2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK 350 VIN WDCGG5GBXCF846436

This Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 is a 2012 model, finished in white. Under the bonnet is a 3.5-litre petrol engine. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The car was recorded with 147,891 miles on the clock. A clock converted from miles to kilometres should be documented, since the swap can hide the true mileage. A single figure proves little: what makes a mileage believable is a series of readings that rise steadily over the years. Service invoices and inspection reports each carry a mileage figure, and lined up in order they show whether the clock tells the truth.

The record lists minor dents and scratches 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.

The record notes that the car ran and drove. A key was present. Months of standing can leave a car with seized brakes and perished tyres.

A clean title is on file for this car. Nothing on the title points to a total loss or a flood.

A car’s history answers three questions: who kept it, how it was looked after and what went wrong along the way. Pieces of a car’s history sit with registries, dealers, workshops and insurance companies, and none of them sees the whole picture. A clean, polished car can still hide a serious accident, a flood or years of hard use.

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, 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.

A history check works by VIN because the number never changes, unlike registration plates and owners. For this car, the VIN is WDCGG5GBXCF846436. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

A VIN report shows what has been logged: earlier registrations, odometer figures, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks, wherever such data exists. Paperwork is only as complete as the people who kept it, so a report with few entries lowers the risk without removing it. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. For this 2012 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350, the sensible next step is a history check on VIN WDCGG5GBXCF846436.