2011 NISSAN ROGUE S VIN JN8AS5MT1BW570951

This record covers a 2011 Nissan Rogue S. Under the bonnet is a 2.5-litre petrol engine. The gearbox is automatic. The specification is taken from the source data.

The car was recorded with 149,645 miles on the clock. The figure is in miles and needs converting before it is compared with kilometres: one mile is about 1.6 km. A later figure lower than an earlier one points to a replaced instrument cluster or an odometer that has been wound back.

When the car was recorded, it showed damage from vandalism. 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 glass, the locks, the paintwork and the interior.

At the time of recording, the car ran and drove. A key was noted with the car. Condition notes are a snapshot: the car may have been worked on, stripped of parts or left standing since.

The record shows a salvage title. Titles of this type are issued to cars declared a total loss.

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. No single office holds the whole story of a car: registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders each keep their own part. What a car has been through is seldom visible at first glance, and a respray can make even a badly damaged car look sound.

For the engine, the service history matters most: oil changes, filters and the timing belt or chain are the entries to look for. On a petrol engine, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. The automatic gearbox should respond smoothly and without delay; jerks, slipping or hesitation on a test drive need investigating.

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. The VIN JN8AS5MT1BW570951 belongs to this 2011 Nissan Rogue S.

Where entries exist, a VIN check can show changes of owner, past mileage readings, reported damage and whether the car is listed as stolen. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. Look up the history of VIN JN8AS5MT1BW570951 first, and let what it shows guide the inspection.