# VIN Decoder API (`prodiger/vin-decoder`) Actor Decode VINs against the free NHTSA databases. Structured output (identification, engine, body, safety, ADAS, EV, manufacturing), optional active recalls and NCAP safety ratings, VIN structural breakdown with check-digit validation. Pay-per-event tiered pricing. - **URL**: https://apify.com/prodiger/vin-decoder.md - **Developed by:** [Arnas](https://apify.com/prodiger) (community) - **Categories:** AI, Agents, Automation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $0.50 / 1,000 vin decodeds 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/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use 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 ## VIN Decoder API **Decode VINs at scale**, structured into clean categories, with optional **active recalls** and **NCAP safety ratings** attached. Powered by the free [NHTSA](https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/) databases — no API key, no monthly fee. Pay only for what you ask for: tiered pay-per-event pricing. ### What does VIN Decoder API do? This actor takes one or many 17-character VINs and returns: - A **structured decode** — 70-130+ NHTSA fields bucketed into `identification`, `body`, `engine`, `drivetrain`, `electric`, `safety`, `advancedDriverAssistance`, `manufacturing`, `diagnostics`. No more digging through a flat blob. - A **VIN structural breakdown** — WMI / VDS / VIS / check digit / model year char / plant code, plus a check-digit validity flag (ISO 3779). - **Optional active recalls** — every NHTSA recall campaign for the decoded vehicle, including the consequence, remedy, and "Park Outside / Stop Driving" advisories. - **Optional NCAP safety ratings** — overall, frontal, side, and rollover star ratings for every NHTSA-rated trim of the vehicle, plus complaint and investigation counts. Try it from the **Input** tab with the prefilled example VINs, or call it from any HTTP client via the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2). Apify gives you scheduling, webhooks, integrations, retries, monitoring, and per-run datasets out of the box. ### Why use VIN Decoder API? - **Car dealerships and marketplaces** — enrich listings with structured attributes from a VIN scan, plus surface open recalls right at the point of sale. - **Insurance and risk** — confirm reported make/model/year against the manufacturer record and roll recall/safety data into underwriting. - **Fleet management** — bulk-decode tens of thousands of VINs and trigger remediation when a recall lands. - **Vehicle history products** — combine the decode with NCAP ratings, NHTSA recalls, and your own title/accident sources. - **AI/ML pipelines** — clean, categorized vehicle features for downstream models without writing a vPIC field-name dictionary. ### How to use VIN Decoder API 1. Open the Actor on Apify Console and click **Try for free**. 2. Paste your VINs into the **VIN codes** field. 3. (Optional) Pick **Extended decode mode** for ~30% more fields per VIN; turn on **Include recalls** and/or **Include safety ratings** for the enrichment data. 4. Click **Start**. The actor batches up to 50 VINs per upstream decode call (basic mode), so a list of 1000 VINs finishes in roughly 30-60 seconds without enrichment. 5. Open the **Output** tab to view, filter, and export decoded records as JSON, CSV, Excel, or HTML. ### Input | Field | Type | Required | Description | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `vinCodes` | array | yes | 17-character VINs. VINs are uppercased, trimmed, deduplicated; entries containing `,` or `;` are split. | | `decodeMode` | string | no | `basic` (default, batched) or `extended` (per-VIN, more fields). | | `includeRecalls` | boolean | no | Fetch active NHTSA recalls per make/model/year. Default `false`. | | `includeSafetyRatings` | boolean | no | Fetch NCAP star ratings per make/model/year. Default `false`. | | `maxVinsPerRun` | integer | no | Hard cap on VINs processed. Default `1000`, `0` for unlimited. | | `maxRequestRetries` | integer | no | Retry attempts per failed upstream call. Default `3`. | Example input: ```json { "vinCodes": ["4JGDA6EB8JB018467", "4JGDA6DB1GA739858"], "decodeMode": "extended", "includeRecalls": true, "includeSafetyRatings": true } ```` ### Output One record per VIN lands in the run's default dataset. NHTSA fields keep their original PascalCase names within each category, so existing NHTSA tooling keeps working — you just don't have to filter through them. ```json { "vin": "4JGDA6EB8JB018467", "valid": true, "errors": [], "scrapedAt": "2026-04-29T14:23:11.482Z", "decodeMode": "extended", "structure": { "wmi": "4JG", "vds": "DA6EB8", "vis": "JB018467", "checkDigit": "8", "modelYearChar": "J", "plantCode": "B", "sequentialNumber": "018467", "checkDigitValid": true }, "identification": { "Make": "MERCEDES-BENZ", "Model": "GLE-Class", "ModelYear": "2018", "ManufacturerName": "DAIMLER AG", "VehicleType": "MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE (MPV)", "Trim": "AMG GLE 43" }, "body": { "BodyClass": "SUV/MPV", "Doors": "4", "GVWR": "Class 1D" }, "engine": { "DisplacementL": "3.0", "EngineCylinders": "6", "FuelTypePrimary": "Gasoline", "Turbo": "Yes" }, "drivetrain": { "DriveType": "AWD", "TransmissionStyle": "Automatic" }, "safety": { "ABS": "Standard", "ESC": "Standard", "TPMS": "Direct" }, "advancedDriverAssistance": { "AdaptiveCruiseControl": "Optional", "BlindSpotMon": "Standard" }, "manufacturing": { "PlantCountry": "UNITED