CarJam APIcarjam.co.nz ↗
Look up New Zealand vehicles by plate, VIN, or chassis. Returns registration, WOF/COF status, odometer history, damage records, and specs from the NZ Motor Vehicle Register.
What is the CarJam API?
The CarJam API exposes a single vehicle_lookup endpoint that returns 10+ structured fields for any New Zealand vehicle identified by plate number, VIN, or chassis number. Data sourced from the NZ Motor Vehicle Register includes registration details, WOF/COF fitness status, odometer history with consistency flags, and damage records — covering the full lifecycle information buyers and fleet operators need before making decisions.
curl -X GET 'https://api.parse.bot/scraper/649cb50f-9a0d-46da-bc01-fdd1b577eba2/vehicle_lookup?vin=WAUZZZ4L78D015070&plate=HGS941&chassis=DY5W-413724' \ -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 carjam-co-nz-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.
"""CarJam NZ Vehicle Lookup — look up NZ vehicles by plate, VIN, or chassis."""
from parse_apis.carjam_nz_vehicle_lookup_api import CarJam, VehicleNotFound
client = CarJam()
# Look up a vehicle by plate number
vehicle = client.vehicles.get(plate="HGS941")
print(f"{vehicle.year} {vehicle.make} {vehicle.model} — {vehicle.colour} {vehicle.body_style}")
print(f" Plate: {vehicle.plate}, VIN: {vehicle.vin}")
print(f" Fuel: {vehicle.fuel_type}, CC: {vehicle.cc_rating}, Seats: {vehicle.seats}")
# Inspect nested registration details
reg = vehicle.registration
print(f" Registered: {reg.date_of_first_registration_in_nz}, Origin: {reg.origin}")
# Check odometer history
odo = vehicle.odometer
print(f" Odometer consistent: {odo.is_consistent}, Usage: {odo.usage_level}")
if odo.history:
latest = odo.history[0]
print(f" Latest reading: {latest.reading} {latest.unit} on {latest.date}")
# Check stolen status and damage history
print(f" Stolen list: {vehicle.stolen_status.police_stolen_list}")
print(f" Flood damage: {vehicle.damage_history.flood_damage}")
# Handle a vehicle that doesn't exist
try:
client.vehicles.get(plate="ZZZZZZ999")
except VehicleNotFound as exc:
print(f"Not found: {exc}")
print("Exercised: vehicles.get (by plate), nested registration/odometer/stolen_status/damage_history access")
Look up a vehicle by plate number, VIN, or chassis number. Returns comprehensive vehicle information including registration, fitness (WOF/COF), licensing, odometer history, and damage records from the NZ Motor Vehicle Register. At least one identifier must be provided.
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| vin | string | Vehicle Identification Number. At least one of plate, vin, or chassis must be provided. |
| plate | string | NZ vehicle plate number (e.g. HGS941). At least one of plate, vin, or chassis must be provided. |
| chassis | string | Chassis number. At least one of plate, vin, or chassis must be provided. |
{
"type": "object",
"fields": {
"vin": "string - Vehicle Identification Number",
"make": "string - vehicle make",
"year": "string - year of manufacture",
"model": "string - vehicle model",
"plate": "string - NZ plate number",
"seats": "string - number of seats",
"colour": "string - main colour",
"chassis": "string - chassis number",
"fitness": "object - WOF/COF inspection information",
"odometer": "object - odometer readings, consistency, and history array",
"cc_rating": "string - engine CC rating",
"fuel_type": "string - fuel type",
"licensing": "object - licence type and expiry",
"body_style": "string - body style",
"popularity": "string - popularity ranking among NZ vehicles",
"registration": "object - registration details including status, dates, and origin",
"vehicle_type": "string - vehicle type classification",
"assembly_type": "string - assembly type",
"engine_number": "string - engine number",
"stolen_status": "object - stolen status information",
"damage_history": "object - flood damage and write-off records",
"country_of_origin": "string - country of origin"
},
"sample": {
"data": {
"vin": "7AT0C12HX13413724",
"make": "MAZDA",
"year": "2007",
"model": "DEMIO",
"plate": "HGS941",
"seats": "5",
"colour": "White",
"chassis": "DY5W-413724",
"fitness": {
"cof_required": "No",
"wof_required": "Yes"
},
"odometer": {
"history": [
{
"date": "2021-06-11",
"unit": "km",
"source": "WOF Inspection",
"reading": "163763"
}
],
"usage_level": "11,500/year",
"is_consistent": "No",
"subject_to_ruc": "No"
},
"cc_rating": "1,490cc(1.5l)",
"fuel_type": "Petrol",
"licensing": {
"licence_expiry": "May be in Report"
},
"body_style": "Car: Hatchback",
"popularity": "5,061 vehicles in New Zealand (91st)",
"registration": {
"origin": "Import from Japan",
"plate_type": "Standard",
"vehicle_usage": "Private Passenger vehicle",
"registered_overseas": "Yes",
"cause_of_latest_registration": "Used",
"date_of_first_registration_in_nz": "07-Feb-2014",
"previous_country_of_registration": "Japan"
},
"vehicle_type": "Passenger Car/Van",
"assembly_type": "Imported Built-Up",
"engine_number": "ZY-3733223",
"stolen_status": {
"police_stolen_list": "No Records."
