2013 RAM 1500 LARAMIE VIN 1C6RR7NT1DS515471

This RAM 1500 Laramie is a 2013 model. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. The petrol engine has eight cylinders.

The recorded mileage is 132,617 miles. A clock converted from miles to kilometres should be documented, since the swap can hide the true mileage. A later figure lower than an earlier one points to a replaced instrument cluster or an odometer that has been wound back. Older figures usually turn up on service invoices, inspection reports and past title paperwork.

When the car was recorded, it showed front-end damage. Two cars with the same damage label can be very different: one needs a few new parts, the other major work.

No key was present. Months of standing can leave a car with seized brakes and perished tyres.

The car carries a salvage title. A title of this kind usually means the car was written off as a total loss after damage. Once issued, a branded title stays with the VIN for good, and it affects registration and insurance for every later owner.

Every car builds up a history from the day it is first registered: owners come and go, inspections are passed or failed, and repairs are paid for. A car’s paperwork is scattered: the registry knows about owners, the workshop about repairs and the insurance company about claims. A clean, polished car can still hide a serious accident, a flood or years of hard use.

A cold start, the colour of the exhaust smoke and any oil leaks tell a mechanic a good deal about how an engine has been treated. A petrol engine in good order starts cleanly, idles evenly and pulls without hesitation. The automatic gearbox should respond smoothly and without delay; jerks, slipping or hesitation on a test drive need investigating. A car with four-wheel drive has extra differentials and often a transfer case, which an inspection should cover alongside the engine and gearbox.

A VIN never contains the letters I, O or Q, which could be mistaken for digits; its 17 characters identify the maker, the model and the individual car. This RAM 1500 Laramie has the VIN 1C6RR7NT1DS515471. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

Where entries exist, a VIN check can show changes of owner, past mileage readings, reported damage and whether the car is listed as stolen. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. Before any decision, check what is known about VIN 1C6RR7NT1DS515471.