Auto.dev API

V2 is the primary API. V1 provides supplemental endpoints with no V2 equivalent.

Authentication

Check for AUTODEV_API_KEY environment variable first. If not set, ask: "Do you have an Auto.dev API key?"

If yes: Ask them to paste it or set it with export AUTODEV_API_KEY="your-key-here"
If no: Direct them to https://www.auto.dev/pricing to sign up (free Starter plan available)

V2 (base: https://api.auto.dev): Authorization: Bearer {key} or ?apiKey={key} V1 (base: https://auto.dev/api): ?apikey={key} (query string only)

API Reference — Copy These URLs

Use these exact URL patterns. Do NOT guess parameter names — wrong params return 400.

Search Listings (Starter)

GET https://api.auto.dev/listings?vehicle.make=Audi&vehicle.model=R8&retailListing.price=1-60000&retailListing.state=FL&limit=100&page=1&apiKey={key}

More filters: vehicle.year=2022-2024, vehicle.bodyStyle=SUV, vehicle.drivetrain=AWD, retailListing.miles=1-50000, zip=33132&distance=50. See v2-listings-api.md for all filters.

Single Listing (Starter)

GET https://api.auto.dev/listings/{vin}?apiKey={key}

VIN Decode (Starter)

GET https://api.auto.dev/vin/{vin}?apiKey={key}

Vehicle Photos (Starter)

GET https://api.auto.dev/photos/{vin}?apiKey={key}

Specifications (Growth)

GET https://api.auto.dev/specs/{vin}?apiKey={key}

OEM Build Data (Growth — $0.10/call)

GET https://api.auto.dev/build/{vin}?apiKey={key}

Vehicle Recalls (Growth)

GET https://api.auto.dev/recalls/{vin}?apiKey={key}

Total Cost of Ownership (Growth)

GET https://api.auto.dev/tco/{vin}?zip=33132&apiKey={key}

Vehicle Payments (Growth) — price and zip are required

GET https://api.auto.dev/payments/{vin}?price=39520&zip=33132&downPayment=5000&loanTerm=60&apiKey={key}

Interest Rates (Growth) — year, make, model, zip, creditScore are required

GET https://api.auto.dev/apr/{vin}?year=2024&make=Audi&model=R8&zip=33132&creditScore=720&apiKey={key}

Open Recalls (Scale)

GET https://api.auto.dev/openrecalls/{vin}?apiKey={key}

Plate-to-VIN (Scale — $0.55/call)

GET https://api.auto.dev/plate/{state}/{plate}?apiKey={key}

Taxes & Fees (Scale) — price and zip are required

GET https://api.auto.dev/taxes/{vin}?price=39520&zip=33132&apiKey={key}

V1 Supplemental (No V2 Equivalent)

GET https://auto.dev/api/models?apikey={key}
GET https://auto.dev/api/cities?apikey={key}
GET https://auto.dev/api/zip/{zip}?apikey={key}
GET https://auto.dev/api/autosuggest/{term}?apikey={key}

Parameters That Do NOT Exist (Will Return 400)

make=          ← use vehicle.make
model=         ← use vehicle.model
_order=        ← no sort parameter exists
sort=          ← no sort parameter exists
rows=          ← use limit
state=         ← use retailListing.state
price=         ← use retailListing.price (on /listings), or price= (on /payments, /taxes)

Plans & Pricing

See pricing.md for full per-call costs and upgrade links.

Plan	Monthly	Includes
Starter	Free + data fees	VIN Decode, Listings, Photos (1,000 free calls/mo)
Growth	$299/mo + data fees	+ Specs, Recalls, TCO, Payments, APR, Build
Scale	$599/mo + data fees	+ Open Recalls, Plate-to-VIN, Taxes & Fees

All plans charge per-call data fees on every request. Growth/Scale have no cap on volume but data fees still apply.

Important Rules

Before batch operations, call the endpoint once with a single item to see the actual response shape. Do not guess field names or nesting — inspect the real response first.
Include ALL fields from the API response unless the user explicitly says to exclude some.
Small results (<10 items, single VIN): Display inline as formatted table
Large results (10+ listings): Ask user preference, default to CSV export
Always support: CSV, JSON export when user requests
Chain APIs when the query spans multiple endpoints

Deep Reference

auto-dev