# NHTSA VIN Decoder — Make, Model & Safety Specs API (`accountable_eel/nhtsa-vin-decoder`) Actor

Decode any Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) against NHTSA's official vPIC database: make, model, year, engine, drivetrain, and airbag/safety systems. No API key needed. Charged only for VINs that decode cleanly - no charge on invalid or unrecognized VINs.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/accountable\_eel/nhtsa-vin-decoder.md
- **Developed by:** [Adrian Voss](https://apify.com/accountable_eel) (community)
- **Categories:** E-commerce, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.40 / 1,000 successful lookups

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## NHTSA VIN Decoder

Decode any 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) against the U.S. National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration's official [vPIC](https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov) decoder — make,
model, year, body class, engine, drivetrain, fuel type, transmission, plant country, and airbag
locations. No API key, no scraping — this hits NHTSA's own free, public government API directly.

### Features

- **VIN → full vehicle spec.** Make, model, model year, manufacturer, vehicle type, and body
  class in one call.
- **Engine & drivetrain detail.** Cylinder count, horsepower, fuel type, transmission style,
  drive type, and the plant country of manufacture.
- **Safety systems.** Front/side/curtain airbag locations and ABS presence.
- **Pay only for hits.** VINs that don't decode cleanly cost nothing — see [Pricing](#pricing).
- **Built for bulk.** Feed in thousands of VINs; concurrency and proxy behavior are both
  configurable.

### How to use NHTSA VIN Decoder — Make, Model & Safety Specs API

1. **In the Apify Console.** Open the actor page and click **Start** — the `items` field is already pre-filled with a working example. Results land in the run's dataset as soon as each item is found.
2. **Via the API.** Call it directly with a POST request — no Console needed once you have an API token:
   ```bash
   curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~nhtsa-vin-decoder/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>" \
     -X POST \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"items":["1HGCM82633A004352"]}'
   ```
3. **On a schedule.** Save this actor as an Apify **Task** with the input you want, then add a **Schedule** (hourly, daily, weekly) so it runs on its own — no server of your own required.

### Input

```json
{
  "items": ["1HGCM82633A004352", "5YJ3E1EA7KF317000"],
  "maxConcurrency": 5
}
```

`items` is a list of 17-character VINs. One dataset row comes back per item. `maxConcurrency`
(default 5, max 20) caps how many VINs are decoded in parallel; this target has no browser
fallback, so a conservative value avoids rate-limit trouble on large batches.
`proxyConfiguration` lets you route through Apify Proxy (residential recommended) if needed.

### Output

One row per VIN, for example:

```json
{
  "query": "1HGCM82633A004352",
  "found": true,
  "data": {
    "vin": "1HGCM82633A004352",
    "make": "HONDA",
    "model": "Accord",
    "modelYear": "2003",
    "manufacturer": "HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD",
    "vehicleType": "PASSENGER CAR",
    "bodyClass": "Sedan/Saloon",
    "driveType": "FWD",
    "engineCylinders": "6",
    "engineHP": "240",
    "fuelType": "Gasoline",
    "transmissionStyle": "Automatic",
    "plantCountry": "UNITED STATES (USA)",
    "airbagLocations": { "front": "1st Row (Driver & Passenger)", "side": "1st Row (Driver & Passenger)", "curtain": "All Rows" },
    "abs": "Standard",
    "errorText": null
  },
  "scrapedAt": "2026-08-20T12:00:00.000Z"
}
```

A malformed, incomplete, or unrecognized VIN comes back as `"found": false` with no `data` —
these rows are never charged.

### Use cases

- **Vehicle listing enrichment.** Auto-populate make/model/year/trim fields on marketplace or
  dealership listings from a bare VIN.
- **Fleet management.** Bulk-decode a fleet's VIN list to audit engine specs, drivetrain, and
  manufacturing origin.
- **Insurance & claims.** Verify vehicle identity and specs against a submitted VIN.
- **Data cleaning.** Backfill missing vehicle attributes in a dataset that only has VINs.
- **Recall & compliance research.** Confirm plant country and body class before cross-checking
  against recall databases.

### Pricing

$4 per 1,000 results, plus a $0.005 start fee. Misses (`found:false`) are never charged.

### Use it from Clay, n8n, Make, or an AI agent

This actor runs synchronously over plain HTTP — call it directly from a script, a workflow tool, or an AI agent, no Apify Console needed once you have an API token.

```bash
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~nhtsa-vin-decoder/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>" \
  -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"items":["1HGCM82633A004352"]}'
```

**n8n.** Add an HTTP Request node: Method `POST`, URL `https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~nhtsa-vin-decoder/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>`, Body Content Type `JSON`, JSON Body `{"items":["1HGCM82633A004352"]}` (swap in an expression from an earlier node for a real value).

**Clay.** Add an "HTTP API" column: Method `POST`, URL `https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~nhtsa-vin-decoder/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>`, Body `{"items":["{{value}}"]}`, mapping the row's value into the `items` array.

**MCP.** In Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client with the Apify MCP server, ask for "NHTSA VIN Decoder | Apify" — the agent will find and run this actor.

### FAQ

**What counts as "not found"?** NHTSA's vPIC API always returns HTTP 200, even for an invalid
VIN — there's no clean 404. This actor treats a VIN as not found when the API's own `ErrorCode`
isn't `"0"` (a clean decode) or when `Make` comes back empty, since NHTSA can occasionally
report a nonzero-but-informational code alongside a real decode.

**Does the VIN need to be a specific length?** The actor doesn't validate length itself — it
passes whatever you give it straight to NHTSA and lets the API's own error reporting flag a
malformed or too-short VIN as not found.

**Is this data official?** Yes — it comes directly from NHTSA's public vPIC decoder, the same
system manufacturers report vehicle specs to.

**Does this cover vehicles sold outside the US?** Coverage depends on what's registered in
NHTSA's vPIC database, which is strongest for VINs assigned under the North American VIN
standard; import/grey-market vehicles may decode with partial or missing fields.

**How fresh is the data?** Live — every run queries NHTSA's API directly, not a cached
snapshot.

**What proxy should I use?** Apify Proxy is enabled by default; NHTSA's public API is generally
permissive, but residential proxies are available if you see blocks on large runs.

# Actor input Schema

## `items` (type: `array`):

One item per line — see the item shape and examples below. Only the items we actually find are charged — never per run, and never for a miss.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Parallel requests. Keep conservative — this target has no browser fallback, so getting blocked costs more than slow-and-steady.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Apify Proxy config. Residential recommended for anti-bot-sensitive targets.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "items": [
    "1HGCM82633A004352"
  ],
  "maxConcurrency": 5,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "items": [
        "1HGCM82633A004352"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("accountable_eel/nhtsa-vin-decoder").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "items": ["1HGCM82633A004352"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("accountable_eel/nhtsa-vin-decoder").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "items": [
    "1HGCM82633A004352"
  ]
}' |
apify call accountable_eel/nhtsa-vin-decoder --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,accountable_eel/nhtsa-vin-decoder"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/2bq2Tj3ghCh8rlZFa/builds/OZ5keKShjXfskzK0H/openapi.json