# The Used Car Index

> Public vehicle records at https://theusedcarindex.com, with NHTSA facts and our collected listing changes for used-car research, apps and AI agents.

## Vehicle pages

Pages use canonical URLs without a trailing slash:
- /vehicles: browse makes.
- /vehicles/<make>: browse models for a make.
- /vehicles/<make>/<model>: browse years for a model.
- /vehicles/<make>/<model>/<year>: read a vehicle record.

Examples:
- https://theusedcarindex.com/vehicles/toyota/rav4/2018
- https://theusedcarindex.com/vehicles/ford/f-250/2019

Sitemap index: https://theusedcarindex.com/sitemap.xml

## Sources and boundaries

Vehicle pages are built only from NHTSA public data and our collected listing changes. The NHTSA complaints API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number. NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications are included. Listing changes describe observed prices, mileage, status and dates; delisted never means sold. Missing information stays unavailable. Pages provide no safety verdicts and no ratings, and do not establish the condition of an individual car.

## API and access

- [API guide for agents](https://api.theusedcarindex.com/llms.txt)
- [OpenAPI specification](https://api.theusedcarindex.com/openapi.json)
- [Remote MCP endpoint](https://api.theusedcarindex.com/mcp)
- [Documentation](https://theusedcarindex.com/docs/)
- [Pricing](https://theusedcarindex.com/#pricing)
- [Public demo endpoint](https://api.theusedcarindex.com/v1/demo/vehicle_risk?make=Toyota&model=RAV4&year=2018)

The public demo has a shared quota. Authenticated API and MCP access follow the purchased plan's limits.

Plans, each with the JSON API and MCP: Starter $9.99 per month (30 requests per minute, 1,000 per day, 10,000 per month), Builder $99 per month (60 per minute, 5,000 per day, 100,000 per month), Scale $499 per month (300 per minute, 50,000 per day, 1,000,000 per month), and a two-week pilot at $500 once with Scale limits. Subscriptions renew every month until canceled. Prices are in US dollars and are on the pricing page.

## MCP and Claude

- [Add to Claude](https://claude.ai/customize/connectors?modal=add-custom-connector&connectorName=The%20Used%20Car%20Index&connectorUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.theusedcarindex.com%2Fmcp): opens the Add custom connector dialog in Claude with the name and MCP URL filled in; the user confirms.
- Tools, all read-only: vehicle_risk, compare_vehicles, listing_changes, recall_changes.
- The free tier needs no key: compare_vehicles takes 2 vehicles per call, listing_changes returns 10 events per call and recall_changes returns 10 changes per call.
- Other MCP clients: run npx mcp-remote https://api.theusedcarindex.com/mcp (configuration at https://theusedcarindex.com/docs/#mcp).

## Guides

- [NHTSA complaints API](https://theusedcarindex.com/nhtsa-complaints-api/): crash, fire, injury and death counts per vehicle, with a real sample response.
- [Used car listing changes API](https://theusedcarindex.com/used-car-listing-changes-api/): daily new, price drop, relisted and delisted events from Chicago area dealer websites. Delisted never means sold.
- [NHTSA recall changes API](https://theusedcarindex.com/recall-changes-api/): new and updated recalls, investigations and complaint counts from the daily NHTSA comparison.
- [Used car research in Claude](https://theusedcarindex.com/claude-used-car-research/): the Add to Claude link, setup steps and example questions with their tool inputs.
- [Vehicle data APIs compared](https://theusedcarindex.com/vehicle-data-apis-compared/): what nine vehicle data APIs list as returned and show as an entry price, read from each vendor's own page on October 16, 2026.