VIN Decoder + NHTSA Recalls (Bulk)

Decode VINs in batches of 50 with the US NHTSA vPIC database: make, model, year, trim, body, drive, fuel/EV level, engine, transmission, plant — plus open NHTSA recall campaigns for that model/year.

Why this actor

• Recalls in the same row as decode; batch endpoint for speed.
• Pay only for results: $1.50 per 1,000 vehicles, no start fee, failed lookups are free.
• Robust: automatic retries with exponential backoff, respects Retry-After, per-item error rows instead of crashed runs.
• Clean, flat JSON/CSV/Excel output ready for Google Sheets, Make, Zapier, n8n, Clay, or the Apify API.

Use cases

• Used-car dealers and marketplaces
• Fleet management
• Insurance quoting
• Auto parts fitment

Input

Field	Type	Description
vins	array	17-character VINs (batches of 50). US NHTSA vPIC database.
includeRecalls	boolean	Recall campaigns for the decoded make/model/year.
maxItems	integer	0 = no limit. Caps cost.

Example input:

{
  "vins": [
    "1HGCM82633A004352",
    "5YJ3E1EA7KF317000",
    "INVALIDVIN"
  ]
}

Output

Each dataset item looks like this (real sample from a test run, long fields trimmed):

{
  "vin": "1HGCM82633A004352",
  "make": "HONDA",
  "model": "Accord",
  "modelYear": "2003",
  "trim": "EX-V6",
  "series": null,
  "bodyClass": "Coupe",
  "vehicleType": "PASSENGER CAR",
  "driveType": null,
  "fuelTypePrimary": "Gasoline",
  "fuelTypeSecondary": null,
  "electrificationLevel": null,
  "engineCylinders": "6",
  "displacementL": "2.998832712",
  "engineHP": "240",
  "transmissionStyle": "Automatic",
  "doors": "2",
  "seats": null,
  "gVWR": "Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)",
  "plantCountry": "UNITED STATES (USA)",
  "plantCity": "MARYSVILLE",
  "manufacturer": "AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.",
  "errorCode": "0",
  "errorText": "0 - VIN decoded clean. Check Digit (9th position) is correct",
  "valid": true,
  "recallCount": 24,
  "recalls": [
    {
      "campaign": "19V182000",
      "date": "06/03/2019",
      "component": "AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE",
      "summary": "Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 200\u2026"
    },
    {
      "campaign": "19E068000",
      "date": "10/10/2019",
      "component": "VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL",
      "summary": "Dorman Products, Inc.  (Dorman) is recalling certain Accelerator Pedal Assemblies part numbers 699-114 and 825-5029-1, sold as replacement parts for 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2004-2008 Acura TL and TSX, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2005-2006 Honda CR\u2026"
    },
    {
      "campaign": "19V499000",
      "date": "27/06/2019",
      "component": "AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE",
      "summary": "Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Od\u2026"
    },
    "\u2026"
  ],
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-14T16:30:10+00:00"
}

Rows that could not be processed contain an error field and are not charged.

Pricing

Pay-per-event: $0.0015 per vehicle (= $1.50 / 1,000). Use Max results to cap spend. Apify's free plan credit covers thousands of results per month.

Integrations & API

Run on a schedule in Apify Console, call via the Apify API / Python & JS clients, or connect to Make, Zapier, n8n, Google Sheets, Slack and webhooks. Works as a tool for AI agents via Apify MCP.

FAQ

Is this an official tool? No. It is an independent actor and is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by the data source or any trademark owner named here.

Is it legal? The actor only reads publicly available data from public endpoints, without logins, and does not bypass paywalls or access controls. You are responsible for using the data in line with applicable laws (e.g. GDPR) and the source sites' terms.

Something broke? Open an issue in the Issues tab; we typically respond within 24 hours and ship fixes fast.