2014 FORD F-150 STX VIN 1FTEX1EM5EKF52530

This record covers a 2014 Ford F-150 STX. The drivetrain combines an automatic gearbox with four-wheel drive. Under the bonnet is a 3.7-litre petrol engine.

The source data puts the mileage at 147,720 miles. Because the clock counts miles, any figure noted in kilometres has to be converted before the two can be compared. Gaps of several years between logged figures deserve attention, as does any reading lower than the one before it. Service invoices and inspection reports each carry a mileage figure, and lined up in order they show whether the clock tells the truth.

When the car was recorded, it showed damage to the left side. A damage entry is a starting point for the inspection, telling the mechanic where to look first. With damage to the left side on file, the inspection should start with the pillars, sills and doors on the left side.

A car that does not run has to be moved on a trailer, and its real condition is known only after a thorough assessment. The engine started, although the car is not confirmed as drivable. A key was present. Months of standing can leave a car with seized brakes and perished tyres.

The record shows a clean title. A clean title is a good sign, though it says nothing about wear, maintenance or how the car was driven.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. No single office holds the whole story of a car: registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders each keep their own part. A car’s past rarely shows on the paintwork: a well-repaired accident or water damage that was dried out is easy to miss.

Regular oil changes and timely work on the timing belt or chain decide how well an engine copes with age. On a petrol engine, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. With no test drive possible, the automatic gearbox has to be assessed on a lift and with diagnostic equipment. Drive to all four wheels means more to maintain: differentials and couplings have oil of their own, which some manufacturers want changed at set intervals.

The tenth character of the VIN stands for the model year, and the eleventh for the plant that built the car. This car’s identification number is 1FTEX1EM5EKF52530. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

What a history report can list depends on what has been documented about the car: registrations, mileage readings, damage, branded titles and theft reports. Paperwork is only as complete as the people who kept it, so a report with few entries lowers the risk without removing it. A history report says nothing about the car’s present condition: the frame, corrosion, electrics and the quality of any repair are judged on a lift by a mechanic. With this 2014 Ford F-150 STX, the first step is a look at the history behind VIN 1FTEX1EM5EKF52530.