2021 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN 2.0T SE/2.0T SE R-LINE BLACK/2.0T SEL VIN 3VV3B7AX1MM112323

This record covers a 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0T, finished in grey. Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 184 hp. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 107,902 miles. Miles and kilometres are easy to confuse, and a distance in miles looks lower than the same distance in kilometres. 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. 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 rear. A damage entry is a starting point for the inspection, telling the mechanic where to look first. With damage to the left rear on file, the inspection should start with the left rear quarter panel, the suspension on that corner and the boot floor.

At the time of recording, the car ran and drove. A key is on file for the car.

The car carries a salvage title. Titles of this type are issued to cars declared a total loss. The structure and the quality of any work done deserve a thorough inspection on a car with a branded title, however sound the car looks.

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. From the outside, a car with a repaired accident and a car without one can look identical.

A petrol engine in good order starts cleanly, idles evenly and pulls without hesitation. The automatic gearbox needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was.

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 of this Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0T is 3VV3B7AX1MM112323. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

A VIN report shows what has been logged: earlier registrations, odometer figures, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks, wherever such data exists. The past is on file; the car’s condition today is a job for a mechanic, who can check the structure, underbody, electrics and any repairs on a lift. Look up the history of VIN 3VV3B7AX1MM112323 first, and let what it shows guide the inspection.