2013 FORD EXPLORER XLT VIN 1FM5K8D86DGA63952

This entry is for a 2013 Ford Explorer XLT, finished in silver. The petrol engine has six cylinders. The drivetrain combines an automatic gearbox with four-wheel drive. Details for this car come from a single data source and may differ from its documents.

The car was recorded with 193,931 miles on the clock. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable.

In the source data, the main issue is minor dents and scratches. 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.

No key was available with the car, so a new one will have to be made and programmed. 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.

The car carries a clean title. Such a title means no salvage, flood or similar mark was recorded against the car; it does not rule out damage repaired without a claim.

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. Much of a car’s past cannot be seen: a good body repair leaves no obvious mark, and neither do years of hard driving.

Regular oil changes and timely work on the timing belt or chain decide how well an engine copes with age. On a petrol engine, a rough idle, misfires or a warning light on the dashboard need looking into. The automatic gearbox needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was. A car with four-wheel drive has extra differentials and often a transfer case, which an inspection should cover alongside the engine and gearbox.

Every modern car carries a 17-character VIN, and no two cars share one. The VIN on file for this car is 1FM5K8D86DGA63952. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

What a history report can list depends on what has been documented about the car: registrations, mileage readings, damage, branded titles and theft reports. 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 1FM5K8D86DGA63952 is the place to start.