2017 AUDI A3 PREMIUM PLUS VIN WAUY8LFF1H1078606

The Audi A3 Premium Plus described here left the factory in 2017. Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 220 hp. There is an automatic gearbox, with all-wheel drive. Details for this car come from a single data source and may differ from its documents.

The clock stood at 152,501 miles when the data was entered. A car that has covered this much distance for its age has worked hard, and a mechanic should judge the wear accordingly. 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.

This Audi A3 Premium Plus is recorded with rear-end damage. Two cars with the same damage label can be very different: one needs a few new parts, the other major work.

The car is recorded as running and driving. A key was present.

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

An engine that has had its oil changed on time is far less likely to cause trouble later, and workshop invoices are the proof. On a petrol engine, a rough idle, misfires or a warning light on the dashboard need looking into. Automatic transmissions, CVTs included, are expensive to repair, so the test drive should include pulling away from a standstill and a stretch at motorway speed. On a car with all-wheel drive, a whine or clunk when turning tightly at low speed needs a mechanic’s attention.

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 on file for this car is WAUY8LFF1H1078606. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

A VIN report gathers what different sources know about a car, such as the number of owners, mileage readings, damage and any branded title. 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 WAUY8LFF1H1078606.