2022 TESLA MODEL 3 VIN 5YJ3E1EA0NF371206

This Tesla Model 3 was built in 2022. Power comes from electricity alone. This example is fitted with rear-wheel drive. The specification is taken from the source data and has not been checked against other documents.

The clock stood at 180,057 miles when the data was entered. The instruments count in miles; the same distance in kilometres is about 1.6 times the figure. A car that has covered this much distance for its age has worked hard, and a mechanic should judge the wear accordingly. Gaps of several years between logged figures deserve attention, as does any reading lower than the one before it.

The record lists front-end damage as the main problem on this car. The damage type is a short label: the extent of the damage and the quality of any repair still have to be judged on the car. Whatever the cause, a diagnostic scan of the car’s electronics shows fault codes that a visual check misses.

A ‘runs and drives’ note means the car moved under its own power when it was checked. A key was present. 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.

The record shows a clean title. Nothing on the title points to a total loss or a flood.

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. A car’s paperwork is scattered: the registry knows about owners, the workshop about repairs and the insurance company about claims. A car’s past rarely shows on the paintwork: a well-repaired accident or water damage that was dried out is easy to miss.

For an electric car, a battery health report says more than the odometer: two cars with the same mileage can have very different range left. On a damaged electric car, the battery pack and its mountings under the floor deserve a close look on a lift.

A VIN never contains the letters I, O or Q, which could be mistaken for digits; its 17 characters identify the maker, the model and the individual car. For this car, the VIN is 5YJ3E1EA0NF371206. The VIN usually appears at the base of the windscreen, on a door pillar and stamped into the body, and all of them should match the documents.

A VIN report shows what has been logged: earlier registrations, odometer figures, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks, wherever such data exists. A repair paid for in cash at a small workshop leaves no trace in any database, so no report can list it. 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 5YJ3E1EA0NF371206.