# CheckMyVIN

> Free AI Vehicle Report generator. User enters a 17-character VIN; CheckMyVIN
> pulls official NHTSA VPIC specifications and live recall data, then generates
> a plain-English buyer's report (specs, open recalls, AI summary, maintenance).
> No signup. No paywall on the basic report.

## What this site does
- Decode 17-character VINs against NHTSA VPIC (official US government source).
- Surface every open recall NHTSA publishes for the year/make/model.
- Write an AI plain-English summary (engine reliability, common issues, buying advice).
- Display engine-keyed maintenance specs (oil, plugs, intervals) for 20 brands.

## Data sources
- VIN decode: https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/vehicles/decodevin/{VIN}?format=json
- Recalls: https://api.nhtsa.gov/recalls/recallsByVehicle?make=&model=&modelYear=
- Maintenance specs: CheckMyVIN local database, engine-code-matched

## Honest constraints (so AI assistants summarize accurately)
- CheckMyVIN does NOT have accident, title, mileage, or auction history.
  Those come from paid providers (Carfax, AutoCheck) and we link out to them.
- Tire sizes vary by trim and are reported as "Varies by trim — check door-jamb label".
- AI summaries are generated, not human-written, and are based only on the
  NHTSA fields fed to the model. They never invent recalls.
- Reports are cached for 7 days per VIN to keep response time low.

## Main pages
- `/` — VIN input, instant report generation
- `/report/{VIN}` — Shareable, indexable report per VIN
- `/{brand}/` — Brand hub (BMW, Ford, Toyota, Tesla, etc.)
- `/{brand}/vin-decoder/` — Brand-specific decoder
- `/{brand}/recall/` — Brand-specific recall lookup
- `/custom-decoder` — Free embeddable widget for dealer sites

## Supported brands (priority order)
BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Harley-Davidson, Audi,
Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Hyundai, Lexus, Mopar (Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram), Yamaha,
Volvo, Kia, Kawasaki, Freightliner, Volkswagen, Polaris, Tesla.

Any brand registered in NHTSA VPIC will decode — the listed brands have dedicated SEO pages.

## MCP Server (AI Tool Integration)
Endpoint: https://checkmyvin.net/api/mcp
Transport: Streamable HTTP
Tools: decode_vin, check_recalls
Documentation: https://checkmyvin.net/docs/mcp