About VinDecoder.me

VinDecoder.me is a free vehicle identification number decoder. Enter any 17-character VIN and it returns the factory build record — make, model, year, trim, engine, transmission, plant — together with open safety recall campaigns for that vehicle.

Where the data comes from

Decoding runs against vPIC, the Vehicle Product Information Catalog operated by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Manufacturers are legally required to file their VIN coding schemes with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 565, which makes it the authoritative source for factory vehicle data. Recall results come from NHTSA's public recall database.

How it's funded

The site is supported by advertising. Decoding is free, requires no account, and has no lookup limits. VIN queries go directly from your browser to NHTSA's public API — we don't store the VINs you look up on our servers.

What this site is not

It is not a vehicle history report. Accident records, title brands and odometer history live in separate paid databases; our guide to free vs. paid checks explains the difference and the sensible order to use them in.