The short answer
In one 2,292 ms get_vehicle_report call on a 2019 Toyota Camry, Car Check returned: a 5-star NHTSA crash test rating across all 4 categories (overall, front crash, side crash and rollover for the 4-door front-wheel-drive sedan), 6 NHTSA safety recalls (led by brake vacuum pump recall 21V890000 and two fuel pump recalls 20V682000 and 20V012000), 398 owner complaints grouped by top component (led by 114 power train and 80 engine reports), and EPA fuel economy across 5 configurations ranging from 52 mpg combined on the Camry Hybrid LE down to 26 mpg combined on the 3.5-liter V6.
Step 1: Pull a combined NHTSA and EPA report with get_vehicle_report
Pass either a 17-character VIN or year, make and model to get_vehicle_report on https://cars.openkrill.app/mcp:
{"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"get_vehicle_report","arguments":{"year":2019,"make":"Toyota","model":"Camry"}}}To read the full summary, consequence and dealer remedy for all 6 recalls on the 2019 Toyota Camry, call list_recalls:
{"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"list_recalls","arguments":{"year":2019,"make":"Toyota","model":"Camry"}}}In 1,840 ms, list_recalls returned all 6 NHTSA recall campaigns on file for the 2019 Toyota Camry (all 6 with park_it: false, park_outside: false and over_the_air: false):
| Campaign | Date | Component | Hazard and free dealer remedy |
|---|---|---|---|
21V890000 | 2021-11-17 | Service brakes, hydraulic power assist vacuum pump | A broken vane cap inside the vacuum pump can cause sudden loss of braking assist. Dealers repair or replace the vacuum pump free of charge (letters mailed 2022-05-16). |
20V682000 | 2020-11-04 | Fuel system, gasoline delivery fuel pump | Low-pressure fuel pump failure can stall the engine while driving. Dealers replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved part free of charge. |
20V012000 | 2020-01-13 | Fuel system, gasoline delivery fuel pump | Earlier fuel pump recall (Toyota recall numbers 20TB02 and 20TA02) for engine stall risk; dealers replace the fuel pump free of charge. |
19V567000 | 2019-08-01 | Air bags, occupant classification system (OCS) sensor | Improperly calibrated OCS sensor may prevent front passenger and knee air bag deployment (FMVSS 208). Dealers recalibrate the OCS free of charge (Toyota recall K0M). |
19V503000 | 2019-06-28 | Equipment, load carrying capacity label (Southeast Toyota) | Incorrect load carrying capacity modification label on vehicles with factory floor mats (FMVSS 110). Southeast Toyota mails a corrected label (SET19A). |
19V244000 | 2019-03-27 | Equipment, load carrying capacity label (Gulf States Toyota) | Text on the load capacity modification label may become illegible (FMVSS 110). Gulf States Toyota dealers install a corrected label (19R1). |
Step 2: Compare EPA fuel economy across hybrid, 4-cylinder and V6 trims
Calling get_fuel_economy with {"year": 2019, "make": "Toyota", "model": "Camry"} queries the US EPA and Department of Energy database at fueleconomy.gov (7 total options on file, 5 returned in the primary table):
| 2019 Toyota Camry configuration | City mpg | Highway mpg | Combined mpg | Tailpipe CO2 (g/mile) | EPA est. annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camry Hybrid LE (2.5 L 4-cyl, AV-S6) | 51 | 53 | 52 | 170 | 1,250 dollars |
| Camry Hybrid XLE / SE (2.5 L 4-cyl, AV-S6) | 44 | 47 | 46 | 195 | 1,400 dollars |
| Camry base (2.5 L 4-cyl, 8-speed auto S8) | 29 | 41 | 34 | 264 | 1,900 dollars |
| Camry LE / SE (2.5 L 4-cyl, 8-speed auto S8) | 28 | 39 | 32 | 278 | 2,050 dollars |
| Camry V6 (3.5 L 6-cyl, 8-speed auto S8) | 22 | 33 | 26 | 338 | 2,500 dollars |
On the EPA's standard 15,000-mile annual driving assumption on regular gasoline, the Hybrid LE (52 mpg combined, 170 g/mile CO2) cuts estimated fuel spend in half compared with the 3.5-liter V6 (26 mpg combined, 338 g/mile CO2: 1,250 dollars a year vs 2,500 dollars a year). Two additional trims on file at FuelEconomy.gov (Camry XLE/XSE 2.5 L 4-cyl and Camry XSE 3.5 L 6-cyl) are listed in the response's others array.
