The pipeline
From seventeen characters to a matched parts list
Every lookup runs through the same six stages, whether it happens on this site, inside the embedded widget or through the JSON API.
01
Validate the VIN
Seventeen characters, no I, O or Q. The form rejects malformed VINs before a single request leaves the page, so your users get instant feedback instead of a server error.
02
Decode the vehicle
The VIN is decoded server-side against the public NHTSA vPIC database. Year, make, model, trim, body class, engine configuration, fuel type, drive type and manufacturing plant come back as grouped fields.
03
Build a vehicle profile
The decoded values are normalised into a compact profile — model year, cylinder count, displacement, fuel and drive type, and vehicle weight class — that fitment rules can be evaluated against.
04
Match parts by rule
Every catalogue entry carries fitment gates: minimum year, cylinder count, fuel type, drive type and heavy-vehicle flag. Only rules that pass every gate for the profile produce a part result.
05
Return a stable SKU
Each match generates a deterministic SKU from the rule and the vehicle profile, so the same VIN always resolves to the same part numbers — safe to cache, link to and store against an order.
06
Display it anywhere
Use the hosted pages, drop the widget into an iframe, or call the JSON API from PHP and render results inside your own templates.
What decoding cannot tell you
A VIN identifies the vehicle as it left the factory. It does not know about later engine swaps, aftermarket brake upgrades or regional variants outside the NHTSA data set. Treat fitment results as a strong shortlist and confirm critical parts against the physical vehicle.