NHTSA Vehicle Safety
Vehicle safety recalls, complaints, and crash data from NHTSA
What it can do
What data it sees
Do you need an account
No: the server works without sign-in
Vehicle safety recalls, complaints, and crash data from NHTSA
How to connect
How to connect NHTSA Vehicle Safety to Claude
The server address to paste into Claude settings:
https://mcp.olyport.com/nhtsa/mcp
- Open Claude (claude.ai or the desktop app).
- Go to Settings → Connectors.
- Click Add custom connector.
- Paste the server address copied below into Remote MCP server URL and click Add.
- In a chat, click + → Connectors and switch the new connector on.
Custom connectors are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans (Free is limited to one). On Team and Enterprise an organization Owner adds the connector first under Organization settings → Connectors.
Authorization
After you click Add, a sign-in window for the service opens. Sign in with your own account and approve access. Claude never sees your password.
How to connect NHTSA Vehicle Safety to ChatGPT
The server address to paste into ChatGPT settings:
https://mcp.olyport.com/nhtsa/mcp
- Open ChatGPT in a browser (chatgpt.com). A Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu plan is required.
- Turn on developer mode once: Settings → Apps → Advanced settings → Developer mode.
- Open Settings → Connectors and click Create.
- Fill in the form: Name (anything), Description (one line about what the service does), MCP server URL (copy it below).
- Under Authentication choose OAuth if the service requires sign-in, otherwise None. Click Create.
- In a new chat open + → Apps/Connectors and enable the connector.
OpenAI has renamed this section before (Connectors → Apps/Plugins). If the label differs, search settings for "developer mode". On Business/Enterprise workspaces an admin must allow custom connectors first.
Authorization
On first use ChatGPT opens the service's sign-in window. Sign in and approve access.
How to connect NHTSA Vehicle Safety to Cursor
The server address to paste into Cursor settings:
https://mcp.olyport.com/nhtsa/mcp
Fastest: click Open in Cursor below and confirm the prompt.
Manually:
- In Cursor open Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP and click Add new global MCP server.
- Paste the JSON copied below into
~/.cursor/mcp.json(per project:.cursor/mcp.jsonin the repo root). - Save the file. The server appears in the MCP list; authorize it there if asked.
Authorization
If the service needs sign-in, an authorize button appears next to the server in the MCP list.
Server tool list (6)
Raw names from tools/list. Only developers need these.
| decode_vin | Decode a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to get vehicle details. Returns make, model, year, body class, engine info, safety features, and other attributes encoded in the 17-character VIN. Args: vin: A 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (e.g. '1HGBH41JXMN109186'). |
| get_recalls | Get vehicle safety recalls from NHTSA. Search for recalls by make, model, and/or year. Returns recall campaigns including the defect description, remedy, and affected vehicles. At least one filter (make, model, or year) should be provided. Args: make: Vehicle manufacturer name (e.g. 'Toyota', 'Ford', 'Honda'). model: Vehicle model name (e.g. 'Camry', 'F-150', 'Civic'). year: Model year (e.g. 2023). |
| get_complaints | Get consumer complaints about vehicles filed with NHTSA. Search for safety complaints by make, model, and/or year. Returns complaint descriptions, components involved, and crash/injury data. At least one filter (make, model, or year) should be provided. Args: make: Vehicle manufacturer name (e.g. 'Toyota', 'Ford'). model: Vehicle model name (e.g. 'Camry', 'F-150'). year: Model year (e.g. 2023). limit: Maximum number of complaints to return (default 25). |
| get_crash_statistics | Get fatal crash statistics from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Returns fatal motor vehicle crash data for a state, including total fatalities, fatalities by person type (drivers, passengers, pedestrians), and alcohol-involved crashes. Args: state: Two-digit state FIPS code (e.g. '06' for California, '48' for Texas) or two-letter state abbreviation (e.g. 'CA', 'TX'). year: Year for statistics (e.g. 2022). Defaults to the most recent available year. |
| complaint_trends_by_component | Get complaint counts by vehicle component for a specific make/model/year. Shows which parts of the vehicle consumers report the most problems with (e.g. brakes, engine, electrical system). Useful for identifying systemic vehicle defect patterns. Args: make: Vehicle manufacturer name (e.g. 'Toyota', 'Ford'). model: Vehicle model name (e.g. 'Camry', 'F-150'). year: Model year (e.g. 2023). |
| local_vehicle_safety_profile | Get a vehicle safety profile using national complaint and recall trends. NHTSA complaints are not geocoded by state, so this returns national-level trends as context for local community safety assessments. Includes the most recent recalls and top complained-about vehicle makes. Args: state: Two-letter state abbreviation (e.g. 'CA', 'TX'). Used for crash statistics; complaint data is national. |