# Vindex Vehicle Recalls Lookup

> Vindex Vehicle Recalls Lookup is a paid API for AI agents from api.vindexapi.dev, paid per call via x402, $0.01/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-13).

Returns active safety recalls for a vehicle (US and Canada) given its 17-character VIN

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://api.vindexapi.dev/v1/recalls
- Price: $0.01/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-13
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/vindex-vehicle-recalls-lookup-bf49d19c
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_eym3sgNqf_q7zk7plO22p

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 vindex-vehicle-recalls-lookup-bf49d19c
```

Example prompt: Can you check if my 2013 Ford F-150 with VIN 1FTFW1ET5DFC10312 has any active safety recalls in the US or Canada?

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when you need recall data for both US and Canadian markets in a single call, without the overhead of managing API keys or subscriptions. Ideal for AI agents that need pay-per-use vehicle safety data, used-car due-diligence workflows, fleet management tools, or any application where recall checks are infrequent and per-call pricing is preferable to a monthly plan. Prefer this over direct NHTSA API calls when you also need Canadian recall data or want unified cross-border coverage in one response.

## Known failure modes

- Invalid VIN format (not 17 characters, or contains I/O/Q) returns a 400-level error
- VIN not found in recall databases returns empty recall arrays with zero counts
- Payment failure via x402 protocol results in a 402 Payment Required response and no data returned
- Network timeout or upstream NHTSA/TC Canada data source unavailability causes a 503 or similar error
- VIN that is valid format but unrecognized vehicle returns no vehicle metadata

## How this service works

VIN decode, recalls, reliability, known issues, and drive-away costs across the US and Canada. Pay per call in USDC via x402 — no accounts, no API keys.

## Output

A JSON object containing the VIN, vehicle make/model/year, recall counts broken out by US and Canada, and an array of recall records for each country. US recalls include campaign number, affected component, and reported date. Canadian recalls include recall number, system type, and units affected. Also includes a 'charged' boolean confirming the payment was processed.

## 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"
     ],
     "type": "string"
    },
    "queryParams": {
     "type": "object",
     "required": [
      "vin"
     ],
     "properties": {
      "vin": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "17-character VIN (no I/O/Q)"
      }
     }
    }
   },
   "additionalProperties": false
  },
  "output": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string"
    },
    "example": {
     "type": "object"
    }
   }
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "vin": "1FTFW1ET5DFC10312",
  "counts": {
   "us": 4,
   "canada": 2
  },
  "charged": true,
  "recalls": {
   "us": [
    {
     "campaign": "18V123000",
     "component": "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM",
     "reportedDate": "2018-03-01"
    }
   ],
   "canada": [
    {
     "systemType": "Electrical",
     "recallNumber": "2018-123",
     "unitsAffected": 4200
    }
   ]
  },
  "vehicle": {
   "make": "FORD",
   "year": 2013,
   "model": "F-150"
  }
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/vindex-vehicle-recalls-lookup-bf49d19c/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from api.vindexapi.dev](https://www.zero.xyz/host/api.vindexapi.dev/llms.txt)