Measured 2026-11-02 · NHTSA vPIC
Three public VINs, decoded by NHTSA
Last verified 2026-11-02 · Sources: NHTSA vPIC API (DecodeVinValues), called 2026-11-02 · Report an error
By Shangyi Duan · Reviewed against the NHTSA vPIC API
The three VINs below were sent to the NHTSA vPIC API on 2026-11-02. What follows is what vPIC returned for each field below — the same field set for every VIN — including the blanks and the error codes. None of them is a customer vehicle.
What these three VINs are
They are example values used for demonstration — not vehicles belonging to a customer of this site, and not supplied by a user. The first is the sample VIN that appears in the input placeholder on the VIN decoder. The three were picked for variety: a coupe, an electric sedan and a pickup, so the page shows a clean decode, a decode with empty engine fields and a decode with warnings.
Two of the three return a check-digit warning. We left the warnings in: a page that only showed a clean decode would be advertising, not evidence.
The three decodes at a glance
| VIN | Year | Make | Model | Body class | Plant | Engine | Error code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1HGCM82633A004352 | 2003 | HONDA | Accord | Coupe | MARYSVILLE, OHIO | V-shaped 6-cyl, 3.0 L, 240 hp (J30A4) | 0 |
5YJ3E1EA7KF317986 | 2019 | TESLA | Model 3 | Sedan/Saloon | FREMONT, CALIFORNIA | none reported | 1 |
1FTFW1ET5DFC10312 | 2013 | FORD | F-150 | Pickup | DEARBORN, MICHIGAN | V-shaped 6-cyl, 3.5 L, 365 hp | 1 |
Engine figures in this summary are rounded from the API's strings (2.998832712 L is shown as 3.0 L). The exact values are in the detail below. An empty value in the API response is shown as “empty”.
What the API returned, VIN by VIN
1HGCM82633A004352
A clean decode: the check digit calculates correctly and the manufacturer reported the engine, trim and plant.
Request: https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/vehicles/DecodeVinValues/1HGCM82633A004352?format=json — HTTP 200, called 2026-11-02.
- Make
- HONDA
- Model
- Accord
- Model year
- 2003
- Trim
- EX-V6
- Body class
- Coupe
- Vehicle type
- PASSENGER CAR
- Doors
- 2
- Drive type
- empty
- Engine cylinders
- 6
- Displacement (L)
- 2.998832712
- Engine horsepower
- 240
- Engine model
- J30A4
- Engine configuration
- V-Shaped
- Fuel type
- Gasoline
- Electrification level
- empty
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Plant city
- MARYSVILLE
- Plant state
- OHIO
- Plant country
- UNITED STATES (USA)
- Error code
- 0
- Error text
- 0 - VIN decoded clean. Check Digit (9th position) is correct
- Additional error text
- empty
5YJ3E1EA7KF317986
A decode with empty fields: the engine columns are blank because this is an electric car and vPIC has no cylinder, displacement or horsepower values for it. The check-digit warning is shown exactly as returned.
Request: https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/vehicles/DecodeVinValues/5YJ3E1EA7KF317986?format=json — HTTP 200, called 2026-11-02.
- Make
- TESLA
- Model
- Model 3
- Model year
- 2019
- Trim
- empty
- Body class
- Sedan/Saloon
- Vehicle type
- PASSENGER CAR
- Doors
- 4
- Drive type
- empty
- Engine cylinders
- empty
- Displacement (L)
- empty
- Engine horsepower
- empty
- Engine model
- empty
- Engine configuration
- empty
- Fuel type
- Electric
- Electrification level
- BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle)
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Plant city
- FREMONT
- Plant state
- CALIFORNIA
- Plant country
- UNITED STATES (USA)
- Error code
- 1
- Error text
- 1 - Check Digit (9th position) does not calculate properly
- Additional error text
- empty
1FTFW1ET5DFC10312
A decode with a warning: the check digit does not calculate, and vPIC adds that the model year it derived could be wrong. The doors field is blank. Both warnings stay in.
Request: https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/vehicles/DecodeVinValues/1FTFW1ET5DFC10312?format=json — HTTP 200, called 2026-11-02.
- Make
- FORD
- Model
- F-150
- Model year
- 2013
- Trim
- empty
- Body class
- Pickup
- Vehicle type
- TRUCK
- Doors
- empty
- Drive type
- 4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4
- Engine cylinders
- 6
- Displacement (L)
- 3.5
- Engine horsepower
- 365
- Engine model
- empty
- Engine configuration
- V-Shaped
- Fuel type
- Gasoline
- Electrification level
- empty
- Transmission
- empty
- Plant city
- DEARBORN
- Plant state
- MICHIGAN
- Plant country
- UNITED STATES (USA)
- Error code
- 1
- Error text
- 1 - Check Digit (9th position) does not calculate properly
- Additional error text
- The Model Year decoded for this VIN may be incorrect. If you know the Model year, please enter it and decode again to get more accurate information.
What the error codes mean
vPIC returns an error code with every decode. Code 0 means the VIN decoded clean and the check digit — the ninth character, calculated from the other sixteen — is correct. Code 1 means the VIN decoded but the check digit does not calculate, which usually points to a typo somewhere in the VIN; vPIC still returns the fields it could decode.
That is why a decode is not proof that a VIN is right. The check digit is a typo check, not a check that the car exists, is registered or is not stolen — and the third example shows vPIC adding a second warning that the model year it derived could be wrong.
How to reproduce this
The exact requests are listed under each VIN. The pattern is https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/vehicles/DecodeVinValues/<VIN>?format=json, which returns one row of values; the decoder on this site uses DecodeVin, which returns the same fields as a list. Both are the same API and the same data. vPIC also returns variables for airbag locations, driver-assistance features and other attributes; this page prints the same field set the decoder uses, so the blanks and warnings sit next to the values they affect. The values shown here are archived in the repository at docs/vin-examples-2026-11-02.json.
What this page does not show
A decode is not a history report: it has no title brands, accidents, odometer readings or previous owners, and it cannot say whether a recall repair was completed. Those are separate products and separate sources, described on the vehicle history report page. The method behind the decoder, and its three limitations, are on the methodology page.