2016 FORD EXPLORER XLT VIN 1FM5K7D84GGB01564

This Ford Explorer XLT is a 2016 model, finished in silver. The engine is a 3.5-litre petrol unit with six cylinders. There is an automatic gearbox, with front-wheel drive. The specification is taken from the source data.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 171,318 miles. A car that has covered this much distance for its age has worked hard, and a mechanic should judge the wear accordingly. A later figure lower than an earlier one points to a replaced instrument cluster or an odometer that has been wound back. Figures carry most weight when they come from independent sources: workshops, inspection stations and past title paperwork.

The record lists front-end damage as the main problem on this car. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since. Some damage shows its consequences only later: corroded connectors and electrical faults can surface months afterwards.

A ‘runs and drives’ note means the car moved under its own power when it was checked. A key is on file for the car.

The car carries a salvage title. A title of this kind usually means the car was written off as a total loss after damage.

A car’s history is everything logged against it since it left the factory: registrations and owners, inspections, repairs and insurance claims. Pieces of a car’s history sit with registries, dealers, workshops and insurance companies, and none of them sees the whole picture. 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. 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 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. This car’s identification number is 1FM5K7D84GGB01564. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

Depending on what is on file, a VIN report may include past registrations, mileage readings, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks. No report is complete: a repair done privately and never claimed on insurance leaves nothing to find. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. For this 2016 Ford Explorer XLT, the sensible next step is a history check on VIN 1FM5K7D84GGB01564.