2019 GMC TERRAIN SLE VIN 3GKALMEV6KL170574

This record covers a 2019 GMC Terrain SLE, finished in grey. The car runs on petrol. The gearbox is automatic, with front-wheel drive. Details for this car come from a single data source and may differ from its documents.

The source data puts the mileage at 74,500 miles. Services and inspections note the distance covered, so a car with an ordinary past builds up a trail of figures that climb year after year. Older figures usually turn up on service invoices, inspection reports and past title paperwork.

The main issue noted for this car is damage to the left side. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since. Given the kind of damage entered, a mechanic should look first at the pillars, sills and doors on the left side.

The record describes this GMC Terrain SLE as a non-runner. An engine that will not start could have a simple electrical fault or internal damage, and only diagnostic work can tell which. No key is recorded with the car, and a replacement has to be coded to the immobiliser.

The record shows a salvage title. Titles of this type are issued to cars declared a total loss. A branded title follows the car through every change of owner, so it remains part of its history.

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. Pieces of a car’s history sit with registries, dealers, workshops and insurance companies, and none of them sees the whole picture. A clean, polished car can still hide a serious accident, a flood or years of hard use.

On a petrol engine, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. With no test drive possible, the automatic gearbox has to be assessed on a lift and with diagnostic equipment.

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 VIN on file for this car is 3GKALMEV6KL170574.

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 VIN check and a physical inspection answer different questions: the first says what happened to the car, the second what condition it is in now. With this 2019 GMC Terrain SLE, the first step is a look at the history behind VIN 3GKALMEV6KL170574.