2014 FORD F-150 XLT VIN 1FTFW1ET0EKG15399

This Ford F-150 XLT was built in 2014. Under the bonnet is a 3.5-litre petrol engine. The drivetrain combines an automatic gearbox with four-wheel drive.

The car was recorded with 128,450 miles on the clock. A clock converted from miles to kilometres should be documented, since the swap can hide the true mileage. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable.

No primary damage is given in the record for this car, which is not the same as proof that it has never been damaged. Signs of an old repair – uneven panel gaps, overspray, a slight mismatch in paint – can still turn up at an inspection.

A key was present. 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.

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.

Many modern petrol engines are turbocharged and direct-injected; where they are, the turbocharger and injectors belong on a specialist’s checklist. 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. On a car with four-wheel drive, a whine or clunk when turning tightly at low speed needs a mechanic’s attention.

A vehicle identification number has 17 characters: the first three name the manufacturer, the next six describe the model and its specification, and the last eight identify the individual car. The record gives the VIN as 1FTFW1ET0EKG15399. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

A VIN report gathers what different sources know about a car, such as the number of owners, mileage readings, damage and any branded title. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. A history check on VIN 1FTFW1ET0EKG15399 is the place to start.