Endpoints

All requests are GET over HTTPS and return JSON. Base URL https://api.carvector.io/v1. Every endpoint except /v1/status requires a bearer key.

GET /v1/vehicles

Search vehicles

Find vehicles by year, make, and/or model. Results are paginated.

Query param	Type	Description
`year`	number	Filter by model year.
`make`	string	Filter by make (case-insensitive).
`model`	string	Filter by model (case-insensitive).
`limit`	number	Results per page. Default 25, max 100.
`offset`	number	Pagination offset. Default 0.

Request

$ curl "https://api.carvector.io/v1/vehicles?make=Toyota&model=Tacoma&limit=2" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cv_your_key"

200 OK

{
  "count": 2,
  "limit": 2,
  "offset": 0,
  "results": [
    { "id": "1laqdklflb3hfav", "year": 2018, "make": "Toyota", "model": "Tacoma Access Cab", "...": "..." }
  ]
}

GET /v1/vehicles/{id}

Vehicle detail

Full specs for a single vehicle by its id.

Path param	Type	Description
`id` required	string	Opaque vehicle id returned by the search endpoint, e.g. 1laqdklflb3hfav.

Request

$ curl https://api.carvector.io/v1/vehicles/1laqdklflb3hfav \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cv_your_key"

200 OK

{
  "id": "1laqdklflb3hfav",
  "year": 2018,
  "make": "Toyota",
  "model": "Tacoma Access Cab",
  "trim": null,
  "submodel": "Pickup",
  "horsepower": 278,
  "cylinders": 6,
  "displacement_l": 3.5,
  "transmission": "Automatic 6-spd",
  "drive_type": "4x2",
  "fuel_type": "Gasoline",
  "body_class": "Small Pickup Trucks 4WD",
  "doors": 4,
  "image_url": "https://vehicle.s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/vehicles/2018/Toyota/Tacoma%20Access%20Cab/2018_Toyota_Tacoma_Access_Cab_7f4cea94_00001_.png",
  "image_type": "illustration",
  "recall_count": 0
}

Images are illustrations

image_url points to a representative illustration of the year/make/model — image_type is always "illustration" (or null when none exists), never a photo of a specific unit.

GET /v1/vehicles/{id}/recalls

Recalls for a vehicle

Federal recall campaigns mapped to a vehicle's year/make/model, newest first.

Path param	Type	Description
`id` required	string	Vehicle id (same format as vehicle detail).

Request

$ curl https://api.carvector.io/v1/vehicles/1laqdklflb3hfav/recalls \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cv_your_key"

200 OK

{
  "vehicle_id": "1laqdklflb3hfav",
  "count": 1,
  "recalls": [
    {
      "campaign_id": "19V123000",
      "component": "STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS",
      "summary": "Description of the defect…",
      "consequence": "Effect of the defect on safety…",
      "remedy": "How dealers will fix it…",
      "report_received": "2019-03-14",
      "potentially_affected": 12000
    }
  ]
}

GET /v1/dtc/{code}

DTC reference

Look up a diagnostic trouble code's reference data by its identifier.

Path param	Type	Description
`code` required	string	OBD-II code, e.g. P0420 (case-insensitive).

Request

$ curl https://api.carvector.io/v1/dtc/P0420 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cv_your_key"

200 OK

{
  "code": "P0420",
  "title": "P0420 Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1)",
  "category": "Powertrain",
  "system": "P",
  "severity": "Medium",
  "safety_risk": false,
  "emissions_related": true,
  "related_codes": [],
  "symptoms": []
}

Reference, not repair economics

v1 returns the code's identity and flags — title, category, severity, and safety/emissions flags. It does not return parts cost or labor estimates.

GET /v1/status

Status no auth

Service health and data freshness. Useful for an uptime check; requires no key.

Request

$ curl https://api.carvector.io/v1/status

200 OK

{
  "status": "ok",
  "data_updated": "2026-05-27T04:00:00Z",
  "schema_version": 3
}

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