},
"damage_history": {
"flood_damage": "No records",
"statutory_write_off": "No records"
},
"country_of_origin": "Japan"
},
"status": "success"
}
}About the CarJam API
What the API Returns
The vehicle_lookup endpoint accepts at least one of three identifiers: plate (e.g. HGS941), vin, or chassis. The response includes core vehicle identity fields — make, model, year, colour, seats, vin, chassis, and plate — giving you a complete spec fingerprint for any NZ-registered vehicle.
Fitness and Odometer Objects
Two structured objects carry the most operationally useful data. The fitness object contains WOF (Warrant of Fitness) or COF (Certificate of Fitness) inspection information, indicating whether the vehicle currently meets NZ roadworthiness requirements and when it was last inspected. The odometer object includes current and historical readings, plus a consistency flag that indicates whether reported mileage aligns across inspections — useful for detecting odometer tampering during private vehicle purchases.
Coverage and Identifiers
All lookups target the New Zealand Motor Vehicle Register. The API is designed around NZ plate formats but also accepts VINs and chassis numbers for cases where a physical plate is unavailable or the vehicle is not yet registered. At least one of plate, vin, or chassis is required per request; supplying more than one can help disambiguate results when identifiers overlap.
Practical Scope
The response does not currently include ownership history, financial encumbrance (PPSR) checks, or import compliance documentation. What it does cover — registration status, fitness compliance, odometer trajectory, and damage records — is sufficient for standard pre-purchase due diligence and ongoing fleet compliance monitoring.
The CarJam API is a managed, monitored endpoint for carjam.co.nz — not a raw scraper you maintain. Every endpoint is automatically health-checked on a schedule, and when carjam.co.nz 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 carjam.co.nz 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?+
- Pre-purchase vehicle checks: verify WOF/COF status and odometer consistency before buying a used car
- Fleet management: batch-check registration and fitness expiry dates across a company vehicle pool
- Stolen vehicle screening: surface damage records and registration anomalies for vehicles at auction
- Insurance underwriting: pull make, model, year, and chassis data to pre-fill policy applications
- Odometer fraud detection: compare historical odometer readings using the
odometerhistory array - Dealer inventory verification: confirm plate-to-VIN matches and specs for listed stock
| 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 CarJam have an official developer API?+
What does the `fitness` object actually contain?+
fitness field returns WOF or COF inspection information for the vehicle. This includes current compliance status and inspection dates. Light passenger vehicles typically carry a WOF; heavier commercial vehicles carry a COF. The field reflects the most current status available from the NZ Motor Vehicle Register.Does the odometer field just return a single reading?+
odometer object includes a history array of past readings, a current value, and a consistency indicator. The consistency flag lets you identify cases where recorded mileage appears to have decreased between inspections, which can signal odometer tampering.Does this API cover PPSR (financial encumbrance) or security interest checks?+
Can I look up vehicles registered in Australia or other countries?+
vehicle_lookup endpoint is scoped to the New Zealand Motor Vehicle Register. Plate formats, VINs, and chassis numbers from other jurisdictions will not return results. You can fork this API on Parse and revise it to target Australian state registers or other vehicle data sources.