2004 SATURN ION LEVEL 2 VIN 1G8AZ52F64Z232011

This record covers a 2004 Saturn ION Level 2, finished in grey. Power reaches the wheels through a manual gearbox. Under the bonnet is a 2.2-litre petrol engine producing 170 hp. Details for this car come from a single data source and may differ from its documents.

The clock stood at 246,973 miles when the data was entered. A later figure lower than an earlier one points to a replaced instrument cluster or an odometer that has been wound back. Title paperwork often notes the mileage at each change of owner, which makes it a useful cross-check.

This Saturn ION Level 2 is recorded with minor dents and scratches. Whether the damage has been repaired since, and how well, is not something a damage entry can show. 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 was noted with the car. Condition notes are a snapshot: the car may have been worked on, stripped of parts or left standing since.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. From the outside, a car with a repaired accident and a car without one can look identical.

On a petrol engine, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. A manual gearbox should change cleanly into every gear; a slipping clutch or a rattle at idle points to work that will be needed soon.

The tenth character of the VIN stands for the model year, and the eleventh for the plant that built the car. The VIN of this Saturn ION Level 2 is 1G8AZ52F64Z232011. 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. 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. Before any decision, check what is known about VIN 1G8AZ52F64Z232011.