2016 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER SPORT 3.0L V6 SUPERCHARGED SE VIN SALWG2PF9GA122591

This entry is for a 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0L V6 Supercharged SE, finished in white. There is an automatic gearbox, with all-wheel drive. Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre petrol engine producing 340 hp. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The clock stood at 114,594 miles when the data was entered. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable. Figures carry most weight when they come from independent sources: workshops, inspection stations and past title paperwork.

In the source data, the main issue is mechanical damage. Whether the damage has been repaired since, and how well, is not something a damage entry can show. Whatever the cause, a diagnostic scan of the car’s electronics shows fault codes that a visual check misses.

The record describes this Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0L V6 Supercharged SE as a non-runner. The engine did not start. Without a key, a modern car needs a replacement coded to its immobiliser before it can even be started. 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.

A clean title is on file for this car. A clean title is a good sign, though it says nothing about wear, maintenance or how the car was driven.

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. What a car has been through is seldom visible at first glance, and a respray can make even a badly damaged car look sound.

On a petrol engine, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. On a car that does not run, the automatic gearbox cannot be judged on the road; the colour and smell of its fluid and a diagnostic scan give the first clues. Drive to all four wheels means more to maintain: differentials and couplings have oil of their own, which some manufacturers want changed at set intervals.

The tenth character of the VIN stands for the model year, and the eleventh for the plant that built the car. For this car, the VIN is SALWG2PF9GA122591. 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 repair paid for in cash at a small workshop leaves no trace in any database, so no report can list it. A VIN check and a physical inspection answer different questions: the first says what happened to the car, the second what condition it is in now. A history check on VIN SALWG2PF9GA122591 is the place to start.