2013 HYUNDAI TUCSON GLS VIN KM8JU3AC0DU628072

This Hyundai Tucson GLS was built in 2013. The gearbox is automatic, with front-wheel drive. The engine is a 2.4-litre petrol unit with four cylinders. The specification is taken from the source data.

The car was recorded with 273,406 miles on the clock. A clock converted from miles to kilometres should be documented, since the swap can hide the true mileage. 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. A service book or a folder of workshop invoices is the simplest place to find past readings.

No damage type appears in the source data; that shows what was entered, not what the car has been through. Signs of an old repair – uneven panel gaps, overspray, a slight mismatch in paint – can still turn up at an inspection.

A key was there when the car was checked. Months of standing can leave a car with seized brakes and perished tyres.

The car carries a clean title. There is no salvage or similar mark, so the car was never recorded as a total loss.

Every car builds up a history from the day it is first registered: owners come and go, inspections are passed or failed, and repairs are paid for. The paperwork is kept by different bodies – registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders – so the history of one car is spread across many places. A car’s past rarely shows on the paintwork: a well-repaired accident or water damage that was dried out is easy to miss.

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.

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 record gives the VIN as KM8JU3AC0DU628072. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

Depending on what is on file, a VIN report may include past registrations, mileage readings, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks. 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. With this 2013 Hyundai Tucson GLS, the first step is a look at the history behind VIN KM8JU3AC0DU628072.