2016 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT S VIN 1VWAT7A30GC024110

This Volkswagen Passat S is a 2016 model, finished in white. The gearbox is automatic, with front-wheel drive. Under the bonnet is a 1.8-litre petrol engine. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The source data puts the mileage at 119,635 miles. Because the clock counts miles, any figure noted in kilometres has to be converted before the two can be compared. A single figure proves little: what makes a mileage believable is a series of readings that rise steadily over the years. Title paperwork often notes the mileage at each change of owner, which makes it a useful cross-check.

Primary damage in the record: front end. A damage entry is a starting point for the inspection, telling the mechanic where to look first. Some damage shows its consequences only later: corroded connectors and electrical faults can surface months afterwards.

A key was noted with the car. A condition note describes the car at one moment; months of standing or later work on the car can change the picture in either direction.

A salvage title is on file for this car. Titles of this type are issued to cars declared a total loss.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. A clean, polished car can still hide a serious accident, a flood or years of hard use.

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.

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. This car’s identification number is 1VWAT7A30GC024110. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

Depending on what is on file, a VIN report may include past registrations, mileage readings, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks. The absence of an entry is not proof that nothing happened; it may only mean that nobody wrote it down. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. The next step is to look up the history behind VIN 1VWAT7A30GC024110.