2015 FORD FOCUS SE VIN 1FADP3F29FL316324

This Ford Focus SE was built in 2015. The fuel is petrol. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox.

The recorded mileage is 188,499 miles. A car that has covered this much distance for its age has worked hard, and a mechanic should judge the wear accordingly. A single figure proves little: what makes a mileage believable is a series of readings that rise steadily over the years. A service book or a folder of workshop invoices is the simplest place to find past readings.

No damage entry is on file for this car. Signs of an old repair – uneven panel gaps, overspray, a slight mismatch in paint – can still turn up at an inspection.

A key is on file for the car. Months of standing can leave a car with seized brakes and perished tyres.

A clean title is on file for this car. With a clean title the car can be registered and insured in the usual way.

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. A car’s paperwork is scattered: the registry knows about owners, the workshop about repairs and the insurance company about claims. From the outside, a car with a repaired accident and a car without one can look identical.

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. Many modern petrol engines are turbocharged and direct-injected; where they are, the turbocharger and injectors belong on a specialist’s checklist. 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. This car’s identification number is 1FADP3F29FL316324. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

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. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. Before making a decision about this Ford Focus SE, check the history behind VIN 1FADP3F29FL316324.