VIN Decoder

When you have a Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, you can get both basic and full vehicle details by decoding that VIN using one of the two calls below. Please note that our VIN decoding capabilities only handle North American VINs (i.e. VIN with the last five characters always numeric).

Go to:

API Calls
Examples

Please read the API Documentation page for information that applies to all our APIs. To immediately interact with this API, please go to API Console, select Vehicle API and look for the VIN Decoder calls.

Call 1: Get full vehicle details by VIN

http://api.edmunds.com/v1/api/toolsrepository/vindecoder?vin={Vehicle VIN}&fmt=json&api_key={your Vehicle API Key}

Get all vehicle details from make, model, year and fuel type to list of options, features and standard equipment. All this information is returned by decoding the vehicle's VIN.

Call 2: Get basic vehicle information by VIN

http://api.edmunds.com/api/v1/vehicle/vin/{vehicle VIN}/configuration?api_key={your Vehicle API Key}

Get vehicle make, model, year, type, fuel type, number of cylinders and list of styles by decoding the vehicle's VIN

Example 1:top

http://api.edmunds.com/v1/api/toolsrepository/vindecoder?vin=JTEBU17R848028574&api_key=xxxxxxxxxx&fmt=json

Get full vehicle details for VIN JTEBU17R848028574. The response is a Style object.

Example 1 Response:

{
    "styleHolder": [{
        "id": 100336294,
        "makeId": 200003381,
        "year": 2004,
        "makeName": "Toyota",
        "makeNiceName": "toyota",
        "modelId": "Toyota_4Runner",
        "modelName": "4Runner",
        "modelNiceName": "4runner",
        "modelYearId": 100503599,
        "transmissionType": "AUTOMATIC",
        "engineCompressorType": "NA",
        "engineFuelType": "regular unleaded",
        "engineCylinder": 6,
        "engineSize": 4.0,
        "price": {
            "baseMSRP": 35820.0,
            "baseInvoice": 31986.0,
            "deliveryCharges": 540.0,
            "tmv": 32834.0,
            "usedTmvRetail": 13367.0,
            "usedPrivateParty": 12054.0,
            "usedTradeIn": 10889.0,
            "estimateTmv": false,
            "tmvRecommendedRating": 0
        },
        "trim": {
            "name": "Limited",
            "niceName": "limited"
        },
        "specification": {
            "elements": [],
            "type": "AND"
        },
        ...
        ...
        ...
    ]
}

Example 2:top

http://api.edmunds.com/api/v1/vehicle/vin/JTEBU17R848028574/configuration?api_key=xxxxxxxxxx

Get basic vehicle information for VIN JTEBU17R848028574. The response is much smaller than the first call, but enough to give you an idea of what vehicle this is.

Example 2 Response:

{
    "link": {
        "rel": "full",
        "href": "/api/v1/vehicle/vin/JTEBU17R848028574/configuration"
    },
    "year": 2004,
    "make": {
        "name": "Toyota",
        "link": {
            "rel": "full",
            "href": "/api/vehicle/toyota?fmt=json"
        }
    },
    "vinModelGroup": null,
    "model": {
        "name": "4Runner",
        "link": {
            "rel": "full",
            "href": "/api/vehicle/toyota/4runner?fmt=json"
        }
    },
    "vehicleStyle": "4dr SUV",
    "drivenWheels": "four wheel drive",
    "fuelType": "gas",
    "compressorType": null,
    "trim": {
        "name": "Limited",
        "specialIdentifier": null
    },
    "cylinders": 6,
    "styles": [{
        "link": {
            "rel": "full",
            "href": "/api/vehicle/style/100336294?fmt=json"
        },
        "name": "Limited 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 4A)"
    }]
}

version 6 as of 1 month ago by Ismail Elshareef

14 Comments

Diablo Sports – 7 months ago

When I use this API it responds with message "Developer Inactive". When I use the other API's (with the same key) I get results. Is there a bug right now?
Locatz – 4 months ago

getting response which is null {"styleHolder":[]}
Locatz – 4 months ago

can I use this Api for several VIN... please reply ASAP
Ismail Elshareef – 4 months ago

Yes, of course :)
Ismail Elshareef – 4 months ago

By the way, are you getting null object for all vins you're requesting through the API?
ameshkin – 3 months ago

Hi there. Very new to this and I find it very easy to use. But I have not read all of the documentation, and before I get started, I was just wondering.