Step 3: Decode a 17-character VIN and verify its check digit
Before buying a used car, pass its 17-character VIN to decode_vin to read the factory build specs from NHTSA's vPIC database and verify the 9th-position mathematical check digit:
{"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"decode_vin","arguments":{"vin":"1HGCM82633A004353"}}}In 416 ms, decode_vin decoded 1HGCM82633A004353 as a 2003 Honda Accord EX-V6 Coupe (3.0 L 6-cylinder gasoline engine, assembled in the United States) and surfaced NHTSA vPIC error_codes: ["1"] (1 - Check Digit (9th position) does not calculate properly), catching a mistyped or altered VIN before you pay for a title history report.
How 4 vehicle lookup tools compared on the 2019 Toyota Camry
We ran the same 2019 Toyota Camry query (recalls, crash test rating and EPA mpg) across 4 tools on 2026-10-20:
| Tool | Result on 2019 Toyota Camry | Wall time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
OpenKrill Car Check (get_vehicle_report) | 5-star NCAP (5/5/5/5), recall count 6 with newest 5 listed, 398 complaints by top component, and EPA mpg for 5 of 7 variants including hybrids, with NHTSA and EPA sources | 2,292 ms | 9.1 / 10 |
| cyanheads NHTSA Vehicle Safety MCP Server | Full NCAP detail and all 6 recalls with remedies, but zero EPA fuel economy data | 737 ms | 8.0 / 10 |
CarComplaints.com (/Toyota/Camry/2019/) | Overview page showed only link counts ("Recalls 6", "Crash Tests 3"); campaign IDs and star ratings sit on separate subpages, and no mpg is included | 1,602 ms | 6.6 / 10 |
Edmunds (edmunds.com/toyota/camry/2019/) | Not run: returned HTTP 403 Access Denied on a standard fetch (Cars.com also returned a Cloudflare challenge) | not run | not run |
How to connect Car Check in your AI assistant
Add https://cars.openkrill.app/mcp as a streamable HTTP MCP server, or follow the client guides for Car Check in ChatGPT, Car Check in Claude, Car Check in Cursor and Car Check in Pi.
Frequently asked questions
Does a 2019 Toyota Camry have recalls, and what is its crash test rating?
As of 2026-10-20, NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for the 2019 Toyota Camry: 21V890000 (brake vacuum pump), 20V682000 and 20V012000 (low-pressure fuel pump), 19V567000 (front passenger air bag occupant classification system calibration), and 19V503000 and 19V244000 (regional load carrying capacity labels). In NHTSA NCAP crash tests, the 2019 Toyota Camry 4-door FWD earned 5 out of 5 stars overall, 5 stars in front crash, 5 stars in side crash and 5 stars in rollover resistance.
What is the real EPA fuel economy of a 2019 Toyota Camry hybrid vs the V6?
According to the US EPA (fueleconomy.gov), the 2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE (2.5 L 4-cylinder) is rated at 51 mpg city, 53 mpg highway and 52 mpg combined (170 g/mile CO2, 1,250 dollars estimated annual fuel cost), and the Hybrid XLE/SE is rated at 44 city, 47 highway and 46 combined (195 g/mile CO2, 1,400 dollars/year). The 2019 Camry 3.5 L V6 (8-speed automatic) is rated at 22 mpg city, 33 mpg highway and 26 mpg combined (338 g/mile CO2, 2,500 dollars/year), while the 2.5 L 4-cylinder non-hybrid is rated at 29/41/34 mpg (base) or 28/39/32 mpg (LE/SE).
What can a VIN tell me about a used car before I buy it?
Passing a 17-character VIN to decode_vin reveals the manufacturer build data recorded in NHTSA's vPIC database: model year, make, model, trim level, body class, engine displacement and cylinder count, fuel type, assembly plant country, and whether the 9th-position check digit is valid. It does not show private accident history, odometer readings, lien status or whether a specific recall repair has been completed by a dealer (check repair completion by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls).
Does Car Check require an NHTSA or EPA API key?
No. The Car Check MCP server at https://cars.openkrill.app/mcp is free, requires no API key or sign-in, and allows up to 60 calls a minute per network.
Sources
- Vehicle report, recall list, fuel economy and VIN decode runs: Car Check MCP server (
https://cars.openkrill.app/mcp), recorded on 2026-10-20 between 06:24 and 09:43 UTC. - NHTSA Recalls and 5-Star Safety Ratings APIs: api.nhtsa.gov/recalls/recallsByVehicle and api.nhtsa.gov/SafetyRatings, read on 2026-10-20.
- NHTSA vPIC VIN Decoder API: vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/vehicles, read on 2026-10-20.
- US EPA and DOE Fuel Economy API: fueleconomy.gov/ws/rest/vehicle, read on 2026-10-20.
- Rival benchmarks: cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server and CarComplaints.com, tested on 2026-10-20.