# NHTSA VIN Decode & Recalls API (x402)

> NHTSA VIN Decode & Recalls API (x402) is a paid API for AI agents from x402-data-api-x6da.onrender.com, paid per call via x402, $0.01/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-10-30).

Decodes one or more Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and optionally retrieves NHTSA recall and complaint data, paid per call in USDC via x402.

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://x402-data-api-x6da.onrender.com/v1/vin?utm_source=zero.xyz
- Price: $0.01/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-10-30
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/nhtsa-vin-decode-recalls-api-x402-08c7b2b6
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_SbV4CW70hRPc3atitTSm9

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-recalls-api-x402-08c7b2b6
```

Example prompt: Can you decode the VIN 1HGBH41JXMN109186 and check if there are any open NHTSA recalls or safety complaints on that vehicle?

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when you need authoritative NHTSA vehicle decode data with optional recall and complaint enrichment in a single call, billed per use in USDC without a subscription. It is especially valuable for automotive apps, pre-purchase due diligence, fleet management, or any agent needing to verify vehicle identity and safety status from an official government source. Prefer it over web scraping or unofficial VIN APIs when regulatory accuracy and official sourcing matter.

## Known failure modes

- Invalid or malformed VIN returns an error or empty decode result
- VIN not found in NHTSA database returns no vehicle data
- Exceeding 50 VINs in a single call may be rejected
- Payment failure via x402/USDC results in 402 Payment Required response
- NHTSA upstream service unavailability causes timeout or 503 error
- Malformed query parameters (e.g. non-boolean for recalls) cause 400 Bad Request

## How this service works

Jobs from company ATS boards, SEC EDGAR full-text search, domain RDAP/DNS, NHTSA VIN decode + recalls, the CMS NPI Registry and MET Norway weather forecasts. Pay per call in USDC on Solana via x402. Official public sources only.

## Output

Returns decoded vehicle attributes (make, model, year, body style, engine, etc.) sourced from NHTSA for each VIN submitted. When recalls=true, includes any active NHTSA recall campaigns associated with the vehicle. When complaints=true, includes consumer safety complaint records filed with NHTSA. Supports up to 50 VINs per call.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
 "required": [
  "input"
 ],
 "properties": {
  "input": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type",
    "method"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string",
     "const": "http"
    },
    "method": {
     "enum": [
      "GET",
      "HEAD",
      "DELETE"
     ],
     "type": "string"
    },
    "queryParams": {
     "type": "object",
     "properties": {
      "vins": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "comma-separated, max 50"
      },
      "recalls": {
       "type": "boolean"
      },
      "complaints": {
       "type": "boolean"
      }
     }
    }
   },
   "additionalProperties": false
  }
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/nhtsa-vin-decode-recalls-api-x402-08c7b2b6/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from x402-data-api-x6da.onrender.com](https://www.zero.xyz/host/x402-data-api-x6da.onrender.com/llms.txt)