2017 NISSAN MAXIMA 3.5 PLATINUM VIN 1N4AA6AP5HC423981

The Nissan Maxima 3.5 Platinum described here left the factory in 2017. The drivetrain combines a CVT gearbox with front-wheel drive. The car runs on petrol. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The source data puts the mileage at 159,421 miles. Miles and kilometres are easy to confuse, and a distance in miles looks lower than the same distance in kilometres. The mileage is high for the car’s age, so the suspension, brakes, seats and steering wheel deserve a close look. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable. Title paperwork often notes the mileage at each change of owner, which makes it a useful cross-check.

In the source data, the main issue is damage to the left side. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since.

The record notes that the car ran and drove. A key is on file for the car.

According to the source data, the car has a salvage title. A title of this kind usually means the car was written off as a total loss after damage. A branded title follows the car through every change of owner, so it remains part of its history.

A car’s history is everything logged against it since it left the factory: registrations and owners, inspections, repairs and insurance claims. The paperwork is kept by different bodies – registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders – so the history of one car is spread across many places. 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. Many modern petrol engines are turbocharged and direct-injected; where they are, the turbocharger and injectors belong on a specialist’s checklist. The CVT gearbox should respond smoothly and without delay; jerks, slipping or hesitation on a test drive need investigating.

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 Nissan Maxima 3.5 Platinum has the VIN 1N4AA6AP5HC423981. The VIN usually appears at the base of the windscreen, on a door pillar and stamped into the body, and all of them should match the documents.

A VIN report gathers what different sources know about a car, such as the number of owners, mileage readings, damage and any branded title. 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. Look up the history of VIN 1N4AA6AP5HC423981 first, and let what it shows guide the inspection.