US Vehicle VIN Data API

Enter a 17-character VIN to get the vehicle decoding, recall, complaint and safety rating record in one call.

We continuously collect and process NHTSA public data, cleaning, standardising and relationship-modelling vehicle decoding, recalls, complaints and safety ratings, delivered uniformly through a REST API.

No need to stitch together four sets of official data yourself.

View API Docs

Enterprise solution enquiryJSON APIDaily public data sync

OverviewDecoded fieldsRecalls (22)Complaints (606)Ratings (5★)

Vehicle search key 3

1 5YJ3E1EA7KF000000 Exact VIN matching

Data sources: vPIC public API
Check digit: Passed

2 TESLA / MODEL 3 / 2019 Brand / model / year

Data sources: Recall and complaint flat table
Composite key: Normalised

3 AIRBAG Component keyword

Data sources: Recall and complaint flat table
Component: Standardised

Master vehicle entity decoded

TESLA
MODEL 3 · 2019

Brand: TESLA
Model: MODEL 3
Model year: 2019
Body type: Sedan/Saloon
Engine: Electric
Plant of origin: FREMONT · CA
Vehicle type: PASSENGER CAR
Decoded fields: About 140 variables

98%VIN decode success rate (sample of 100 real VINs)

About 140VIN decode variables

80+Model combinations covered

Updated dailyContinuous public data sync

The official data is free to download, but it is far from being "ready for business use".

The real problem isn't whether the data exists, but how to turn public data scattered across four systems into a vehicle record your business systems can fetch in one call, query continuously and link together.

Raw data is scattered across four systems NHTSA public data sources

001vPIC vehicle decodingDecode API

002ODI recall noticesRecall flat table

003ODI complaint recordsComplaints API

004NCAP safety ratingsRating API

Vehicle record aggregation One call · four data categories Aggregated, normalised and delivered

01
Data is scattered
Decoding, recalls, complaints and ratings live in different systems with different field naming and date formats, so your systems have to stitch them together.
02
The official API only goes down to model level
The official recall lookup returns results by brand and model rather than judging whether a specific VIN falls in the recall range, and the official website VIN lookup has access restrictions.
03
Hard to monitor continuously
Recalls and complaints update daily, so companies need to know continuously whether new records appear for models, brands or components they care about — not just check manually once in a while.
04
Maintenance costs keep piling up
The official APIs carry no SLA, are rate limited and only allow one VIN per query; field changes and outlier handling require long-term engineering effort.

From scattered public data to a directly callable vehicle record

A VIN passes through six auditable stages to become stable, structured, linkable JSON.

Collect

Continuous sync with NHTSA public data

source.capture()

Clean

Unifies date formats, field naming and missing values

parse · dedupe

Normalize

Unifies brand, model, year and component names

schema.map()

Relate

Links VINs to models, recalls, complaints and ratings

graph.link()

Aggregate

One call returns four data types plus a risk score

aggregate.v1

Deliver

Delivered to your business systems via a stable REST API

json_api.v1

You don't have to maintain crawlers, databases or cleaning pipelines.Call the API and use the results directly.

One API covering the core vehicle data use cases

Unified REST API · JSON responses · Bearer token authentication. The VIN vehicle record is the core of the product, with the other capabilities built on the same data model.

VIN vehicle record API

Vehicle history and risk due diligence

Enter a 17-character VIN to get vehicle decoding information, recall records, complaint statistics, safety ratings and a risk score. One call aggregates four data types.

Brand / model / year
Body and origin
Recall records
Complaint statistics
Safety ratings and risk score

Used-car listing checks · vehicle valuation · underwriting pricing · vehicle due diligence

GET /v1/vin/profile?vin=5YJ3E1EA7KF000000

Static demo · Sample response200 OK

{
  "query": "5YJ3E1EA7KF000000",
  "vehicle": {
    "make": "TESLA",
    "model": "MODEL 3",
    "model_year": 2019,
    "body_class": "Sedan/Saloon",
    "plant_city": "FREMONT",
    "plant_state": "CA"
  },
  "recall_summary": {
    "total": 22,
    "latest": null
  },
  "complaints": {
    "total": 606,
    "crash": 0,
    "fire": 5
  },
  "ratings": {
    "overall": "5",
    "available": true
  },
  "risk_score": 90,
  "source": "U.S. NHTSA"
}

API 02

VIN recall matching API

Returns recall records by VIN or brand / model / year, flagging severity (Do Not Drive, Park Outside) and the remedy.

