Where every number on this site comes from.
All vehicle data we publish originates in United States federal datasets that are in the public domain. Below is what we use, what each dataset covers, where it stops, and how we credit it.
NHTSA vPIC
In useThe Vehicle Product Information Catalog. Manufacturers are required to file their VIN decoding information with NHTSA (49 CFR Part 565); vPIC exposes that information as a public API. It is the source behind our VIN decoder and behind the year, make and model we derive from a VIN before checking recalls. Read 49 CFR Part 565 (opens in new tab).
Where it stops: vPIC describes how a vehicle left the factory. It holds no ownership, mileage, accident, title or maintenance history, and coverage of pre-1981 vehicles is partial because the 17-character standard did not yet exist.
NHTSA Safety Recalls
In useEvery safety recall campaign a manufacturer files with NHTSA, including the defect description, the consequence, the remedy and the campaign number. We show the summary, consequence and remedy text as NHTSA publishes it; component names and dates are reformatted for readability.
Where it stops: campaigns are filed against a year, make and model, not against your car. The dataset cannot tell you whether the repair was already performed on a specific VIN — only a VIN query at NHTSA or a franchised dealer can.
NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
In useThe New Car Assessment Program's crash-test results: overall, frontal, side barrier, side pole and rollover ratings, published per tested configuration. These are the stars printed on the window sticker of a new car.
Where it stops: NHTSA does not test every vehicle, and ratings are not comparable across model years in which the test protocol changed. A missing rating means untested, not unsafe.
EPA Fuel Economy
PlannedCity, highway and combined ratings with annual fuel cost estimates, published jointly by the EPA and the Department of Energy. Intended for a future fuel economy lookup; not yet used anywhere on this site.
Attribution and endorsement
Works produced by the United States government are not subject to copyright protection within the United States and may be reproduced without permission. We credit each dataset by name on the page that uses it, and link to the publisher.
OpenCarGuide is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NHTSA, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the EPA, or any vehicle manufacturer. Agency names and marks are used only to identify the source of the data.
Freshness and caching
Our tools query NHTSA each time you run them, and we don't keep a copy of the results. The make and model lists shown as suggestions are kept in your browser for the rest of your visit, to save repeat requests. Pages we add later that are built from stored NHTSA data will show the date that data was retrieved.
If a source is unreachable, the tool says so rather than showing older data. Read more in the editorial policy.