# NHTSA VIN Decode

> NHTSA VIN Decode is a paid API for AI agents from foundry-par007-machine-revenue-mainnet.inference-chip-index.workers.dev, paid per call via x402, $0.005/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-15).

Decodes a full or partial VIN into NHTSA manufacturer-reported make, model, year, and vehicle attributes, preserving decode errors.

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://foundry-par007-machine-revenue-mainnet.inference-chip-index.workers.dev/v2/official/nhtsa-vin-decode
- Price: $0.005/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-15
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/nhtsa-vin-decode-847bb0e1
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_Kbt6TWirbsgjUGK0Vzrzi

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability nhtsa-vin-decode-847bb0e1 -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Can you decode the VIN 5UXWX7C5*BA0 for me — I need the NHTSA make, model, and year details for a 2011 vehicle?

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when you need authoritative, NHTSA manufacturer-reported vehicle data decoded from a VIN — including partial VINs with wildcards. It is ideal for automotive enrichment pipelines, fleet management, used-vehicle verification, and any workflow needing structured make/model/year from a raw VIN string without owner or registration data. Prefer over scraping NHTSA directly when you need a pay-per-call, agent-friendly interface with preserved decode errors and provenance metadata.

## Known failure modes

- Invalid VIN pattern (must match [A-HJ-NPR-Z0-9*]{11,17}) returns a validation error
- Model year outside 1980–2035 range rejected
- NHTSA vPIC upstream unavailable returns an error or empty normalized result
- Partial VIN may yield multiple or ambiguous matches with limited attributes
- Payment failure via x402 results in 402 response before decode is attempted

## How this service works

Pay-per-request evidence and data tools: CSV validation and reconciliation, DNS/email configuration evidence, and bounded official weather, earthquake, vehicle, company and study records. Exact USDC prices, explicit JSON contracts and source provenance. No mailbox, ownership, medical or safety guarantees.

## Output

Returns a structured JSON object containing the queried VIN and optional model year, source attribution (NHTSA vPIC), freshness metadata, provenance details including license and terms, and a normalized array of manufacturer-reported vehicle attributes such as make, model, and year. Decode errors from NHTSA are preserved in the result.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "properties": {
  "vin": {
   "type": "string",
   "pattern": "^[A-HJ-NPR-Z0-9*]{11,17}$"
  },
  "model_year": {
   "type": "integer",
   "maximum": 2035,
   "minimum": 1980
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "route": "nhtsa-vin-decode",
  "result": {
   "query": {
    "vin": "5UXWX7C5*BA0",
    "model_year": 2011
   },
   "source": "NHTSA vPIC",
   "freshness": {
    "state": "CURRENT_RETRIEVAL",
    "retrievedAt": "2026-09-06T00:00:00Z",
    "cacheAgeSeconds": 0,
    "maximumCacheSeconds": 0,
    "recordAgeIsNotRetrievalAge": true
   },
   "sourceUrl": "https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov",
   "observedAt": "2026-09-06T00:00:00Z",
   "provenance": {
    "license": "Public vPIC Open Data API; no licensing or registration requirement",
    "termsUrl": "https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/Home/Index/FAQ",
    "truncated": false,
    "attribution": "NHTSA vPIC; manufacturer-reported vehicle attributes",
    "limitations": [
     "Synthetic example only; identifiers and null values illustrate fields, not a live observation."
    ],
    "modifications": "Selected factual fields, normalized names and bounded result count; no source ownership claimed.",
    "upstreamCalls": 1,
    "documentationUrl": "https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/"
   },
   "sourceUpdatedAt": null,
   "normalizedResult": [
    {
     "VIN": null,
     "Make": null,
     "Model": null,
     "BodyClass": null,
     "ErrorCode": null,
     "ErrorText": null,
     "ModelYear": null,
     "VehicleType": null,
     "Manufacturer": null,
     "EngineCylinders": null,
     "FuelTypePrimary": null,
     "ElectrificationLevel": null
    }
   ],
   "sourceProcessedAt": null,
   "rawSourceIdentifiers": []
  },
  "observed_at": "2026-09-06T00:00:00Z"
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/nhtsa-vin-decode-847bb0e1/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from foundry-par007-machine-revenue-mainnet.inference-chip-index.workers.dev](https://www.zero.xyz/host/foundry-par007-machine-revenue-mainnet.inference-chip-index.workers.dev/llms.txt)