Vehicle data services
Vehicle fitment data: TecDoc K-Type, ACES/PIES, eBay and Amazon compatibility
Vehicle fitment data is what tells a buyer 'this fits your car'. We map your SKUs to TecDoc K-Types and N-Types, build ACES/PIES files for Amazon, generate eBay UK compatibility lists and hand-build fitment tables where TecDoc has no coverage: performance parts, classics, 4x4 chassis splits and motorcycles.
In Europe the fitment standard is TecDoc, run by TecAlliance. A K-Type is TecDoc's unique ID for a passenger-car type: a combination of make, model, body, engine, kW, cc, fuel, drive and build years. An N-Type is the commercial-vehicle equivalent, and there are separate axle and engine IDs. Suppliers publish articles with OE numbers, trade numbers, GTINs and attributes, then link each article to K-Types with optional criteria such as 'from chassis number' or 'for PR-code 1LJ'. Your reg lookup returns a K-Type; your catalogue turns it into a list of articles that fit.
Marketplaces speak different dialects. eBay UK, along with DE, FR, IT, ES and AU, accepts K-Type numbers to attach compatible vehicles to a listing; one listing with a full compatibility list replaces many, and that list drives the 'Fits your vehicle' filter that decides whether your part is seen at all. Amazon runs on the US ACES standard instead. Its Part Finder, Your Garage and Confirmed Fit badges are driven by ACES data submitted through the Amazon Merchant Transport Utility or an approved provider, and Amazon.co.uk's vehicle table is its own ACES-derived list, so K-Types must be mapped to Amazon vehicle IDs.
ACES and PIES come from the Auto Care Association. ACES is the fitment exchange standard, PIES the product-content standard, and both rest on the VCdb (vehicle configurations), PCdb (product classification), PAdb (part attributes) and Qdb (qualifiers), with version 2.0 of those databases released on 26 March 2026. There is no clean K-Type to VCdb mapping; it has to be built or bought. For UK brands exporting to North America, and for US brands selling here, that mapping is the job.
Then there is everything TecDoc does not cover. Performance parts, classic and out-of-production vehicles, kit cars, Land Rover chassis-number splits and most motorcycle lines need bespoke fitment tables: make, model, generation, engine, year range, chassis range and fitting notes, maintained in your PIM and exported to every channel in the format it wants.
How it works
End to end
- 01
Inventory your SKUs and their keys
For every line, capture the supplier article number and brand, all OE numbers, GTIN, and any existing fitment notes. Normalise part-number formats (spaces, hyphens, leading zeros) so matching works.
- 02
Match to TecDoc articles
Match by article number and brand, then by OE cross-reference, then by GTIN. A matched article inherits its K-Type and N-Type linkages and their criteria from the licensed TecDoc data or TecDoc Web Services.
- 03
Fill the gaps by hand
For unmatched lines and uncovered vehicles, build fitment tables from manufacturer data, EPCs and your own trade knowledge: make, model, engine, year range, chassis range, fitting position.
- 04
Produce channel outputs
On-site: VRM resolves to K-Type, K-Type to linked articles, articles to your SKUs. eBay: compatibility CSV with K-Types and notes per listing. Amazon: ACES XML using VCdb base-vehicle IDs from a mapping provider. Google Shopping: fitment-aware titles and attributes.
- 05
QA before it goes live
Sample-check fits against real vehicles, detect duplicate or superseded K-Types, confirm every linkage has fitting position and side where relevant, and reconcile eBay compatibility with the on-site finder so both say the same thing.
- 06
Maintain on a schedule
TecAlliance adds K-Types and suppliers update linkages continuously. A monthly refresh with a diff report keeps new vehicles and supersessions flowing to every channel.
Deliverables
What you get
- SKU-to-article match report with confidence levels and unmatched lines
- K-Type and N-Type linkage table with criteria, stored in your PIM or database
- Bespoke fitment tables for lines outside TecDoc coverage
- eBay compatibility files per listing, ready for bulk upload
- ACES XML and PIES files for Amazon or North American distribution
- On-site fitment layer: VRM to K-Type to SKU, with 'Fits your vehicle' badges and criteria prompts
- QA sample sheet and duplicate/supersession report
- Monthly refresh process with diff reporting
Data sources
Providers we integrate
We are provider-neutral: we pick the source that fits your budget, licensing position and the fields you actually need.
