2017 HONDA ACCORD EX-L VIN 1HGCR2F87HA096874

This entry is for a 2017 Honda Accord Ex-L. Power comes from a 2.4-litre petrol engine with four cylinders. Power reaches the wheels through a CVT gearbox.

The recorded mileage is 152,648 miles. The figure is in miles and needs converting before it is compared with kilometres: one mile is about 1.6 km. A car that has covered this much distance for its age has worked hard, and a mechanic should judge the wear accordingly. Turning back an odometer takes little skill and leaves no visible trace, which is why earlier figures matter more than the display.

This Honda Accord Ex-L is recorded with damage to the left rear. A damage entry is a starting point for the inspection, telling the mechanic where to look first. Whatever the cause, a diagnostic scan of the car’s electronics shows fault codes that a visual check misses.

The car is recorded as running and driving. A key is on file for the car. 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.

Behind every used car lies a string of events: who owned it and for how long, what the inspections found and which repairs and claims were made. Pieces of a car’s history sit with registries, dealers, workshops and insurance companies, and none of them sees the whole picture. Much of a car’s past cannot be seen: a good body repair leaves no obvious mark, and neither do years of hard driving.

An engine that has had its oil changed on time is far less likely to cause trouble later, and workshop invoices are the proof. On a petrol engine, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. The CVT gearbox needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was.

The ninth character of the VIN is a check digit calculated from the other sixteen, so a mistyped or invented number does not add up. The VIN on file for this car is 1HGCR2F87HA096874. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

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 repair paid for in cash at a small workshop leaves no trace in any database, so no report can list it. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. With this 2017 Honda Accord Ex-L, the first step is a look at the history behind VIN 1HGCR2F87HA096874.