Bulk VIN Decoder + NHTSA Recalls & Complaints (official API)

Decode thousands of VINs with the official NHTSA vPIC API, with no login, no browser and no code. Export to JSON, CSV or Excel, or use the API.

Decode thousands of VINs with the official NHTSA vPIC API: year, make, model, trim, body, drive, engine, fuel/EV level, plant and manufacturer, plus a local check-digit test. Adds NHTSA recall campaigns (with park-it warnings) and complaint counts for each make/model/year. Monitor mode alerts on new recalls for your fleet or inventory.

Use cases

• Enrich dealer or auction inventory with full specs
• Flag vehicles with open-recall risk before purchase or listing
• Weekly recall monitoring for a fleet

Input

Field	Type	Notes
vins	array	17-character VINs.
includeRecalls	boolean	NHTSA recalls for the decoded make/model/year.
includeComplaintCount	boolean
monitorMode	boolean	Remember recall campaigns per VIN; later runs flag new ones.
onlyNewRecalls	boolean	Monitor mode only.
stateStoreName	string

Example input

{
 "vins": [
  "1HGCM82633A004352",
  "5YJ3E1EA7KF317000",
  "1FTFW1ET5DFC10312",
  "12345678901234567"
 ],
 "monitorMode": true
}

Output

One dataset item per result. Main columns: vin, modelYear, make, model, trim, bodyClass, driveType, engineCylinders, displacementL, fuelType, checkDigitValid, recallCount, parkItWarning, complaintCount, newRecallCampaigns, error. A RUN_SUMMARY record is saved to the default key-value store. See the sample output in the Output tab.

Example output

{
  "vin": "1HGCM82633A004352",
  "checkDigitValid": true,
  "modelYear": 2003,
  "make": "HONDA",
  "model": "Accord",
  "trim": "EX-V6",
  "series": null,
  "bodyClass": "Coupe",
  "vehicleType": "PASSENGER CAR",
  "doors": 2,
  "driveType": null,
  "transmission": "Automatic",
  "engineCylinders": 6,
  "displacementL": 3,
  "engineHp": 240,
  "fuelType": "Gasoline",
  "electrificationLevel": null,
  "gvwr": "Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)"
}

Pricing

Pay per result, with no monthly rental or subscription:

• VIN decoded (with recalls): $0.002
• New recall for a VIN (monitor): $0.01

Example: 1,000 results cost about $2.00 in fees. Apify's free plan includes $5 of monthly credit, which is enough to test this Actor.

FAQ

Do I need an account, cookies or a login for the source site? No. Bulk VIN Decoder + NHTSA Recalls & Complaints uses public data sources only, so there is nothing to connect and no account to risk.

How much will a run cost? You pay only for results delivered (see Pricing above), plus Apify platform usage, which the free plan's monthly credit easily covers for test runs. Start with a small limit to see the exact cost per run.

Can I export to CSV, Excel or Google Sheets? Yes. Every run's dataset can be downloaded as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or HTML, or pushed to Google Sheets, Make, Zapier, n8n, Slack or a webhook through Apify integrations.

Can I run it on a schedule or from my own code? Yes. Add an Apify Schedule (hourly, daily, weekly) or call it through the Apify API / Python & JavaScript clients. It also works with AI agents through the Apify MCP server.

What happens if an input is invalid or a source is down? The run keeps going. The bad input gets a row with an error field so you can see what failed, and you are not charged for results that were not delivered.

Is this legal to use? It collects publicly available data. You are responsible for using the output in line with the source's terms and privacy laws such as GDPR/CCPA; don't use it for spam.

Something missing or broken? Open an issue on the Issues tab. Feature requests are usually added within a few days.

Scheduling / monitoring

Create a Schedule (daily/weekly) and connect a webhook or Slack/email integration.

Fair use

Official public APIs only, no login. Do not use output for spam or harassment. Respect the data sources' rate limits and terms.

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