# VIN Decoder via NHTSA vPIC

> VIN Decoder via NHTSA vPIC is a paid API for AI agents from x402-datashop-production.up.railway.app, paid per call via x402, $0.005/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-14).

Decodes a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) into structured vehicle attributes including make, model, year, body class, engine, transmission, GVWR, and assembly plant using the US NHTSA vPIC database.

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://x402-datashop-production.up.railway.app/v1/vehicle/vin
- Price: $0.005/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-14
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/vin-decoder-via-nhtsa-vpic-ff3bd7e0
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_LEs8vYZqzwhwj4uamk9GZ

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 vin-decoder-via-nhtsa-vpic-ff3bd7e0
```

Example prompt: Can you decode this VIN for me — 1HGCM82633A004352 — and tell me the make, model, year, engine type, and where it was assembled?

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when you need authoritative, structured vehicle data decoded from a VIN using the official US NHTSA vPIC database. It supports partial VINs with wildcard '*' characters, an optional model year hint for improved accuracy, and is well-suited for automotive data enrichment, insurance workflows, vehicle history lookups, or any scenario requiring regulatory-grade VIN decoding. Prefer over third-party VIN decoders when accuracy and official sourcing matter.

## Known failure modes

- Invalid or malformed VIN returns non-zero error_code with descriptive error_text from vPIC
- VIN shorter than 17 chars without wildcard may return partial or ambiguous results
- Unknown or non-US vehicle VINs may return empty fields for some attributes
- Network or upstream vPIC API unavailability causes request failure
- Missing required 'vin' query parameter returns a 4xx error

## How this service works

Decodes a Vehicle Identification Number through the official US regulator's vPIC database (public domain): make, model, year, body class, engine, transmission, GVWR and assembly plant. Query: ?vin=1HGCM82633A004352 (partial VINs with '*' accepted, optional &model_year=2003). error_code/error_text carry vPIC's structural verdict. Static reference data, 24h cache.

## Output

Returns structured vehicle attributes decoded from the VIN: make, model, model year, body class, engine details, transmission type, gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), and assembly plant. Also includes vPIC error_code and error_text indicating whether the VIN was structurally valid. Data is sourced from the official NHTSA vPIC database and cached for 24 hours.

## 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",
     "required": [
      "vin"
     ],
     "properties": {
      "vin": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "VIN, 5-17 chars; '*' wildcard allowed for partial VINs"
      },
      "model_year": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "Model year hint to improve decoding (optional)"
      }
     }
    }
   },
   "additionalProperties": false
  },
  "output": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string"
    },
    "example": {
     "type": "object"
    }
   }
  }
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/vin-decoder-via-nhtsa-vpic-ff3bd7e0/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from x402-datashop-production.up.railway.app](https://www.zero.xyz/host/x402-datashop-production.up.railway.app/llms.txt)