2020 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE 350 4MATIC VIN 4JGFB4KB7LA012327

This entry is for a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 4MATIC, finished in blue. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. The car runs on petrol.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 99,865 miles. Miles and kilometres are easy to confuse, and a distance in miles looks lower than the same distance in kilometres. Averaged over the car’s age, the mileage works out well above the usual annual distance, and wear on the suspension, brakes and interior should be judged with that in mind. 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 record lists minor dents and scratches as the main problem on this car. 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 paintwork and whether any dent has reached the metal underneath.

At the time of recording, the car ran and drove. A key was there when the car was checked. 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.

Title status in the record: clean. A clean title is a good sign, though it says nothing about wear, maintenance or how the car was driven.

Behind every used car lies a string of events: who owned it and for how long, what the inspections found and which repairs and claims were made. Much of a car’s past cannot be seen: a good body repair leaves no obvious mark, and neither do years of hard driving.

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, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. The automatic gearbox needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was. On a car with all-wheel drive, a whine or clunk when turning tightly at low speed needs a mechanic’s attention.

The ninth character of the VIN is a check digit calculated from the other sixteen, so a mistyped or invented number does not add up. This Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 4MATIC has the VIN 4JGFB4KB7LA012327. 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. 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. For this 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 4MATIC, the sensible next step is a history check on VIN 4JGFB4KB7LA012327.