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flinkeyflinkey for Developers

Update car

PATCH
/cars/{carId}
curl --request PATCH \
  --url https://api-uat.flinkey.de/v3/cars/1 \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer <token>' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json-patch+json' \
  --header 'Customer-ID: example' \
  --header 'flinkey-API-Key: <flinkey-API-Key>' \
  --data '[ { "op": "replace", "path": "/name", "value": "VW Golf Fleet-01" } ]'

Purpose

Update an existing car in the selected customer context.

A car represents the vehicle access object used by the flinkey API.

For developer integrations, the flinkey BLE Box is abstracted behind the Car concept.

Use this operation to update car metadata after the car has already been created.

When to use this operation

Use this operation when the partner backend needs to update an existing flinkey car.

Typical situations:

  • vehicle metadata changed,
  • license plate changed,
  • VIN was added or corrected,
  • brand or model information was added,
  • car name or description was updated,
  • partner vehicle records were reconciled with flinkey car records.

In most integrations, the partner backend should persist a mapping between the partner vehicle ID and the flinkey carId.

Use the mapped carId to update the correct flinkey car.

Do not create a new car when the existing car should be updated.

Validation notes

PROD validation result:

  • The Developer Page and PROD behavior confirmed PATCH /cars/{carId}. The previously documented POST method returned 404 Not Found.
  • A normal JSON object sent to the PATCH endpoint returned 400 Bad Request because the JSON Patch document could not be parsed.
  • A JSON Patch array with Content-Type: application/json-patch+json returned 204 No Content without a response body.
  • replace operations were validated for name, description, vin, licensePlate, brand and model.
  • A subsequent GET /cars/{carId} returned all updated values.
  • The operation completed synchronously and produced no webhook.

Async behavior

Synchronous.

The API returns 204 No Content. Retrieve the complete updated car object with GET /cars/{carId}.

Webhook result

No.

This operation does not produce a webhook result.

Security notes

Never log:

  • flinkey-API-Key,
  • bearer token,
  • full request headers.

Car identifiers are environment-specific.

Do not mix UAT and PROD car IDs.

Use placeholders in documentation, examples, screenshots and AI prompts.

Authorizations

Section titled “Authorizations”

Parameters

Section titled “Parameters”

Path Parameters

Section titled “Path Parameters”
carId
required
number

Database ID of the car to update

Header Parameters

Section titled “Header Parameters”
Customer-ID
required
string

Customer database ID

Request Bodyrequired

Section titled “Request Bodyrequired”
Media typeapplication/json-patch+json
Array<object>
object
op
required

JSON Patch operation; replace was validated

string
path
required

Car field path to update

string
value
required

New value for the selected field

string | null
Example
[
  {
    "op": "replace",
    "path": "/name",
    "value": "VW Golf Fleet-01"
  }
]

Responses

Section titled “Responses”

204

Section titled “204”

Car was updated successfully

400

Section titled “400”

JSON Patch document is malformed or cannot be parsed

Recommended handling: Use a JSON Patch array and Content-Type: application/json-patch+json

401

Section titled “401”

Invalid subscription key or missing / invalid access token

Recommended handling: Check flinkey-API-Key, bearer token and environment configuration

404

Section titled “404”

API Manager, customer context or car was not found

Recommended handling: Check credentials, Customer-ID and local carId mapping

500

Section titled “500”

Server-side error

Recommended handling: Retry later if appropriate and escalate if persistent