@jtgregoire93/mcp-car-shopping

MCP server connector for CarMax and Carvana. Automates their flows with Playwright, driving your local Google Chrome or a Browserbase remote browser.

For CarGurus, use CarGurus' official connector instead (claude.ai → Settings → Connectors → CarGurus). See CarGurus' setup guide.

Tools

Related MCP server: Zipcar MCP Server

Requirements

• Node.js ≥ 18

• Google Chrome installed, or a Browserbase account

Setup

By default the server drives your installed Google Chrome. It opens a real Chrome window parked off-screen, because both sites block headless Chrome. It keeps its own profile at ~/.cache/mcp-car-shopping/chrome-profile so the sites' bot-check cookies carry over between runs.

Environment Variables

Usage with Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "car-shopping": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@jtgregoire93/mcp-car-shopping"]
    }
  }
}

Add "env": { "BROWSERBASE_CDP_URL": "..." } to use Browserbase instead of local Chrome.

Claude Code:

claude mcp add car-shopping -- npx -y @jtgregoire93/mcp-car-shopping

Tool Details

search_all

Runs the CarMax and Carvana searches in parallel. A site that fails is reported without failing the other.

search_all({ zip: "90210", make: "Toyota", model: "Camry", year_min: 2019, price_max: 30000, limit: 5 })

Search (per site)

Both take the same filters: zip, make, model, year_min, year_max, mileage_max, price_min, price_max, limit. Make and model are applied by the site; the year, price and mileage filters are applied to the first page of results (about 48 cars on CarMax), so a narrow filter can return fewer than limit. CarMax sorts by distance from zip. Carvana ships nationwide and ignores zip.

carmax_search_inventory({ zip: "90210", make: "Toyota", model: "Camry", year_min: 2019, year_max: 2023, price_max: 30000, limit: 10 })
carvana_search_inventory({ make: "Honda", model: "Civic", price_max: 25000 })

Vehicle details

Use the ID from the search results:

carmax_get_vehicle_details({ stock_number: "25123456" })
carvana_get_vehicle_details({ vehicle_id: "3012345" })

Returns title, price, mileage, VIN and specs, plus site-specific info: store location, vehicle history highlights and photo URLs for CarMax; total price with estimated tax, title and registration for Carvana.

carmax_schedule_test_drive

Books a real appointment, so it only runs with confirm: true. Without it, it returns a preview.

carmax_schedule_test_drive({
  stock_number: "25123456",
  first_name: "Jane",
  last_name: "Smith",
  email: "jane@example.com",
  phone: "5551234567",
  preferred_date: "Saturday",
  preferred_time: "afternoon",
  confirm: true
})

carmax_get_instant_offer / carvana_get_offer

// By VIN
carmax_get_instant_offer({ vin: "1HGCM82633A123456", mileage: 85000, zip: "90210" })

// By license plate
carvana_get_offer({ license_plate: "ABC1234", state: "CA", mileage: 85000 })

Both sites identify the car from the VIN or plate, then ask style and condition questions (and an email) before showing an offer. The tool enters the VIN/plate and ZIP, waits for the lookup, and returns what the site found plus the questions it stopped at, with a link to finish on the site.

Development

npm install
npm run typecheck
npm run build   # bundles src/index.ts to dist/index.js

# call tools from the command line
node scripts/call.mjs --list
node scripts/call.mjs carmax_search_inventory '{"make":"Audi","model":"A4","zip":"23452"}'

How It Works

This connector uses Playwright with your local Chrome or a Browserbase remote browser session (via CDP) to automate each site. CarMax search reads the full car records CarMax embeds in its search page; everything else reads the rendered pages. No unofficial APIs — all data comes directly from CarMax.com and Carvana.com.

License

MIT