KBB APIkbb.com ↗
Access KBB vehicle data: year/make/model lookups, expert ratings, OBD-II codes, and current lease deals via 6 structured endpoints.
What is the KBB API?
The KBB API exposes 6 endpoints covering Kelley Blue Book vehicle data, from year and make/model lookups to expert ratings across categories like performance, comfort, reliability, and value. The get_car_ratings endpoint returns up to eight rating dimensions for a specific year/make/model combination, while get_lease_deals surfaces current monthly payment and down payment figures for national lease offers. OBD-II powertrain code descriptions are also available via get_obd_codes.
No input parameters required.
curl -X GET 'https://api.parse.bot/scraper/e0fde739-face-4146-af0b-8ddb1b14e20e/get_years' \ -H 'X-API-Key: $PARSE_API_KEY'
Typed, relational, agent-ready
A generated client with real types, enums, and the links between objects — the structure a flat JSON response can't carry. Autocompletes in your editor and reads cleanly to coding agents.
- Fully typed · autocompletes
- Objects link to objects
- Typed errors & pagination
Typed Python client. Set up the SDK in your uv project, then pull this API’s typed client:
uv add parse-sdk uv run parse init uv run parse add --marketplace kbb-com-api
uv run parse add --marketplace pulls a pinned snapshot of this canonical API — it won’t change underneath you. To customize it, subscribe and swap to your own copy.
"""Walkthrough: KBB SDK — vehicle lookups, ratings, OBD codes, and lease deals."""
from parse_apis.kelley_blue_book_api import KBB, OBDCategory, VehicleNotFound
client = KBB()
# List available model years
for year in client.years.list(limit=5):
print(year.year)
# List makes for 2024, then drill into one make's models
make = client.makes.list(year="2024", limit=1).first()
if make:
print(make.name, make.make_id)
for model in make.models.list(year="2024", limit=3):
print(model.name, model.model_id)
# Get expert ratings for a specific vehicle — typed error catch
try:
rating = client.ratings.get(make="toyota", year="2024", model="camry")
print(rating.make, rating.model, rating.ratings.expert_overall)
except VehicleNotFound as exc:
print(f"Vehicle not found: {exc}")
# List OBD-II powertrain codes using the enum
for code in client.obdcodes.list(category=OBDCategory.P, limit=3):
print(code.code, code.title)
# Browse current lease deals
for deal in client.leasedeals.list(zip_code="10001", limit=3):
print(deal.car, deal.monthly, deal.msrp)
print("exercised: years.list / makes.list / make.models.list / ratings.get / obdcodes.list / leasedeals.list")
Retrieve all available vehicle model years from Kelley Blue Book. Returns years from 1992 to the latest available (currently 2027). No parameters required; the full year list is returned in a single response.
No input parameters required.
{
"type": "object",
"fields": {
"years": "array of integers representing available vehicle model years, descending order"
},
"sample": {
"data": {
"years": [
2027,
2026,
2025,
2024,
2023,
2022,
2021,
2020,
2019,
2018,
2017,
2016,
2015,
2014,
2013,
2012,
2011,
2010,
2009,
2008,
2007,
2006,
2005,
2004,
2003,
2002,
2001,
2000,
1999,
1998,
1997,
1996,
1995,
1994,
1993,
1992
]
},
"status": "success"
}
}About the KBB API
Vehicle Catalog Lookup
Three endpoints form a cascading lookup chain. get_years returns an integer array of all supported model years (1992 through the latest available, currently 2027) with no required parameters. get_makes accepts a year string and returns a makeSelections array — each entry contains a numeric makeId, a makeName, and an atcMake code object. Pass that makeId to get_models alongside the same year to get a modelSelections array with modelId, modelName, makeId, and makeName fields. This three-step chain gives you a complete, normalized vehicle catalog structure.
Expert Ratings
get_car_ratings takes make, year, and model as lowercase slug strings (e.g. toyota, 2024, camry) and returns a ratings object. Available fields vary by vehicle but can include expert_overall, overall_rating, performance, comfort, quality, reliability, styling, and value. Not all fields are present for every vehicle — older or less-covered models may return a sparse ratings object.
OBD-II Codes and Lease Deals
get_obd_codes accepts an optional category parameter; currently only P (powertrain) codes are supported. Each result object includes a code string (e.g. P0300), a short title, and a plain-English description. get_lease_deals returns a deals array where each entry carries car (name string), monthly (integer, dollars), down_payment (integer, dollars), duration_months (integer), and MSRP. An optional zip_code parameter is accepted but deals reflect national listings and may not vary by location.
The KBB API is a managed, monitored endpoint for kbb.com — not a raw scraper you maintain. Every endpoint is automatically health-checked on a schedule, and when kbb.com changes and a check fails, the API is automatically queued for repair and re-verified. It is built to keep working as the site underneath it changes.
This isn't an official kbb.com API — it's an independent, maintained REST wrapper over public data. Where the source has no official API (or only a limited one), Parse gives you a stable contract over a source that never promised one, and keeps it current. Need a new endpoint or field? You can revise it yourself in plain English and the agent rebuilds it against the live site in minutes — contributing the change back to the shared API is free.
Will this API break when the source site changes?+
Is this an official API from the source site?+
Can I fix or extend this API myself if I need a new endpoint or field?+
What happens if I call an endpoint that has an issue?+
- Build a vehicle comparison tool using
get_car_ratingsto display comfort, reliability, and value scores side-by-side - Populate make/model dropdowns in a car-shopping app using the
get_years→get_makes→get_modelschain - Surface current lease offers with monthly payment and down payment data from
get_lease_dealsin a finance calculator - Look up OBD-II powertrain fault code explanations in an automotive diagnostic tool using
get_obd_codes - Index KBB expert rating dimensions to feed a recommendation engine ranking vehicles by reliability or performance scores
- Track changes in lease deal pricing over time by polling
get_lease_dealsand storing the monthly and MSRP fields
| Tier | Price | Credits/month | Rate limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 100 | 5 req/min |
| Hobby | $30/mo | 1,000 | 20 req/min |
| Developer | $100/mo | 5,000 | 100 req/min |
One credit = one API call regardless of which marketplace API you call. Exceeding the rate limit returns a 429 response. Authenticate with the X-API-Key header.
Does Kelley Blue Book have an official developer API?+
What rating fields does get_car_ratings actually return, and are they always present?+
ratings object can include up to eight fields: expert_overall, overall_rating, performance, comfort, quality, reliability, styling, and value. Not all fields appear for every vehicle. Older models or those with limited editorial coverage may return only a subset — your code should treat all rating fields as optional.Does get_obd_codes support codes beyond powertrain (P) codes?+
P) codes are supported. Body (B), chassis (C), and network (U) codes are not covered by this endpoint. You can fork the API on Parse and revise it to add support for additional OBD-II code categories.Do lease deals returned by get_lease_deals vary by ZIP code?+
zip_code parameter is accepted but the deals reflect national listings — responses are not reliably localized. Regional lease incentives or dealer-specific offers are not currently distinguished in the response. You can fork the API on Parse and revise it to add location-filtered deal logic if regional data becomes available.