💡 SaaS Idea: AutoSpec Cloud – OEM repair specs API + web app
An API and web app that aggregates vehicle service data (torque specs, fluid volumes, maintenance intervals) with VIN decoding and visual guides. Targeted at indie shops and fleet managers; priced per seat/API call. Validated by HN devs asking for a standardized repair/specs API.
Platform: web
Why it's a good idea?
Market problem / existing demand
- Independent repair shops, fleets and SaaS vendors need OEM-grade service data (torque specs, fluid capacities, maintenance intervals). Today they mainly rely on closed desktop web products such as ALLDATA, Mitchell1, Identifix. None of the majors expose a modern, metered API; their licences also prohibit redistribution, so developers routinely complain they can’t legally embed specs in their own software.
- Public signal – HN thread 17704816 (“Why isn’t there a repair/specs API?”) has >130 comments. Multiple devs said they would pay; some tried scraping manuals; some work for fleets that want to integrate specs in internal maintenance tools.
Keyword research (Google US)
| Keyword |
Vol/mo |
Difficulty |
Note |
| torque specs |
4 400 |
2 |
Generic but heavily auto-related search; very low KD (<30) ✅ |
| bolt torque specs |
1 600 |
0 |
✅ |
| vehicle torque specs |
390 |
1 |
Niche long-tail |
| VIN decoding API |
320 |
33 |
Slightly above the KD <30 rule but still moderate; shows dev interest |
| API car parts |
480 |
8 |
Related use-case ✅ |
At least two head terms (“torque specs”, “bolt torque s...
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