# NHTSA vPIC Vehicle Decoder Scraper (`parseforge/nhtsa-vpic-vehicle-decoder-scraper`) Actor

Decode 17-character VINs into detailed vehicle specifications or list every make, model, and vehicle type from the NHTSA vPIC catalog. Returns each record as a flat row.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/nhtsa-vpic-vehicle-decoder-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Developer tools, Other
- **Stats:** 4 total users, 0 monthly users, 90.3% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $18.00 / 1,000 result items

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/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — 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

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### NHTSA vPIC Vehicle Decoder Scraper

**Decode VINs in bulk to get vehicle make, model, year, engine, and 100+ specs from the official NHTSA vPIC database.** No API key, no rate limits. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

The NHTSA vPIC API is free but rate-limited and requires you to handle pagination and error codes yourself. This Actor reads the public vPIC endpoints directly, decoding up to a million VINs per run or listing every make, model, and vehicle type in the catalog. Each result is returned as a flat row with a fixed schema.

| Who uses it | What they scrape NHTSA vPIC for |
|---|---|
| Used car dealers | Decode hundreds of trade-in VINs at once to populate inventory listings with accurate specs. |
| Insurance adjusters | Verify vehicle trim, engine, and safety features from a VIN list to assess claims accurately. |
| Fleet managers | Pull specs for every vehicle in a fleet by VIN to plan maintenance and parts ordering. |
| Auto parts sellers | Look up models for a make to ensure part compatibility listings are complete. |

### What it does

This Actor decodes 17-character VINs into detailed vehicle specifications or lists the complete NHTSA vPIC catalog of makes, models, and vehicle types, returning each record as a flat row.

- 🔍 **Decode VIN:** Submit a list of 17-character VINs and get back make, model, year, engine, transmission, body class, plant, and more.
- 🏭 **All Makes:** Fetch every vehicle make name in the NHTSA vPIC catalog in one call.
- 🚗 **Models for Make:** Provide a make like 'honda' or 'tesla' and receive all model names for that manufacturer.
- 🚛 **Vehicle Types for Make:** Get the vehicle type classifications (e.g., passenger car, truck, motorcycle) for a given make.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with NHTSA vPIC data

**📋 Populate a used car inventory feed.**

A dealership runs a nightly batch of newly acquired VINs through the Actor and maps the output directly to their website's inventory fields.

**🔎 Validate VINs before a vehicle history report.**

An insurance team decodes a claimant's VIN to confirm the vehicle year, make, and model match the policy before ordering a full history check.

**📊 Build a vehicle spec database.**

A parts marketplace fetches all models for a make, then decodes sample VINs to map engine and transmission variants to compatible part numbers.

**🚛 Audit a commercial fleet.**

A fleet manager decodes a spreadsheet of VINs to verify the registered body class and gross vehicle weight rating for compliance reporting.

### Why choose this scraper

|  | What you get |
|---|---|
| **Bulk VIN decoding** | Process up to a million VINs in a single run without hitting rate limits. |
| **Official NHTSA data** | Specs come directly from the vPIC product catalog, the same database used for window stickers. |
| **No API key required** | The vPIC endpoints are public. You do not need to register an application or manage credentials. |
| **Fixed output schema** | Every decoded VIN returns the same flat structure, ready for databases or spreadsheets. |

### How it compares

This Actor focuses on vehicle specifications from the vPIC catalog. Competitors bundle recalls, complaints, and safety ratings, which this Actor keeps separate for cleaner spec-only workflows.

| Feature | ParseForge | NHTSA Vehicle Intelligence | VIN Decoder & Vehicle Data | VIN Decoder (NHTSA) - Bulk VIN to Specs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk VIN decoding (up to 1M per run) | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Yes |
| Vehicle catalog: list all makes | Yes | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |
| Vehicle catalog: models by make | Yes | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |
| Safety recalls lookup | Not listed | Yes | Yes | Not listed |
| NCAP crash test ratings | Not listed | Yes | Yes | Not listed |
| No API key required | Yes | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |

### Configure the run

Choose a mode and provide VINs or a make name. An optional model year hint improves decode accuracy. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "mode": "decodeVin",
  "vins": [
    "5UXWX7C5*BA"
  ],
  "make": "honda"
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
  "maxItems": 200,
  "mode": "decodeVin",
  "vins": [
    "5UXWX7C5*BA"
  ],
  "make": "honda"
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.024 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $2.40 |
| 1,000 results | $24.00 |
| 10,000 results | $240.00 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [NHTSA vPIC Vehicle Decoder Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/nhtsa-vpic-vehicle-decoder-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to NHTSA vPIC through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/nhtsa-vpic-vehicle-decoder-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting empty results for some VINs?**

The VIN may be invalid, too short, or not present in the vPIC database. Check that the VIN is exactly 17 characters and try adding a model year hint. Vehicles older than 1981 or non-US market vehicles may not be in the catalog.