GET /v1/vin/recalls?vin=1HGCM82633A004352 JSON

Single-vehicle recall checkConfirm recall status before the transaction

Recall severity flagDo Not Drive / Park Outside grading

Key model monitoringContinuous tracking of new recall records

API 03

Vehicle complaint search API

Search complaint records by VIN or brand and model, including accident, fire and injury flags and the component complained about.

GET /v1/vin/complaints?vin=5YJ3E1EA7KF000000 Complaint number · component · accident flag · complaint date

API 04

Model risk profile API

Get quality scores, complaint density, most-affected components and recall trends by brand, model and year.

GET /v1/models/risk?make=TESLA&model=MODEL+3&modelYear=2019 Model scores · complaint density · affected components · recall trends

API 05

Batch VIN check API

Submit a list of VINs and receive a condition summary for each asynchronously — for fleets and bulk due diligence.

POST /v1/vin/batch Async jobs · Batch summaries · CSV export

This data can flow into your real business processes

Not another back office to open, but vehicle intelligence where trading, underwriting, procurement and vehicle review actually happen.

Used-car trading platforms

Embed historical recall and complaint information for the VIN in your condition report and complete recall checks before listing, reducing manual work.

Source VINVehicle record APICondition report

Insurance companies / auto finance

Call the vehicle risk score before underwriting and lending, bringing recall and complaint data into pricing and risk control workflows.

VIN listModel risk profile APIRisk score

Auto parts e-commerce / aftermarket

Use component recall and complaint records to judge parts fitment and safety risks, informing aftermarket decisions.

Component keywordComplaint search APIRisk notice

Fleets and logistics companies

Bulk-check recalls and complaints for vehicles in service and prioritise repairs and replacements.

Batch VINBatch check APIRepair list

Data and research firms

Use structured historical data to research model quality trends and component defect patterns.

Model dimensionRisk profile APIStructured datasets

Data is usable — verified against 100 real VINs first

Below are August 2026 A sampled completeness test using 100 real VINs from NHTSA public datasets, verifying the "VIN → vehicle → recall → complaint" chain on real data. This is not a live query.

Validation metricResultBasis

Real VIN sample100From the NHTSA NCAP crash test public dataset

Decoded successfully98 (98%)Direct connection to the vPIC decodevin endpoint

Average field fill rateAbout 35%NHTSA has around 140 variables; a typical vehicle can populate 40–70

Models covered76Brand / model / year combinations (deduplicated)

Recalls linkable78.7%of deduplicated models return valid recall data

Complaints linkable67.4%of deduplicated models return valid complaint data

Real sampleColorado 20233 recalls / 130 complaints (see API.md for details)

Static statistics snapshot (2026-08, sample of 100 real VINs) illustrating product capability; the full per-vehicle statistics are archived in completeness_result.json. A few models are not yet returned due to NHTSA rate limits or missing public records, and are flagged in the archive.

The model risk profile API supports further analysis

Complaint density by brand and model
Ranking of most-affected components
Recall severity distribution
Annual model quality trends
Plant and production line dimension
Component combination risk

The value of an API is more than "returning data to you"

GooFuture's core value lies before the data reaches the API: turning public data scattered across four systems into a vehicle condition data model that is program-friendly, linkable and maintainable.

Aggregate

Four data types in one response

Aggregates decoding, recalls, complaints and ratings into a single record, cutting repeated calls.

Four datasets → one record

Resolve

Brand and model normalisation

Unifies brand, model and year naming across official systems.

Multiple naming schemes → unified entity

Structure

Component standardisation

Unifies component names across recalls and complaints for easier aggregation.

Component text → standard component

Flag

Recall severity flag

Identifies Do Not Drive and Park Outside recalls and provides a handling priority.

Notice text → severity label

Update

Daily sync

Daily sync with the latest public data, cutting your maintenance costs.

Source → sync

From enquiry to your first API call in just three steps

Code and responses are static samples. Your consultant will propose an integration plan based on data scope, call volume and delivery method.

