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Pipeworx nhtsa
by
Bruce Gutman
· GitHub ↗
· v1.0.0
· MIT-0
80
Downloads
0
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0
Active Installs
1
Versions
Install in OpenClaw
/install pipeworx-nhtsa
Description
Decode VINs and look up vehicle makes/models via the NHTSA Vehicle Product Information Catalog
Usage Guidance
This skill appears to be an API wrapper for VIN decoding, but it sends VINs to https://gateway.pipeworx.io rather than querying NHTSA directly. Before installing or using it, confirm: (1) whether you are comfortable sending VINs (potentially sensitive data) to Pipeworx and review their privacy/retention policy; (2) whether the gateway actually relays to NHTSA or processes/stores data itself; (3) whether you or your organization prefer calling NHTSA's public API directly; and (4) if you plan to use the MCP npx helper, be aware that npx will download and execute code from npm. If you need stronger guarantees, request the skill's source or an implementation that calls api.nhtsa.dot.gov directly or provides an on-premises/local option.
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill
Name: pipeworx-nhtsa
Version: 1.0.0
The skill provides legitimate tools for decoding VINs and retrieving vehicle information via the NHTSA database. It uses a remote MCP gateway (gateway.pipeworx.io) and standard connection methods (mcp-remote), with no evidence of malicious code, data exfiltration, or prompt injection in SKILL.md.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
Name/description claim: 'NHTSA Vehicle Data' and VIN decoding. Required binary is only curl and there are no credentials — this matches a thin API-wrapper purpose. However, the runtime examples and MCP config target gateway.pipeworx.io (Pipeworx) rather than calling NHTSA endpoints directly; that difference should be explicit to users because it changes the trust boundary.
Instruction Scope
SKILL.md instructs the agent to POST VINs to https://gateway.pipeworx.io/nhtsa/mcp (and to use an npx-installed MCP helper). While the instructions do not request local file or credential access, they do direct potentially sensitive VINs to an external third-party endpoint. The skill does not declare any data handling, retention, or privacy behavior for that endpoint.
Install Mechanism
There is no formal install spec (instruction-only), which is low-risk. The MCP config snippet, however, suggests using 'npx mcp-remote@latest' which would download and run code at runtime if the agent follows that path — users should be aware that running npx pulls packages from the public npm registry.
Credentials
The skill requires no environment variables or credentials — that is proportionate to a public API wrapper. Still, the main concern is not requested credentials but the transmission of VINs (which can be sensitive) to a third party.
Persistence & Privilege
The skill does not request 'always: true' or system/config paths and is user-invocable only. It does not request elevated persistence or cross-skill configuration changes.
How to Use
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install pipeworx-nhtsa - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/pipeworx-nhtsa - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v1.0.0
Initial release
Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pipeworx nhtsa?
Decode VINs and look up vehicle makes/models via the NHTSA Vehicle Product Information Catalog. It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 80 downloads so far.
How do I install Pipeworx nhtsa?
Run "/install pipeworx-nhtsa" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is Pipeworx nhtsa free?
Yes, Pipeworx nhtsa is completely free, licensed under MIT-0. You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does Pipeworx nhtsa support?
Pipeworx nhtsa is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).
Who created Pipeworx nhtsa?
It is built and maintained by Bruce Gutman (@brucegutman); the current version is v1.0.0.
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