2026 Vehicle Configuration Database (VCdb) Coverage Update

The VCdb was built more than 20 years ago for a single purpose: to assist the aftermarket in selling more parts by increasing catalog fitment data’s speed to market by delivering Year, Make, Model fitment data in a consistent format by suppliers to receivers.

Speed to market is critical for the aftermarket to compete with the vehicle manufacturer’s dealerships, especially for manufacturers producing vehicle accessories and filters. These are the most purchased items sold in the aftermarket for vehicles rolling off the showroom floors. Aftermarket vehicle specific in fitment parts and accessories cannot be cataloged and made available for sale without the vehicles being listed in the VCdb. 

That’s what keeps the members of the Auto Care Association’s Technology team awake at night! We all had previous lives working for either suppliers or receivers before joining the Auto Care Association. Our goal is to have every vehicle being produced into the VCdb before those vehicles hit the showroom floors. That is our mission to have the vehicles and their valid attributes available for suppliers to generate catalog data for parts and accessories so the consumers purchasing new vehicles have a choice between the vehicle manufacturer’s parts and accessories and those offered by the aftermarket suppliers. 

A few years ago, the VCdb lagged behind the vehicle manufacturers in providing coverage for brand new vehicles and there were times when the aftermarket lost sales to the vehicle manufacturers due to not being able to cover those vehicles rolling out of the showrooms. Stage 1 (Year, Make, Model, Submodel and Region) vehicles were not listed in time for accessory sales and Stage 2 (Year, Make, Model, Submodel, Region and Engine) vehicles were not listed in time for maintenance services like oil and air filter changes.