2014 FORD EXPLORER XLT VIN 1FM5K8D89EGA87180

This Ford Explorer XLT is a 2014 model, finished in silver. There is an automatic gearbox, with four-wheel drive. Power comes from a 3.5-litre petrol engine with six cylinders, rated at 290 hp. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The record gives the mileage as 190,504 miles. A clock converted from miles to kilometres should be documented, since the swap can hide the true mileage. A car that has covered this much distance for its age has worked hard, and a mechanic should judge the wear accordingly. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable. A service book or a folder of workshop invoices is the simplest place to find past readings.

This Ford Explorer XLT is recorded with mechanical damage. The damage type is a short label: the extent of the damage and the quality of any repair still have to be judged on the car. A lift and a diagnostic check show what photos cannot: bent brackets behind a panel, chafed wiring or deployed airbags.

A key was noted with the car. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

Title status in the record: clean. There is no salvage or similar mark, so the car was never recorded as a total loss.

A car’s history is the sum of what has happened to it since it was new, and most of it has left a trace on paper somewhere. What a car has been through is seldom visible at first glance, and a respray can make even a badly damaged car look sound.

For the engine, the service history matters most: oil changes, filters and the timing belt or chain are the entries to look for. On a petrol engine, a rough idle, misfires or a warning light on the dashboard need looking into. Automatic transmissions, CVTs included, are expensive to repair, so the test drive should include pulling away from a standstill and a stretch at motorway speed.

The tenth character of the VIN stands for the model year, and the eleventh for the plant that built the car. This car’s identification number is 1FM5K8D89EGA87180.

Where entries exist, a VIN check can show changes of owner, past mileage readings, reported damage and whether the car is listed as stolen. The past is on file; the car’s condition today is a job for a mechanic, who can check the structure, underbody, electrics and any repairs on a lift. A history check on VIN 1FM5K8D89EGA87180 is the place to start.