2014 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5/2.5 S/2.5 SL/2.5 SV VIN 1N4AL3AP6EC404912

The Nissan Altima described here left the factory in 2014. There is an automatic 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 car was recorded with 213,347 miles on the clock. Miles and kilometres are easy to confuse, and a distance in miles looks lower than the same distance in kilometres. High mileage alone does not rule a car out; what matters is whether regular servicing kept pace with it. Turning back an odometer takes little skill and leaves no visible trace, which is why earlier figures matter more than the display.

The main issue noted for this car is rear-end damage. Whether the damage has been repaired since, and how well, is not something a damage entry can show. A lift and a diagnostic check show what photos cannot: bent brackets behind a panel, chafed wiring or deployed airbags.

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. Months of standing can leave a car with seized brakes and perished tyres.

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

A car’s history is the sum of what has happened to it since it was new, and most of it has left a trace on paper somewhere. Pieces of a car’s history sit with registries, dealers, workshops and insurance companies, and none of them sees the whole picture. A car’s past rarely shows on the paintwork: a well-repaired accident or water damage that was dried out is easy to miss.

An engine that has had its oil changed on time is far less likely to cause trouble later, and workshop invoices are the proof. Many modern petrol engines are turbocharged and direct-injected; where they are, the turbocharger and injectors belong on a specialist’s checklist. The automatic gearbox should respond smoothly and without delay; jerks, slipping or hesitation on a test drive need investigating.

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 1N4AL3AP6EC404912. The number in the car’s documents should match the one stamped into the body and the one on the plate at the base of the windscreen.

Depending on what is on file, a VIN report may include past registrations, mileage readings, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks. The absence of an entry is not proof that nothing happened; it may only mean that nobody wrote it down. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. Before going any further with this Nissan Altima, it makes sense to look up VIN 1N4AL3AP6EC404912.