| Source | What it returns | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TecDoc (TecAlliance) | K-Type (passenger cars), N-Type (commercial vehicles), axle and engine IDs; articles with OE and trade numbers, GTINs, criteria, parts lists, images and vehicle linkages with conditions such as chassis ranges and PR codes; KBA numbers for German cross-referencing. | Access via the TecDoc Catalogue, TecDoc Web Services API or raw data supply, licensed and priced per data package and per country. UK VRM to TecDoc type ID is offered by TecAlliance partners and by UK providers such as VDG and cap hpi. |
| Auto Care Association ACES / PIES | ACES fitment records against the VCdb (year, make, model, submodel, engine and more); PIES product content against the PCdb, PAdb and Qdb; Brand Table. | US-origin standard needed for Amazon, North American export and US brands selling into the UK. Databases version 2.0 released 26 March 2026. No clean K-Type to VCdb mapping exists; it must be built or bought. |
| eBay Motors compatibility (UK) | K-Type-based compatibility on listings; eBay Master Vehicle Lists per site; the 'Fits your vehicle' filter. | Master Vehicle Lists are licensed only for matching to eBay listings, not for use as your own vehicle database. Bulk loading via File Exchange/CSV, M2E Pro, Frooition, 3Dsellers, Linnworks or ChannelAdvisor. |
| Amazon Automotive fitment | Part Finder, Your Garage and Confirmed Fit driven by ACES fitment data against Amazon's own vehicle table. | Submitted via the Amazon Merchant Transport Utility or approved third-party providers; Amazon prefers data from the brand owner. Coverage on Amazon.co.uk is thinner than eBay UK. |
| MAM Software (Autocat / Autopart) | The UK trade counter catalogue, VRM-driven, aggregating supplier data; bi-directional TecDoc to Autocat conversion for suppliers. | Relevant when your customers are motor factors or garages who look you up in Autocat, or when your supplier data arrives in MAM format. |
| UK Vehicle Data / VDG and cap hpi (VRM to K-Type) | A K-Type or candidate K-Types, engine code, VIN and build-date range alongside the DVLA identity fields. | Per-lookup billing (VDG publishes prices; cap hpi quotes). The bridge between a registration and your fitment data. |
Data quality
Where this goes wrong, and what we do about it
Duplicate or overlapping K-Types: TecAlliance creates a new K-Type for each meaningful variant, and providers sometimes return a superseded or sibling one, so parts almost fit.
Keep the full candidate list from the lookup, map superseded K-Types forward, and flag SKUs whose linkages differ between siblings for manual review.
Engine-code ambiguity: DVLA holds no engine code, and same-capacity engines such as VAG 2.0 TDI CBAB and CBBB take different parts.
Carry engine code as a criterion on the linkage and prompt the customer to confirm it where the part differs.
Chassis-number and build-month splits ('from chassis 1J-1-000001', 'up to build 05/2012') cannot be resolved if the VIN or build month was never captured.
Capture VIN and build range in the lookup, store criteria in the linkage, and show the split to the customer rather than guessing.
Registration date versus build date: UK first registration is not the build date, so mid-year part changes get mis-assigned.
Use build-date range from the provider and model-year logic that tolerates a registration lag.
Supplier data gaps: no linkages for new vehicles, missing fitting-position or side criteria, OE numbers with formatting variants.
Normalise OE numbers on ingest, flag linkages missing required criteria, and back-fill from OE catalogues or your own tables.
No coverage at all for performance, classic, kit-car, motorcycle and 4x4 chassis-split lines.
Bespoke fitment tables in the PIM with the same schema as TecDoc linkages, so they export to eBay and the site through the same pipeline.
Proof
Work like this
Kitspares · 2015
A parts store built for people who build their own cars
Milner Off Road · 2015
Best-seller landing pages for a 4x4 specialist that ships worldwide
Scorpion Exhausts · 2016
Dealer orders straight into Orderwise, with no re-keying
Part Fitment Mapping: common questions
What is a K-Type?
A K-Type is TecDoc's unique ID for a passenger-car type, combining make, model, body, engine, power, capacity, fuel, drive and build years. Parts suppliers link articles to K-Types, and eBay UK uses K-Types for listing compatibility. Commercial vehicles use N-Types.
How do I get K-Type compatibility onto eBay listings?
Attach a list of K-Types to each listing, with notes for fitting position or chassis ranges. Bulk upload via eBay's CSV tools or a channel tool such as M2E Pro, Linnworks or ChannelAdvisor. We generate the compatibility files from your fitment data so eBay and your own site agree.
Does Amazon use K-Types?
No. Amazon's Part Finder and Confirmed Fit run on the US ACES standard against Amazon's own vehicle table. K-Types have to be mapped to Amazon vehicle IDs, usually through a fitment provider, and submitted via the Merchant Transport Utility or an approved partner.
What is the difference between ACES and PIES?
ACES is the Auto Care Association's fitment standard: which parts fit which vehicles, referenced against the VCdb. PIES is the product-content standard: descriptions, attributes, images, packaging and pricing. Amazon and North American distribution need both.
My parts are not in TecDoc. Can you still build fitment?
Yes. Performance, classic, kit-car, motorcycle and chassis-split 4x4 parts often have no TecDoc linkage. We build fitment tables from manufacturer data and your trade knowledge in the same schema as TecDoc, so they feed the site, eBay and Amazon through one pipeline.
How often does fitment data need updating?
TecAlliance adds K-Types and suppliers publish new linkages continuously, so a monthly refresh with a diff report is the sensible minimum for an active catalogue. Marketplace compatibility should be re-exported after each refresh.
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Scope part fitment mapping for your platform
Tell us your platform, your data provider (if you have one) and what the customer should be able to do. We will come back with a fixed-price scope and an honest view of the data licensing.