – | Present when the call failed. Absent on success. |
| limit | number | – | Pagination limit used for this page |
| notice | string | – | Guidance when no complaints match the vehicle, or when the requested page overshoots the result set. |
| offset | number | – | Pagination offset used for this page |
| returned | number | – | Number of complaints in this page |
| totalCount | number | – | Total complaints matching criteria |
No examples provided.
nhtsa_search_investigations Nhtsa Search Investigations ~467
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.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| component | string | – | Structured filter — matches against the investigation's affected components (e.g., "STEERING"). ANDed with other filters. |
| investigationType | string | – | Filter by ODI investigation type code (the leading letters of the NHTSA ID). Named types: "PE" (Preliminary Evaluation), "EA" (Engineering Analysis), "DP" (Defect Petition), "RQ" (Recall Query), "AQ"… |
| limit | integer | – | Max investigations to return. Defaults to 20; max 25. The cap is lower than the other paginated tools because a single investigation summary can run several thousand characters and is rendered in ful… |
| make | string | – | Structured filter — matches against the investigation's associated vehicle makes (e.g., "TOYOTA"). ANDed with other filters. |
| model | string | – | Structured filter — matches against the investigation's associated vehicle models. ANDed with other filters. |
| nhtsaId | string | – | Exact NHTSA investigation ID (e.g. "EA23003"), case-insensitive. Fetches that one record — mutually exclusive with every other filter. |
| offset | integer | – | Pagination offset into the matching investigations. Defaults to 0. |
| query | string | – | Free-text search across investigation ID, subject, and summary. |
| status | string | – | Filter by status: "O" (Open) or "C" (Closed). Omit to include both. |
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| effectiveQuery | string | – | Applied filters as a readable string, e.g. make="Ford" status="O". |
| error | object | – | Present when the call failed. Absent on success. |
| investigations | array | – | Matching investigations |
| limit | number | – | Pagination limit used for this page |
| notice | string | – | Guidance when no investigations match the filters, or when the requested page overshoots the result set. |
| offset | number | – | Pagination offset used for this page |
| returned | number | – | Number of investigations in this page |
| totalCount | number | – | Total matching investigations |
No examples provided.
nhtsa_search_recalls Nhtsa Search Recalls ~166
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.
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| campaignNumber | string | – | NHTSA campaign number (e.g., "20V682000"). When provided, returns the campaign detail plus every vehicle it covers. Mutually exclusive with make/model/modelYear. |
| dateRange | object | – | Filter recalls by received date. Applied locally since the API lacks native date filtering. |
| make | string | – | Vehicle manufacturer. Required with model and modelYear when not using campaignNumber. |
| model | string | – | Vehicle model. Required with make and modelYear. |
| modelYear | integer | – | Model year, a whole number. Required with make and model. |
| Name | Type | Req | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| effectiveQuery | string | – | The search key used: campaign number, or "make model modelYear" for vehicle queries. |
| error | object | – | Present when the call failed. Absent on success. |
| notice | string | – | Guidance when no recalls are found — e.g. how to verify make/model/year spelling. |
| recalls | array | – | Matching recall campaigns |
| totalCount | number | – | Total recalls matching criteria |
No examples provided.
What is the io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server server?
io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server is listed in the public MCP registry as io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server. Decode VINs, search recalls, complaints, crash ratings, and investigations. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://nhtsa.caseyjhand.com/mcp).
Is the io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server server safe to use?
io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server scores 87 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.
What tools does the io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server server expose?
io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server exposes 7 tools: nhtsa_get_vehicle_safety, nhtsa_search_recalls, nhtsa_search_complaints, nhtsa_get_safety_ratings, nhtsa_decode_vin, and 2 more. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 1,475 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.
Does the io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server server require authentication?
No. We connected to io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server without credentials and it answered, so anything it exposes is reachable by anyone who knows the address.
Is the io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server server still maintained?
io.github.cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 28 September 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.