DTC Lookup API

About the DTC Lookup API

Covers all 9,533 generic codes defined by SAE J2012 / ISO 15031-6 (P0, P2, P3, B0, C0, U0 and U3 families), with descriptions in English and German, plus carmaker codes for 32 makes, strongest for GM, Ford, Volkswagen and Chrysler brands. Generic code content comes from the OBDex open dataset; carmaker titles are given as the carmaker defines them. Warning light and system category data from OBD Codes List, https://obdcodeslist.com/code-data.html. Repair costs are estimates in euros. Data is refreshed weekly.

What people use it for

Scan Tool Apps

Bluetooth OBD-II dongle apps turn the raw codes a car reports into plain-language titles, likely causes and the warning light involved.

Repair Shop Software

Workshop systems attach the likely causes, labor hours and cost range to a job card the moment a technician reads a code.

Fleet Telematics

Fleet platforms receiving fault codes from vehicles flag which ones are emissions-related or can put the vehicle into limp mode, and route them to maintenance.

Used Car Inspections

Inspection and listing tools explain stored codes found during a pre-purchase check in terms a buyer understands.

Ways to call it

One endpoint, many ways in — REST with JSON, XML, YAML and CSV, plus GraphQL and an MCP interface for AI agents.

JSON

Default REST response

XML

Markup format

YAML

Human-readable

CSV

Tabular export

Beta

GraphQL

Query language

New

MCP

For AI agents

Request parameters — GET /v1/dtclookup

Sent in the query string. Premium parameters are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them. Anything not listed here is dropped rather than passed through.

Required

Optional

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curl "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/dtclookup?code=P0301&make=Ford&lang=en" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Authentication

Send your key in the x-api-key header. That is the only auth step — no token exchange, and no per-endpoint scope to configure.

Response — GET /v1/dtclookup

Every APIVerve endpoint returns the same three top-level keys, so one response handler covers your whole integration: status, error and data. Only data changes shape.

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{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "code": "P0301",
    "found": true,
    "system": "Powertrain",
    "subsystem": "Ignition",
    "codeType": "generic",
    "title": "Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected",
    "description": "Misfires concentrated on cylinder 1. A cylinder-specific code points away from shared causes (fuel pressure, MAF) toward components dedicated to that cylinder — coil, spark plug, injector, compression.",
    "warningLight": "Check Engine Light",
    "affectedComponents": [
      "ignition_coil",
      "spark_plug",
      "fuel_injector"
    ],
    "causes": [
      {
        "cause": "Ignition coil for cylinder 1 failed",
        "likelihood": "high"
      },
      {
        "cause": "Spark plug for cylinder 1 worn or fouled",
        "likelihood": "high"
      },
      {
        "cause": "Cylinder 1 injector clogged",
        "likelihood": "medium"
      },
      {
        "cause": "Low compression on cylinder 1",
        "likelihood": "low"
      }
    ],
    "symptoms": [
      "Check engine light on or flashing",
      "Rough idle and uneven running",
      "Power loss, hesitation under acceleration",
      "Increased fuel consumption",
      "Possible smell of unburned fuel from exhaust"
    ],
    "repairDifficulty": "easy",
    "diyPossible": true,
    "estimatedRepairCost": {
      "min": 40,
      "max": 800,
      "currency": "EUR"
    },
    "estimatedLaborHours": {
      "min": 0.3,
      "max": 4
    },
    "emissionsRelated": true,
    "limpModePossible": null,
    "relatedCodes": [
      "P0302",
      "P0303",
      "P0304",
      "P0305",
      "P0306",
      "P0307",
      "P0308",
      "P0309",
      "P0310",
      "P0311",
      "P0312"
    ],
    "make": null,
    "manufacturer": null,
    "availableMakes": null,
    "language": "en"
  }
}

Response fields

Paths are relative to data. Premium fields are absent rather than zeroed on plans that do not include them, so check for presence instead of comparing to 0.

Response headers

Every response carries your balance, so your own code always knows where it stands without polling anything. All four are exposed to browsers through CORS.

Errors

Read the HTTP status first, then error for the specific reason. The body names the parameter that has to change.

What a call costs — 1 credits per call

Credits are shared across every APIVerve API — one balance, one key, one bill. Failed requests never count against it, so a rejected input costs nothing.

Calls are what the credits buy at this API's rate — spend them here, on any of the other APIs, or across both. Nothing is reserved per endpoint.

Zero-code embed — one snippet, no backend

Drop an interactive DTC Lookup form onto any page. The widget calls the API for you, so no key ever appears in your markup and there is nothing to deploy.

Changelog — DTC Lookup API

Every change to this endpoint, newest first. Breaking changes ship as a new version and the previous one keeps serving — response fields are added, never removed or retyped in place, so an integration written against v1 keeps working.

Currently v1Data refreshed weekly