Honest explainer · VCdb vs a vehicle-data API

What the VCdb is — and what VehDB isn't.

The Vehicle Configuration Database (VCdb) is the Auto Care Association's standard behind ACES/PIES aftermarket parts fitment. VehDB is something different: a modern REST API + MCP for vehicle specs and tire/wheel fitment. We'll be straight about which is which.

VehDB is not the VCdb and not an ACES/PIES provider. We do not replace aftermarket parts fitment.
See what we do serve API docs
two different jobs
Auto Care VCdb
"Which vehicle configuration does this part fit?"

Standardized config IDs · ACES/PIES · aftermarket parts fitment

VehDB API
"What are this vehicle's specs, economy, recalls & tire sizes?"

REST + MCP · JSON · UUID-addressed · tire/wheel fitment + specs

What the VCdb actually is

A plain-English explainer of the Auto Care Association standard.

The VCdb (Vehicle Configuration Database) is published by the Auto Care Association. It is the aftermarket industry's shared reference for vehicle configurations: every combination of year, make, model, sub-model, engine, transmission, drive type, body and bed gets standardized identifiers. It is paired with the PCdb (part types) and PAdb (product attributes).

Suppliers use these standards through ACES (Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard) to express parts fitment — exactly which vehicle configurations a given part fits — and PIES (Product Information Exchange Standard) to describe the product itself. Together they are how a brake pad, filter or wiper "knows" which vehicles it belongs to across the whole catalog supply chain.

The VCdb is a controlled vocabulary and registry, not a developer API. It is distributed as licensed database files on a release schedule, and it is the authoritative source when the question is parts-to-vehicle fitment.

VCdb vs a vehicle-data API

They solve different problems. Here is what each is for.

Dimension Auto Care VCdb VehDB API
Primary purpose Standardize parts-to-vehicle fitment for the aftermarket Serve vehicle specs, economy, recalls & tire fitment to apps
Core question Which configuration does this part fit? What are this vehicle's specs and tire sizes?
Standards ACES / PIES / VCdb / PCdb / PAdb REST + JSON, native MCP tools
Parts catalog fitment Yes — this is its job No — not provided
Tire / wheel fitment Not its focus Yes — OEM + alternate sizes, computed geometry
Delivery Licensed database files on a release schedule Live HTTP API, UUID-addressed, free tier
Who it's for Parts suppliers, catalog & e-commerce teams Developers, agents, product & data teams

If parts fitment is your need, the VCdb is the right source — we won't pretend otherwise.

What VehDB serves instead

Specs and tire/wheel fitment for 1,342,720 vehicles across 450 makes — as a clean API.

Vehicle specifications

Make, model, year, trim, body, engine, fuel and drive type — addressed by UUID and returned as JSON.

Tire & wheel fitment

OEM and alternate tire sizes with computed geometry kept within ±3% overall diameter, plus reverse size search.

REST + native MCP

The same data over a documented REST API and a Model Context Protocol server, so agents call typed tools directly.

Explore vehicle fitment data, the Tire Sizes API, and the Vehicle Specs API.

VCdb FAQ

Straight answers about the VCdb and where VehDB fits.

The VCdb is the Auto Care Association's Vehicle Configuration Database — the aftermarket industry's standard reference for vehicle configurations (year, make, model, sub-model, engine, transmission, body and more). It assigns stable IDs to every configuration so parts suppliers can describe exactly which vehicles a part fits, using the ACES and PIES standards.
No. VehDB is not the VCdb and does not publish, license or resell ACES/PIES parts fitment data. VehDB is a modern vehicle-data API that serves vehicle specifications, EPA fuel economy, recalls, and tire/wheel fitment. If you need official aftermarket parts fitment, that comes from the Auto Care Association's VCdb/PCdb/PAdb via the ACES/PIES standards, not from VehDB.
The VCdb is a controlled vocabulary and configuration registry for aftermarket parts fitment — it standardizes how a part is mapped to a vehicle. A vehicle-data API like VehDB is a developer product: REST + MCP endpoints returning vehicle specs, fuel economy, recalls and tire fitment as JSON, addressed by UUID. The VCdb answers "which vehicle config does this part fit?"; VehDB answers "what are this vehicle's specs, economy, recalls and tire sizes?".
No, and we will not claim it can. Parts catalog fitment requires ACES/PIES and the VCdb's standardized configuration IDs. VehDB does not provide part-to-vehicle applications or a parts catalog. We complement parts workflows with specs and tire/wheel fitment, but the authoritative parts-fitment source is the Auto Care Association's VCdb.
Sign up for a VehDB account, create a Bearer token in the dashboard, and query the REST API at https://api.vehdb.com/v1 — or connect any MCP client to call typed tools. The free tier gives you 100 calls per month with no card.

Related: vehicle fitment data, Tire Sizes API, Vehicle Specs API.

Specs & tire fitment for 1,342,720 vehicles.

Not VCdb, not ACES/PIES — a modern REST API and MCP server for vehicle specs and tire/wheel fitment across 450 makes. Free tier: 100 calls/mo, no card.

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