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# How to check car recalls, NHTSA crash ratings, EPA mpg and VINs in one call: 2019 Toyota Camry tested

Checking a used car in the United States usually means opening three separate government sites: NHTSA's recall search, NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings database, and the US EPA's FuelEconomy.gov. We tested a 2019 Toyota Camry across 4 vehicle-data tools to see how [Car Check](https://tools.openkrill.app/tools/cars) combines NHTSA safety recalls, NCAP crash ratings, owner complaint counts, EPA fuel economy and 17-character VIN decoding in one keyless MCP server.

By OpenKrill. Published 2026-10-20. Every recall campaign, crash rating, complaint count and EPA mpg figure below comes from live calls to [Car Check](https://tools.openkrill.app/tools/cars) (`https://cars.openkrill.app/mcp`), `api.nhtsa.gov`, `vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov` and `fueleconomy.gov` on 2026-10-20 between 06:24 and 09:43 UTC.

## The short answer

In one 2,292 ms `get_vehicle_report` call on a 2019 Toyota Camry, [Car Check](https://tools.openkrill.app/tools/cars) 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](https://tools.openkrill.app/integrations/cars/chatgpt), [Car Check in Claude](https://tools.openkrill.app/integrations/cars/claude), [Car Check in Cursor](https://tools.openkrill.app/integrations/cars/cursor) and [Car Check in Pi](https://tools.openkrill.app/integrations/cars/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://tools.openkrill.app/tools/cars) (`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](https://api.nhtsa.gov/recalls/recallsByVehicle?make=toyota&model=camry&modelYear=2019) and [api.nhtsa.gov/SafetyRatings](https://api.nhtsa.gov/SafetyRatings/modelyear/2019/make/toyota/model/camry), read on 2026-10-20.
- NHTSA vPIC VIN Decoder API: [vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/vehicles](https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/vehicles), read on 2026-10-20.
- US EPA and DOE Fuel Economy API: [fueleconomy.gov/ws/rest/vehicle](https://www.fueleconomy.gov/ws/rest/vehicle/menu/options?year=2019&make=Toyota&model=Camry), read on 2026-10-20.
- Rival benchmarks: [cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server](https://github.com/cyanheads/nhtsa-vehicle-safety-mcp-server) and [CarComplaints.com](https://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Camry/2019/), tested on 2026-10-20.