01
Contact a consultant
Scan the QR code to add us on WeCom and tell us your business scenario, the data you need and your expected call volume.
02
Confirm the plan
Confirm endpoint scope, monitoring conditions, delivery method and enterprise support needs.
03
Start integration
Get your API key and integration materials, then wire the JSON results into your vehicle system, risk workflow or SaaS product.

cURLResponse

curl "https://api.goofuture.com/v1/vin/profile?vin=5YJ3E1EA7KF000000" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Static demo · JSON response200 OK

{
  "data": {
    "vehicle": "TESLA MODEL 3 2019",
    "recall_total": 22,
    "complaint_total": 606,
    "overall_rating": "5",
    "updated_at": null
  }
}

From testing to production

Choose a plan by call volume, batch capability, notification method and enterprise support. Your consultant will quote based on your business needs.

Basic

For API testing and product validation

Contact a consultant

Monthly requests: 100
Core endpoints: Vehicle record / recall matching
Rate limits: Basic rate limiting
Monitoring conditions: —

Standard

For individual developers and small teams

Contact a consultant

Monthly requests: 5,000
Core endpoints: All core queries
Monitoring conditions: 10 conditions
Notification method: Email

Recommended plan

Professional

For trading platforms and insurers

Contact a consultant

Monthly requests: 50,000
Concurrency: Higher concurrency
Monitoring conditions: 50 conditions
Data delivery: Webhook / CSV

Enterprise

For platforms, data companies and large enterprises

Contact a consultant

Monthly requests: High-volume usage
Data delivery: Incremental data push
Customisation: Field / dataset
Technical support: Enterprise technical support

The questions worth confirming before integrating a vehicle data API

Straight answers on public data, VIN matching, update frequency and commercial integration.

NHTSA data is public — why do I still need this API?

If you only need to check one vehicle occasionally, the official NHTSA channels are enough. GooFuture is built for teams that need bulk lookups, system integration, unified fields and continuous updates — aggregating public data scattered across the decoding, recall, complaint and rating systems into a vehicle record you can get in one call.

Where does the data come from?

Vehicle data comes from US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public data, including vPIC vehicle decoding, ODI recalls and complaints and NCAP safety ratings. GooFuture collects, cleans, standardises, links and aggregates the raw data and delivers it via API.

How often is the data updated?

The system syncs the latest NHTSA public data daily. See the API documentation for exact update times and per-API frequencies.

Which fields are returned for a VIN?

The VIN vehicle record API returns vehicle decoding information (brand, model, year, body, engine, plant of origin), a model-level recall list, complaint statistics (with accident, fire and injury flags), safety ratings and a risk score.

How are you different from the official VIN decode API?

The official vPIC only returns decode fields and allows one VIN per query. GooFuture aggregates decoding, recalls, complaints and ratings into a single call, with unified fields, batch checks and continuous monitoring. All raw data comes from NHTSA public data.

How do I tell whether a vehicle has been recalled?

Recall records are currently returned by brand, model and year, with severity flagged in the recall detail (Do Not Drive, Park Outside). Exact matching against VIN production ranges is under construction; capability boundaries are as per general availability.

Can I integrate the data into my own SaaS / ERP product?

Yes. The API can be used in internal systems and integrated into used-car platforms, insurance pricing, risk tools, supply chain systems and SaaS products; commercial usage is governed by the applicable plan and service agreement.

How do I screen vehicle risk before listing a used car?

Use the VIN for pre-listing recall lookups and complaint screening, feeding the results into vehicle records, pricing and review workflows to reduce manual work.

You no longer maintain a vehicle dataset yourself.

From collecting NHTSA public data to aggregating decoding, recalls, complaints and ratings — we handle it all. Your systems just call the API.

Enterprise consultant onboarding · REST API · JSON responses

US Vehicle VIN Data API

Vehicle search key 3

Master vehicle entity decoded

Data is scattered

The official API only goes down to model level

Hard to monitor continuously

Maintenance costs keep piling up

Collect

Clean

Normalize

Relate

Aggregate

Deliver

VIN vehicle record API

VIN recall matching API

Vehicle complaint search API

Model risk profile API

Batch VIN check API

Used-car trading platforms

Insurance companies / auto finance

Auto parts e-commerce / aftermarket

Fleets and logistics companies

Data and research firms

The model risk profile API supports further analysis

Four data types in one response

Brand and model normalisation

Component standardisation

Recall severity flag

Daily sync

Contact a consultant

Confirm the plan

Start integration

You no longer maintain a vehicle dataset yourself.