# VIN Structural Decoder (NHTSA vPIC WMI)

> VIN Structural Decoder (NHTSA vPIC WMI) is a paid API for AI agents from lookups.alienprobe.ai, paid per call via x402, $0.005/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-15).

Decodes a VIN structurally using NHTSA vPIC WMI data and 49 CFR rules, returning check-digit verdict, manufacturer, make, vehicle type, country, and model year candidates for passenger cars.

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://lookups.alienprobe.ai/v1/lookup/vin/:vin
- 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/vin-structural-decoder-nhtsa-vpic-wmi-ff64e408
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_d1BzCHHGrHJ13xcoXqEjr

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-structural-decoder-nhtsa-vpic-wmi-ff64e408
```

Example prompt: Can you decode the VIN 1HGBH41JXMN109186 for me — I want to know if the check digit is valid, who manufactured it, the make, vehicle type, country, and what model years it could be?

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when you need a fast, cheap, structural VIN decode — specifically check-digit validation and manufacturer/make/country/vehicle-type identification — without needing dynamic NHTSA API calls. Ideal for enriching records at scale, pre-screening VINs before deeper lookups, or when offline-style deterministic results from a pinned 2026_08 snapshot are acceptable. Not suitable when you need engine, trim, body style, plant, or weight class data.

## Known failure modes

- Unknown or unrecognized WMI — manufacturer not found in the 2026_08 snapshot
- Invalid VIN format or length — check-digit computation cannot be applied
- VIN belongs to non-passenger-car type — model year candidates may not be narrowed
- WMI snapshot may not include very new or obscure manufacturers added after vintage date

## How this service works

single-fact vin lookup. NHTSA vPIC WMI snapshot, vintage 2026_08: 10659 rows cut in ascending WMI order from 12971 candidates, plus the closed-form rules of 49 CFR 565.15 and 565.25. STRUCTURAL decode only: check-digit verdict, manufacturer, make, vehicle type, country, and model year as a CANDIDATE SET narrowed only for passenger cars. No engine, body, trim, plant or weight class; no claim a vehicle exists. Also free from NHTSA. Full bound in the discovery declaration.

## Output

Returns a structured response including: check-digit pass/fail verdict, WMI-derived manufacturer name, make, vehicle type, country of origin, and a candidate set of model years (narrowed for passenger cars). Does not include engine specs, body style, trim, plant code, or weight class, and does not confirm vehicle existence.

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/vin-structural-decoder-nhtsa-vpic-wmi-ff64e408/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from lookups.alienprobe.ai](https://www.zero.xyz/host/lookups.alienprobe.ai/llms.txt)