2015 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SE VIN 3VWD17AJ3FM257980

This entry is for a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta SE, finished in grey. Under the bonnet is a 1.8-litre petrol engine producing 170 hp. The drivetrain combines an automatic gearbox with front-wheel drive. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The car was recorded with 123,863 miles on the clock. A clock converted from miles to kilometres should be documented, since the swap can hide the true mileage. A single figure proves little: what makes a mileage believable is a series of readings that rise steadily over the years. Service invoices and inspection reports each carry a mileage figure, and lined up in order they show whether the clock tells the truth.

In the source data, the main issue is side damage. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since. With side damage on file, the inspection should start with the door pillars, the sills and the side airbags.

The car is recorded as running and driving. A key was there when the car was checked.

A car’s history answers three questions: who kept it, how it was looked after and what went wrong along the way. The paperwork is kept by different bodies – registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders – so the history of one car is spread across many places. From the outside, a car with a repaired accident and a car without one can look identical.

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.

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 3VWD17AJ3FM257980 belongs to this 2015 Volkswagen Jetta SE. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

Where entries exist, a VIN check can show changes of owner, past mileage readings, reported damage and whether the car is listed as stolen. No report is complete: a repair done privately and never claimed on insurance leaves nothing to find. A history report says nothing about the car’s present condition: the frame, corrosion, electrics and the quality of any repair are judged on a lift by a mechanic. Look up the history of VIN 3VWD17AJ3FM257980 first, and let what it shows guide the inspection.