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CarAPI vs NHTSA

Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.

APICarAPIHEALTHY70NHTSAHEALTHY87
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d100%99.02%
Uptime · 30d100%100%
P50 · ms1223760
P95 · ms22874902
AuthapiKeynone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearyes
Data licenseUnverifiedPublic domain (U.S. Government work)
Free tierFree tier — API key may be required for productionFree, no key
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

CarAPI vs NHTSA: common questions

Which is more reliable, CarAPI or NHTSA?

On our scheduled checks, CarAPI leads on measured uptime — CarAPI at 100% versus NHTSA at 99.02% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.

Which is faster, CarAPI or NHTSA?

NHTSA has the lower median latency in our checks — CarAPI responds in 1223 ms versus NHTSA at 760 ms (P50). Tail latency (P95) is in the table above; for most workloads the median is the number that shapes how the API feels.

Do CarAPI and NHTSA need an API key?

NHTSA needs no key, while CarAPI requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for NHTSA first.

Can I call CarAPI and NHTSA from the browser?

Only NHTSA is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. CarAPI needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are CarAPI and NHTSA free for commercial use?

CarAPI has unclear commercial terms, and NHTSA allows commercial use on its free tier. We track service terms and the data license as separate fields — see the Commercial use and Data license rows above, and confirm both before shipping either in a paid product.