# Vehicle Recall Checker: VIN & Model (NHTSA) (`weirworks/vehicle-recall-checker`) Actor

Check open NHTSA safety recalls for any vehicle by VIN or make/model/year, plus owner complaint counts (crashes, fires, injuries) by component. Bulk VIN lists for fleets and dealers, with new-recall monitoring.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/weirworks/vehicle-recall-checker.md
- **Developed by:** [Weirworks](https://apify.com/weirworks) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, Travel
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.00 / 1,000 recalls

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

## Vehicle Recall Checker: VIN & Model (NHTSA)

Check open NHTSA safety recalls for any vehicle by VIN or make/model/year, plus owner complaint counts (crashes, fires, injuries) by component. Bulk VIN lists for fleets and dealers, with new-recall monitoring.

Built for used-car dealers, fleets and rental companies, auto auctions, insurers, repair shops and car buyers.

### Sources (official, free, no scraping)

- NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder
- NHTSA recalls API
- NHTSA owner complaints API

### How it works

1. Decodes each VIN with NHTSA's vPIC, or uses the make/model/year you give.
2. Pulls every NHTSA safety recall campaign for that vehicle.
3. Optionally adds owner complaint statistics.
4. In monitoring mode, only recalls you haven't seen before are returned.

### Input

```json
{
  "vins": [
    "1FTFW1E50MFA00000"
  ],
  "vehicles": [
    "Tesla, Model Y, 2023"
  ],
  "includeComplaints": true
}
```

### Output

```json
{
  "type": "recall",
  "vin": "1FTFW1E50MFA00000",
  "recallId": "24V123000",
  "make": "FORD",
  "model": "F-150",
  "modelYear": "2021",
  "component": "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM",
  "reason": "The rear axle bolt may fracture...",
  "remedy": "Dealers will replace the bolt free of charge.",
  "parkIt": false,
  "url": "https://...",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-05T12:00:00Z"
}
```

### Pricing

- **$2 per 1,000 recall rows**
- **$0.005 per vehicle checked**

No start fee. You can set a maximum cost per run.

### Notes

- **This is information, not safety or medical advice.** Always confirm a recall and its remedy on the agency's notice.
- **Agency publishing delays:** agencies publish on their own schedules, so a recall can appear a few days after the firm's announcement.

### More weirworks recall tools

- [Food Recall Tracker: FDA & USDA](https://apify.com/weirworks/food-recall-tracker)
- [Drug & Medical Device Recall Tracker (FDA)](https://apify.com/weirworks/drug-device-recall-tracker)
- [Consumer Product Recall Tracker (CPSC)](https://apify.com/weirworks/consumer-product-recall-tracker)

Questions: open an issue or email **hello@weirworks.com**.

*Independent tool by weirworks. Not affiliated with the FDA, USDA, CPSC or NHTSA.*

# Actor input Schema

## `vins` (type: `array`):

17-character VINs. Each is decoded (make, model, year) and checked for recalls.

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

Without a VIN: e.g. <code>Ford, F-150, 2021</code>, <code>Tesla, Model Y, 2023</code>.

## `includeComplaints` (type: `boolean`):

Adds NHTSA complaint counts (crashes, fires, injuries, deaths) and the most-complained components.

## `onlyNewRecalls` (type: `boolean`):

Skip recalls returned by earlier runs. Schedule daily for alerts.

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

Not needed: official government APIs.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "vins": [
    "1FTFW1E50MFA00000"
  ],
  "includeComplaints": false,
  "onlyNewRecalls": false,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

The dataset rows.

# 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 = {
    "vins": [
        "1FTFW1E50MFA00000"
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": false
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("weirworks/vehicle-recall-checker").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 = {
    "vins": ["1FTFW1E50MFA00000"],
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": False },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("weirworks/vehicle-recall-checker").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 '{
  "vins": [
    "1FTFW1E50MFA00000"
  ],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}' |
apify call weirworks/vehicle-recall-checker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/10a3ORq1fbmMpUEnh/builds/MiH4QokbGcQs4EU3u/openapi.json