# NHTSA Vehicle Recall Lookup (`rustic_soybean/nhtsa-vehicle-recall-lookup`) Actor

Search official NHTSA safety recall records by vehicle make, model, and year. Get structured recall details, including campaign numbers, affected components, safety issues, remedies, and source links.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/rustic_soybean/nhtsa-vehicle-recall-lookup.md
- **Developed by:** [Chris Johnson](https://apify.com/rustic_soybean) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## NHTSA Vehicle Recall Lookup

Check one or more vehicle make, model, and year combinations against NHTSA's official recall data. Designed for used-car research agents, dealer intake, fleet screening, and automotive support workflows.

### Who this helps

Used-car shoppers, dealers, and fleet teams checking official safety recall records for specific vehicles.

### Input

Provide 1-50 vehicles:
{
"vehicles": \[
{ "make": "Honda", "model": "Accord", "modelYear": 2018 },
{ "make": "Ford", "model": "F-150", "modelYear": 2021 }
]
}

The Actor returns one check row per vehicle, including a zero-result row when the source reports no recalls, followed by one row per recall. Records include campaign number, affected component, summary, consequence, remedy, source URL, and retrieval time. It queries sequentially and deduplicates repeated campaigns within a vehicle response.

### Important limits

This is a make/model/year lookup. It does not establish whether a specific VIN is affected, whether a recall repair was completed, or whether a vehicle is safe to operate. Confirm VIN-level applicability and remedy completion with an authorized dealer or the NHTSA VIN lookup before purchase or service decisions.

The NHTSA API is public and intended for dynamic public safety searches. NHTSA cautions against bulk VIN lookups; this Actor does not perform VIN lookups. One bounded API request is made per vehicle combination.

Source and policy: https://api.nhtsa.gov/

### AI agent use

An agent can use this Actor as a pre-purchase safety-screen tool, then present the exact NHTSA source links and ask the user to verify any VIN-specific result. Keep the tool description clear that a model-year recall match is not an affected-VIN determination.

### Related Actors

- [CPSC Recall Evidence Matcher](https://apify.com/rustic_soybean/cpsc-recall-evidence-matcher) — Checks consumer products against official CPSC recall records.
- [NHTSA Manufacturer Communications Change API](https://apify.com/rustic_soybean/nhtsa-manufacturer-communications-change-api) — Tracks manufacturer technical service bulletin changes.

# Actor input Schema

## `vehicles` (type: `array`):

Check 1-50 vehicle make, model, and model year combinations against NHTSA recall data. This lookup is by vehicle, not VIN.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "vehicles": [
    {
      "make": "Honda",
      "model": "Accord",
      "modelYear": 2018
    }
  ]
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

No description

## `summary` (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 = {
    "vehicles": [
        {
            "make": "Honda",
            "model": "Accord",
            "modelYear": 2018
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("rustic_soybean/nhtsa-vehicle-recall-lookup").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 = { "vehicles": [{
            "make": "Honda",
            "model": "Accord",
            "modelYear": 2018,
        }] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("rustic_soybean/nhtsa-vehicle-recall-lookup").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 '{
  "vehicles": [
    {
      "make": "Honda",
      "model": "Accord",
      "modelYear": 2018
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call rustic_soybean/nhtsa-vehicle-recall-lookup --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,rustic_soybean/nhtsa-vehicle-recall-lookup"
        }
    }
}
```

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/MrIPXXPJlxDBECDdL/builds/g3OXktuDgIz6NcOdN/openapi.json