What is the easiest way to enter mileage and vin, and then get the used car price?

If I get the time, perhaps I will write a PHP class that will make this easier for people. Unless one has already been written.

Congrats Ismail, this is something we dealers have wanted for a while.
Ismail Elshareef – 3 months ago

Thanks!

The best way to do this right now is as follows:
1. Use the VIN Decoder to decode the VIN into a style object.
2. Use the Style ID and zipcode, milage, and condition to get the USED TMV value.
Both API resources are under the Vehicle API. You can use the API Console to test it out :-)

It would be awesome if you could actually build a PHP class that does that for folks. Will feature it on our site.

Cheers, Ismail
Tyler – 3 months ago

We really appreciate the VIN decode API, but we have run into a few cases where the VIN is returning an empty result - {"styleHolder":[]}. The VIN I am currently testing is returning vehicle information using the page http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/vin-check.html, which I assume works off of the same database (I could be wrong). The VIN I am testing with is for a 2006, so the issue isn't that it is too new.

I didn't know if posting the VIN here was appropriate, so just let me know the best way to get the sample VIN over to you.

Thanks.
Va Repo – 3 months ago

Hello Ismail. I am having my developers look into adding your this VIN decoder API into our new system and I am curious about a couple things. First, does this API decode things other than vehicles such as ATV's, Motorcycles and Boats, etc...? And second, if your technology works correctly and we decide to keep it in our system, would you like me to name drop Edmunds.com on my site so my users know who brought them this feature?
Ismail Elshareef – 2 months ago

Hi,

Sorry for the late response.

No, the VIN Decoder is only for vehicle and trucks. No boats or motorcycles :(

Part of the Terms of Service of using our API is to give us attribution. Please make sure you read the TOC before you implement the API :-) http://developer.edmunds.com/Api_terms_of_use

Cheers, @EdmundsAPI
Va Repo – 2 months ago

That's perfect and I appreciate the quick response. Looks like your API works perfectly and I will be sure to make to follow the TOS. Is there anything I can get you to allow the API to work on other types of items? I can get the VIN codes for other stuff if needed and give it to you and I would have more of what I need and the rest of the people using your API would have a more useful piece of software that could help them as well. Not a problem if you do not wish to go this way for whatever reason.
dilar – 2 months ago

How to translate edmunds equipment ID codes to something customer viewable? also is there a way to get xml data rather than JSON data?
Auto City Sales – 2 months ago

Hello. I tried using the decoder for a couple of cars and ran into issues of it giving incorrect transmission and drive-line and trim levels. For example, this vehicle 4T1BF32K72U514815 is automatic, and the response is manual; this vehicle 1GNDT13S052221323 is 4WD and the response is 2wd; this vehicle KMHDN55D43U094338 is GT model and the reposne is GLS.

I cannot figure out if I am reading the data wrong or there is a mistake in VIN decoder?

Thank you
Ismail Elshareef – 1 month ago

Great news to all VIN Decoder users!

We have updated our VIN Decoder to deliver more accurate results. We also released a VIN Decoder that returns smaller payload with basic vehicle information: http://api.edmunds.com/api/v1/vehicle/vin/[THE VIN YOU WANT TO DECODE]/configuration?api_key=[YOU VEHICLE API KEY]

For more interactive API goodness, please check out our API Console and interact with the API in realtime! http://developer.edmunds.com/io-docs

Thanks, Ismail

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