STATES (USA)", "PlantCity": "TUSCALOOSA" }, "recalls": [ { "campaignNumber": "20V725000", "component": "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM", "summary": "Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC ...", "consequence": "...", "remedy": "...", "parkIt": false, "parkOutside": false, "reportReceivedDate": "2020-11-19T00:00:00.000Z" } ], "safetyRatings": [ { "vehicleId": 12345, "vehicleDescription": "2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE 4 DR AWD", "overallRating": "5", "overallFrontCrashRating": "5", "overallSideCrashRating": "5", "rolloverRating": "4", "complaintsCount": 12, "recallsCount": 3, "investigationCount": 0 } ] } ``` You can download the dataset in various formats such as JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel. #### Data table | Field | Description | | --- | --- | | `vin` | The 17-character VIN that was decoded (uppercased). | | `valid` | `true` if the VIN passed shape validation; `false` if it was flagged. Invalid records still appear in the output with empty category buckets. | | `errors` | Array of validation messages for invalid VINs. | | `decodeMode` | Echoes which decode endpoint produced this record. | | `structure` | WMI/VDS/VIS breakdown plus check-digit validity. | | `identification` | Make, model, year, manufacturer, trim, vehicle type. | | `body` | Body class, doors, weights, wheelbase, top speed, base price. | | `engine` | Displacement, cylinders, HP/kW, fuel type(s), turbo, valvetrain. | | `drivetrain` | Drive type, transmission style/speeds, axle config. | | `electric` | EV battery chemistry, capacity, voltage, charger level (only populated for hybrids/EVs). | | `safety` | ABS, ESC, traction control, TPMS, airbag locations, anti-theft. | | `advancedDriverAssistance` | ACC, blind-spot, lane-keep, AEB, park assist, etc. | | `manufacturing` | Plant city, country, state, company. | | `diagnostics` | NHTSA's own decode error/note fields. | | `other` | Anything NHTSA returns that isn't bucketed elsewhere. New NHTSA fields land here automatically. | | `recalls` | Active NHTSA recall campaigns (only when `includeRecalls`). | | `safetyRatings` | NCAP ratings per trim (only when `includeSafetyRatings`). | ### Pricing This actor uses **tiered pay-per-event** pricing — there is no monthly subscription. You pay only for the events you trigger: | Event | Fires when | | --- | --- | | `apify-actor-start` | Run starts (synthetic, automatic). | | `vin-decoded` | A VIN was successfully decoded and written to the dataset. | | `recalls-fetched` | Recalls were fetched for a VIN (only when `includeRecalls`). | | `safety-rating-fetched` | NCAP ratings were fetched for a VIN (only when `includeSafetyRatings`). | | `invalid-vin` | A VIN failed shape validation (length / forbidden chars). Recommended free tier — gives you observability without a billing cost. | Failures (network errors, retries exhausted, NHTSA outages) are **never** charged — events only fire after the corresponding work has been written to the dataset. Recalls and safety ratings are also deduplicated per make+model+year within a run, so 50 VINs of the same model trigger only one upstream call each (but each VIN still gets its own `recalls-fetched` charge — buyer-friendly predictability). You can cap spend per run via Apify's standard "Max cost" run option. The actor honors `eventChargeLimitReached` and stops decoding once the cap is hit. ### Tips and advanced options - **Want every field NHTSA has?** Set `decodeMode: extended`. Trade-off: extended decode is per-VIN (NHTSA does not expose a batch extended endpoint), so a 1000-VIN run takes ~5x longer than basic. - **Recalls without ratings, or vice versa.** The two enrichment toggles are independent — turn on only what you need. - **Need only specific fields?** Each category is a plain object. Read `record.identification.Make` and skip the rest. The dataset's flat-table view in the Apify Console flattens nested categories into individual columns. - **Bad VINs in your input?** Length and forbidden-character violations are flagged in `errors[]` and emit an `invalid-vin` event for visibility — the run does not fail. VINs whose check-digit math fails (common for non-North-American VINs) still get fully decoded; the math result is reported under `structure.checkDigitValid`. ### FAQ **Do I need an API key?** No. NHTSA's vPIC, recalls, and SafetyRatings APIs are free and public; the actor proxies them with batching, deduplication, retries, and structured output. **Will it work for non-US VINs?** Many — NHTSA covers vehicles imported to the US and a meaningful share of global production. Coverage is best for 1981+ vehicles. Unknown VINs return empty category buckets but the structural breakdown still works. **Why does my non-US VIN show `checkDigitValid: false`?** The check-digit algorithm is mandatory in North America but not enforced globally. A `false` here doesn't mean the VIN is fake — it just means the math doesn't match. The VIN is still decoded normally. **Is this legal?** Yes. NHTSA APIs are US government public datasets. This actor only reads from them. **Where do I report issues or request a feature?