Core
Global VIN Decoder API
Decode any VIN to find the year, make, model, and more.
npm install -g @auto.dev/sdk{ "vin": "3GCUDHEL3NG668790", "vinValid": true, "wmi": "3GC", "origin": "Mexico", "squishVin": "3GCUDHELNG", "checkDigit": "3", "checksum": true, "type": "Active", "make": "Chevrolet", "model": "Silverado 1500", "trim": "ZR2", "style": "4x4 4dr Crew Cab 5.8 ft. SB", "vehicle": { "vin": "3GCUDHEL3NG668790", "year": 2022, "make": "Chevrolet", "model": "Silverado 1500", "manufacturer": "General Motors de Mexico" }}In short
Global VIN Decode turns any 17-character VIN into the vehicle's year, make, model, trim, style and origin, and checks that the VIN passes its check-digit validation. Send GET /vin/{vin} with your API key. It is included on the Free plan, then costs $0.0025 per call on Growth and $0.0015 on Scale.
What it returns
- VIN validity and checksum
- World manufacturer identifier (WMI)
- Origin
- Make, model, trim and style
- Model year
- Manufacturer
Hand this page to your agent
From a terminal, an agent or your code
The CLI, the MCP tools and the SDK return the data with API metadata stripped. Add --raw on the CLI, or raw: true in the SDK, for the full response.
In a terminal, after auto login. Add --json or --yaml to choose the format.
auto decode 3GCUDHEL3NG668790auto_decode, hosted or local, in any MCP client. Arguments are strings.
{ "vin": "3GCUDHEL3NG668790" }TypeScript, from npm install @auto.dev/sdk. Every method resolves to { data, meta }.
import { AutoDev } from "@auto.dev/sdk"const auto = new AutoDev({ apiKey: process.env.AUTODEV_API_KEY }) const { data } = await auto.decode("3GCUDHEL3NG668790")Request reference
One GET request with your API key. JSON comes back.
Endpoint
Path parameter
1 requiredvinstringrequired17-character Vehicle Identification Number (letters and digits, excluding I, O, and Q).
3GCUDHEL3NG668790
Authentication
Use any one- Header
Authorization: Bearer <key> - Header
X-API-Key: <key> - Query
?apiKey=<key>
Rate limits
Requests per second- 5Free
- 10Growth
- 50Scale
Global VIN Decode pricing
Included on Free. Paid plans bill each call on top of the subscription.
Global VIN Decode questions
Have other questions? Check out our docs or .
What does the Global VIN Decode API return?
VIN validity and checksum, world manufacturer identifier (WMI), origin, make, model, trim and style, model year, manufacturer. Every response is JSON from https://api.auto.dev/vin/{vin}.
How much does the Global VIN Decode API cost?
Global VIN Decode is included on the Free plan, which has 1,000 API calls a month and no card required. On paid plans it costs $0.0025 per call on Growth and $0.0015 per call on Scale, on top of the plan's subscription.
How do I call the Global VIN Decode API?
Send GET /vin/{vin} to api.auto.dev with your API key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header, or as an apiKey query parameter. The path takes vin, the 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (letters and digits, excluding I, O, and Q).
What are the rate limits for Global VIN Decode?
Rate limits follow your plan: 5 requests per second on Free, 10 on Growth and 50 on Scale.
Can AI agents use the Global VIN Decode API?
Yes. Connect the hosted MCP server, https://mcp.auto.dev/mcp, and agents such as Claude Code and Cursor call it as the auto_decode tool, signing in with OAuth instead of an API key. Or run it locally: npm install -g @auto.dev/sdk, then auto login and auto mcp install.
Pairs well with
This VIN works on every other endpoint, so one lookup becomes a full record.