**The Actor runs but returns fewer records than my VIN list.**

The maxItems setting limits total output records. Increase it to match or exceed your VIN count. Also, duplicate VINs in your input list are skipped because uniqueItems is enabled.

**I get an error when using modelsForMake or vehicleTypesForMake.**

Make sure you provided a make name in the Make field. The value is case-insensitive but must match a name in the vPIC catalog. Run the 'All Makes' mode first to see valid make names.

**The output contains error codes instead of vehicle data.**

The vPIC API returns numeric error codes for issues like invalid VINs or server errors. The Actor preserves these codes in the output. Codes 0-9 typically indicate a successful decode with varying levels of detail; codes 10+ indicate an error with that VIN.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the difference between decodeVin and the other modes? | decodeVin takes a list of 17-character VINs and returns full vehicle specifications. The other modes (makes, modelsForMake, vehicleTypesForMake) query the vPIC catalog itself to list available makes, models, or vehicle types without needing a VIN. |
| Does this Actor return safety recalls or crash test ratings? | No. This Actor returns vehicle specifications only from the vPIC product catalog. For recalls, complaints, and NCAP safety ratings, use the separate NHTSA Vehicle Recalls scraper. |
| How many VINs can I decode in one run? | You can set the maximum records up to 1,000,000. The Actor will process VINs until it reaches that limit or exhausts your input list. |
| Do I need an API key or NHTSA account? | No. The NHTSA vPIC endpoints are public and require no registration, API key, or authentication. |
| What happens if a VIN is invalid or too short? | The vPIC API returns an error code for that VIN. The Actor captures the response and includes any error information in the output row so you can identify and correct bad VINs. |
| Can I decode partial VINs or VINs with wildcards? | The vPIC API expects 17-character VINs. Partial VINs may return limited or no data. The optional model year hint can improve results when the VIN check digit is unknown. |
| What vehicle makes are supported? | The vPIC catalog includes all makes sold in the US market, from major manufacturers to low-volume and specialty brands. Use the 'All Makes' mode to see the full list. |
| Is the output schema the same for every VIN? | Yes. Every decoded VIN returns a flat row with the same fields, even if some fields are empty for a particular vehicle. This makes it easy to import into a database or spreadsheet. |

### Related actors

- [nhtsa-vehicle-recalls-scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/nhtsa-vehicle-recalls-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp): Use this Actor to get safety recalls, consumer complaints, and NCAP crash test ratings for a VIN or make/model/year.

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

How many records to collect per run.

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

decodeVin = decode 17-char VINs. makes = list every make in the vPIC catalog. modelsForMake = list models for a make. vehicleTypesForMake = list vehicle types for a make. This actor returns specs only — for recalls see the separate NHTSA Vehicle Recalls scraper.

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

List of 17-character VINs. Only used in decodeVin mode.

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

Vehicle make name. Used by modelsForMake and vehicleTypesForMake modes. Example: 'honda', 'tesla', 'ford'.

## `modelYear` (type: `integer`):

Optional model year hint, improves accuracy in decodeVin mode.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "mode": "decodeVin",
  "vins": [
    "5UXWX7C5*BA"
  ],
  "make": "honda"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (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 = {
    "maxItems": 10,
    "mode": "decodeVin",
    "vins": [
        "5UXWX7C5*BA"
    ],
    "make": "honda"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/nhtsa-vpic-vehicle-decoder-scraper").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 = {
    "maxItems": 10,
    "mode": "decodeVin",
    "vins": ["5UXWX7C5*BA"],
    "make": "honda",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/nhtsa-vpic-vehicle-decoder-scraper").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 '{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "mode": "decodeVin",
  "vins": [
    "5UXWX7C5*BA"
  ],
  "make": "honda"
}' |
apify call parseforge/nhtsa-vpic-vehicle-decoder-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/nhtsa-vpic-vehicle-decoder-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

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/HTNt13J1Ym66kxcnY/builds/wGIR6gcbkzigRnlEI/openapi.json