** Open an issue on the **Issues** tab of this Actor. Custom variants (extra fields, third-party VIN sources, post-processing) are also available — message the maintainer. # Actor input Schema ## `vinCodes` (type: `array`): List of 17-character VINs to decode. VINs are uppercased, trimmed, and deduplicated. Entries containing commas or semicolons are split (so pasting 'VIN1,VIN2' as a single item works). ## `decodeMode` (type: `string`): basic = NHTSA's batch decode (50 VINs/request, ~70-100 fields). extended = per-VIN extended decode with ~30% more fields including extra ADAS, EV battery, and plant metadata. Extended mode is slower for large lists because NHTSA does not expose a batch extended endpoint. ## `includeRecalls` (type: `boolean`): Fetch active NHTSA recalls for each decoded vehicle (by make/model/year). Recall fetches are deduplicated per make+model+year within the run. Charged as 'recalls-fetched' events. ## `includeSafetyRatings` (type: `boolean`): Fetch NHTSA NCAP star ratings for each decoded vehicle. Two upstream calls per unique make+model+year. Charged as 'safety-rating-fetched' events. ## `maxVinsPerRun` (type: `integer`): Hard cap on how many VINs the actor will process. Excess VINs are dropped before any upstream call. Set to 0 for unlimited. ## `maxRequestRetries` (type: `integer`): Retry attempts per failed upstream call (5xx, network errors). Applies to decode, recalls, and safety-ratings calls. ## Actor input object example ```json { "vinCodes": [ "4JGDA6EB8JB018467", "4JGDA6DB1GA739858", "1HGCM82633A123456" ], "decodeMode": "basic", "includeRecalls": false, "includeSafetyRatings": false, "maxVinsPerRun": 1000, "maxRequestRetries": 3 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `dataset` (type: `string`): One record per VIN with all available NHTSA fields under vehicleInfo. # 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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "vinCodes": [ "4JGDA6EB8JB018467", "4JGDA6DB1GA739858", "1HGCM82633A123456" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("prodiger/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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "vinCodes": [ "4JGDA6EB8JB018467", "4JGDA6DB1GA739858", "1HGCM82633A123456", ] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("prodiger/vin-decoder").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "vinCodes": [ "4JGDA6EB8JB018467", "4JGDA6DB1GA739858", "1HGCM82633A123456" ] }' | apify call prodiger/vin-decoder --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=prodiger/vin-decoder", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "VIN Decoder API", "description": "Decode VINs against the free NHTSA databases. Structured output (identification, engine, body, safety, ADAS, EV, manufacturing), optional active recalls and NCAP safety ratings, VIN structural breakdown with check-digit validation. Pay-per-event tiered pricing.", "version": "0.2", "x-build-id": "lj5eWwfBjvacjXq9t" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/prodiger~vin-decoder/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-prodiger-vin-decoder", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/prodiger~vin-decoder/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-prodiger-vin-decoder", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/prodiger~vin-decoder/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-prodiger-vin-decoder", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "vinCodes" ], "properties": { "vinCodes": { "title": "VIN codes", "type": "array", "description": "List of 17-character VINs to decode. VINs are uppercased, trimmed, and deduplicated. Entries containing commas or semicolons are split (so pasting 'VIN1,VIN2' as a single item works).", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "decodeMode": { "title": "Decode mode", "enum": [ "basic", "extended" ], "type": "string", "description": "basic = NHTSA's batch decode (50 VINs/request, ~70-100 fields). extended = per-VIN extended decode with ~30% more fields including extra ADAS, EV battery, and plant metadata. Extended mode is slower for large lists because NHTSA does not expose a batch extended endpoint.", "default": "basic" }, "includeRecalls": { "title": "Include active recalls", "type": "boolean", "description": "Fetch active NHTSA recalls for each decoded vehicle (by make/model/year). Recall fetches are deduplicated per make+model+year within the run. Charged as 'recalls-fetched' events.", "default": false }, "includeSafetyRatings": { "title": "Include NCAP safety ratings", "type": "boolean", "description": "Fetch NHTSA NCAP star ratings for each decoded vehicle. Two upstream calls per unique make+model+year. Charged as 'safety-rating-fetched' events.", "default": false }, "maxVinsPerRun": { "title": "Max VINs per run", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 100000, "type": "integer", "description": "Hard cap on how many VINs the actor will process. Excess VINs are dropped before any upstream call. Set to 0 for unlimited.", "default": 1000 }, "maxRequestRetries": { "title": "Max request retries", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 10, "type": "integer", "description": "Retry attempts per failed upstream call (5xx, network errors). Applies to decode, recalls, and safety-ratings calls.", "default": 3 } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```