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Cardog vs NHTSA vPIC

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Cardog next to NHTSA vPIC: coverage, recalls, join keys, pricing, auth, batch size, SDKs and agents, with every vPIC claim linked to NHTSA's own page.

Cardog decodes 99.77% of Canadian VINs to trim level, lists Transport Canada and NHTSA recall campaigns for the VIN's model year, and keys every answer so it joins to spec sheets, market quotes, listings and OEM parts. NHTSA vPIC is NHTSA's separate public decoder. Here is how the two sit side by side.

This page is written by Cardog, so read it with that in mind. Every claim about vPIC links to NHTSA's own public page, and we checked those pages on 2026-10-26. Every Cardog claim is something our API serves today.

At a glance

CardogNHTSA vPIC
Run byCardog Inc., a Canadian companyThe US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (vPIC API)
CoverageCanada and the US. 99.77% of Canadian VINs decode to trim levelPopulated from US manufacturers' 565 submittals (vPIC API). Also serves Transport Canada's Canadian Vehicle Specifications, a dimensions database for collision work (vPIC API)
VIN decodeGET /v2/vin/{vin}: year, make, model, trim, refs and build keysDecodeVinValues and related calls, 154 flat fields on the sample decode (sample response)
Spec sheetsGET /v2/specs/{nano}, every number with its unit, US and Canadian prices kept apartEngine, battery, safety equipment and plant fields on the decode itself (sample response)
RecallsCampaigns listed for a VIN's model year, from Transport Canada and NHTSA, each tagged with its authorityNot on the vPIC API page (vPIC API)
Market data and listingsModel-year market quotes, listing search, counts and facetsNot offered
Pricing modelCredits: 2 per VIN looked up, 5 per VIN recall check, 1 for most other reads. Plans from US$30 a monthNo price stated; we called the sample decode without a key (vPIC API)
AuthAPI key, as x-api-key or Authorization: BearerNo key mentioned on the API page (vPIC API)
BatchPOST /v2/vin/batch, up to 1,000 VINsDecodeVINValuesBatch, up to 50 VINs (vPIC API)
SDKsTypeScript (@cardog/api) and Python (cardog)None on the API page
MCP and agentsRemote MCP server at mcp.cardog.io with six read toolsNone on the API page
VersioningDated Cardog-Version header; each version is served for 12 months after the next one landsNot stated on the API page
TermsAPI Platform Terms, Ontario lawNo terms of use on the API page; NHTSA offers standalone vPIC databases for download (vPIC API)

Why teams choose Cardog

  • Canadian VINs. We decode 99.77% of Canadian VINs to trim level, including trim configurations sold only in Canada. See Decode a Canadian VIN.
  • Makes and models beyond US submittals. Cardog maintains its own VIN patterns, so a VIN with no US submission behind it can still come back named.
  • Transport Canada and NHTSA recalls on the same VIN. GET /v2/vin/{vin}/recalls returns the campaigns listed for the VIN's model year from both, each tagged tc or nhtsa. See Recalls.
  • One key for the next question. The decode returns refs and build keys (nano, squish) that join to spec sheets, safety ratings, market quotes, listings and OEM parts, so you never match on name strings.
  • A reason for every miss. A VIN we cannot name comes back valid: false with a code from a fixed list, such as UNSEEN_BUILD.
  • Bigger batches. Up to 1,000 VINs a request against vPIC's 50 (vPIC API), and one bad VIN fails only its own row.
  • Clients and agents. TypeScript and Python SDKs generated from the same contract the API validates against, a remote MCP server, and a dated version header so your integration keeps the shape you built against.

When to use Cardog

Use Cardog when your VINs are Canadian, when you need Transport Canada recalls, or when the decode feeds a spec sheet, a price or a listing.

FAQ

How is Cardog's decoder different from vPIC? vPIC is NHTSA's public decoder, populated from US manufacturers' 565 submittals. Cardog runs its own decoder with its own VIN patterns, which is how it reaches 99.77% of Canadian VINs at trim level. Diff a sample of your own VINs to see where the two differ.

Does vPIC cover Canadian vehicles? vPIC is populated from US manufacturer submittals. It also serves Transport Canada's Canadian Vehicle Specifications, a database of vehicle dimensions for collision investigation, which is not a VIN decode.

What does a Cardog decode cost? Two credits per VIN. Today a single GET /v2/vin/{vin} bills its 2 credits on any 200 answer, including valid: false; a batch bills only the rows that come back valid: true. A 400 costs nothing. The Free plan includes 50 credits a month with no card. See Pricing.

Can I decode many VINs in one request? Yes. POST /v2/vin/batch takes up to 1,000 VINs, and one bad VIN fails only its own row.

Sources

Checked on 2026-10-26:

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