# VIN Decoder & Vehicle Data — NHTSA (`ponderable_hydrometer/vin-decoder`) Actor

Decode any VIN into make, model, year, engine, trim, body and plant — plus vehicle catalog (models by make/year) and recalls, complaints & safety ratings. Free, no key.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/ponderable_hydrometer/vin-decoder.md
- **Developed by:** [Ponderable Hydrometer](https://apify.com/ponderable_hydrometer) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, Developer tools, SEO tools
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 3 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.00 / 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

## VIN Decoder & Vehicle Data — NHTSA vPIC + Recalls

**Decode any VIN into make, model, year, engine, body, trim and fuel — batch up to 50 per call —
plus browse the full vehicle catalog and pull recalls, complaints and NHTSA crash-test safety
ratings, all in one actor.** Two clean US-government APIs (vPIC + NHTSA safety), free and keyless.

Perfect for automotive apps, dealers, insurers, fleet tools, marketplaces and research.

### Modes

- **decode-vin** — decode one or many VINs into flat vehicle fields. Batches 50 VINs per NHTSA call.
  Set `includeRecalls` to also attach recalls for each decoded vehicle.
- **vehicle-catalog** — with `make` + `year`, list all models; without them, list all makes.
- **recalls** — for a `make`/`model`/`year`, return recalls, complaints and crash-test safety
  ratings in one run.

### What you get

- **Decoded VIN** — `make`, `model`, `modelYear`, `manufacturer`, `vehicleType`, `bodyClass`,
  `trim`, `doors`, `driveType`, `engineCylinders`, `displacementL`/`displacementCC`, `engineHP`,
  `fuelTypePrimary`/`Secondary`, `transmissionStyle`/`Speeds`, `gvwr`, `plantCountry`/`plantCity`,
  `series`, `errorCode`/`errorText`, plus a full `raw` object with all ~130 vPIC fields
- **Catalog** — makes (`makeId`, `make`) and models (`makeId`, `make`, `modelId`, `model`)
- **Recalls** — campaign number, component, summary, consequence, remedy, dates, park-it flags
- **Complaints** — ODI number, crash/fire flags, injuries/deaths, components, summary
- **Safety ratings** — NHTSA crash-test ratings (full raw NHTSA record)

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|-------|------|---------|-------------|
| `mode` | enum | `decode-vin` | `decode-vin`, `vehicle-catalog`, `recalls` |
| `vins` | array | — | 17-char VINs (decode-vin) |
| `make` | string | — | Vehicle make (catalog with year; recalls) |
| `model` | string | — | Vehicle model (recalls) |
| `year` | string | — | Model year (catalog with make; recalls) |
| `includeRecalls` | boolean | `false` | decode-vin: also attach recalls per decoded VIN |

#### Example input

```json
{"mode":"decode-vin","vins":["1HGCM82633A004352","5UXWX7C5*BA"]}
```

Models for a make + year:

```json
{"mode":"vehicle-catalog","make":"honda","year":"2020"}
```

Recalls, complaints & safety ratings:

```json
{"mode":"recalls","make":"honda","model":"accord","year":"2020"}
```

### Output (one decoded VIN)

Fields below are the real normalizer output (`raw` truncated for brevity):

```json
{
  "vin": "1HGCM82633A004352",
  "make": "HONDA",
  "model": "Accord",
  "modelYear": "2003",
  "manufacturer": "AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC.",
  "vehicleType": "PASSENGER CAR",
  "bodyClass": "Coupe",
  "trim": "EX",
  "doors": "2",
  "driveType": "FWD/Front-Wheel Drive",
  "engineCylinders": "6",
  "displacementL": "3.0",
  "displacementCC": "2998",
  "engineHP": null,
  "fuelTypePrimary": "Gasoline",
  "fuelTypeSecondary": null,
  "transmissionStyle": null,
  "gvwr": "Class 1: 6,000 lb or less",
  "plantCountry": "UNITED STATES (USA)",
  "plantCity": "MARYSVILLE",
  "series": "EX",
  "errorCode": "0",
  "errorText": "0 - VIN decoded clean. Check Digit (9th position) is correct",
  "raw": { "VIN": "1HGCM82633A004352", "Make": "HONDA", "…": "…" }
}
```

Missing values mean NHTSA has no data for that variable, not that a feature is absent.

### Why this actor

- **Decode + safety in one** — VIN decode, catalog, recalls, complaints and ratings without juggling APIs.
- **Batch decode** — 50 VINs per call keeps it fast and cheap at scale.
- **Nothing lost** — every decoded VIN keeps the full `raw` vPIC object.

### Pricing

Pay per result — **$2.00 per 1,000 results** (one result = one decoded VIN / catalog row / recall /
complaint / rating), plus Apify's standard per-run start event ($0.00005 per GB of memory, so a fraction of a cent per run). No subscription.

### Related actors

- **FDA Recalls Scraper** — food/drug/device recalls from openFDA.
- **SEC EDGAR Scraper** — US public-company filings.

### Notes & limits

- Decoding reflects what NHTSA has on file (US-market vehicles); coverage of non-US models varies.
- Public official data (NHTSA vPIC + safety APIs); independent tool, not affiliated with NHTSA.
  You are responsible for compliant use of the output.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

What to fetch: decode-vin (decode VINs), vehicle-catalog (makes, or models for a make+year), recalls (recalls + complaints + safety ratings for make/model/year).

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

One or more 17-char VINs, e.g. \["1HGCM82633A004352"]. Batched 50 per NHTSA call. Used when mode = decode-vin.

## `make` (type: `string`):

Vehicle make, e.g. "honda". Used by vehicle-catalog (with year) and recalls.

## `model` (type: `string`):

Vehicle model, e.g. "accord". Used by recalls.

## `year` (type: `string`):

Model year, e.g. "2020". Used by vehicle-catalog (with make) and recalls.

## `includeRecalls` (type: `boolean`):

When mode = decode-vin, also fetch recalls for each VIN's decoded make/model/year.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "decode-vin",
  "vins": [
    "1HGCM82633A004352"
  ],
  "includeRecalls": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

All rows produced by this run, as JSON.

# 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": [
        "1HGCM82633A004352"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("ponderable_hydrometer/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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "vins": ["1HGCM82633A004352"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("ponderable_hydrometer/vin-decoder").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": [
    "1HGCM82633A004352"
  ]
}' |
apify call ponderable_hydrometer/vin-decoder --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,ponderable_hydrometer/vin-decoder"
        }
    }
}
```

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/vteafMqkLi201qh8p/builds/geP3vGBpEqDey94Up/openapi.json