2018 NISSAN MAXIMA PLATINUM VIN 1N4AA6AP7JC362476

The Nissan Maxima Platinum described here left the factory in 2018. The car runs on petrol. There is an automatic gearbox, with front-wheel drive. The specification is taken from the source data.

The record gives the mileage as 118,694 miles. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable.

The main issue noted for this car is front-end damage. 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.

A ‘runs and drives’ note means the car moved under its own power when it was checked. A key was noted with the car.

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. No single office holds the whole story of a car: registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders each keep their own part. A car’s past rarely shows on the paintwork: a well-repaired accident or water damage that was dried out is easy to miss.

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. 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. The VIN on file for this car is 1N4AA6AP7JC362476.

A VIN report shows what has been logged: earlier registrations, odometer figures, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks, wherever such data exists. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. For this 2018 Nissan Maxima Platinum, the sensible next step is a history check on VIN 1N4AA6AP7JC362476.