Tutorial: VIN Lookup - Gnist Context

Automotive

Data source: NHTSA WMI database

Overview

VIN Lookup wraps NHTSA WMI database, handling authentication, pagination, and rate limits for you. This tutorial covers all 3 tools with working code examples you can copy and run.

Prerequisites

Sign up at https://context.gnist.ai/signup for a free API key (100 calls/day).
Choose your integration method: MCP protocol or REST API.

Connect via MCP

Add to your MCP client config (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.):

MCP Config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gnist-vin-lookup": {
      "url": "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/vin-lookup/",
      "headers": {
        "Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools (3)

`decode_vin`

Decode a VIN to identify manufacturer, country, vehicle type, and model year. Returns WMI (World Manufacturer Identifier), manufacturer name, country of origin, vehicle type, model year, and check digit validation.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`vin`	string	required	17-character Vehicle Identification Number.

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/vin-lookup/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "decode_vin", "arguments": {"vin": "example"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/vin-lookup/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'vin': 'example'}, 'name': 'decode_vin'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`list_vin_manufacturers`

List all manufacturers in the VIN/WMI database.

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/vin-lookup/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "list_vin_manufacturers", "arguments": {}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/vin-lookup/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {}, 'name': 'list_vin_manufacturers'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`report_feedback`

Report a bug, feature request, or general feedback for this data source. Use this when something doesn't work as expected, when you'd like a new feature, or when you have suggestions for improvement. Args: feedback: Describe the issue or suggestion. feedback_type: One of 'bug', 'feature_request', or 'general'.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`feedback`	string	required
`feedback_type`	string	optional	(default: `general`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/vin-lookup/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "report_feedback", "arguments": {"feedback": "example"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/vin-lookup/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'feedback': 'example'}, 'name': 'report_feedback'}},
)
print(resp.json())

FAQ

What data does VIN Lookup provide?

VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) decoder — manufacturer, country, vehicle type, model year. It exposes 3 tools: decode_vin, list_vin_manufacturers, report_feedback.

What do I need to get started?

A Gnist API key (free tier: 100 calls/day). Sign up at https://context.gnist.ai/signup.

What format does the VIN Lookup API return?

JSON, via either MCP protocol (JSON-RPC 2.0) or REST API.