2017 DODGE CHARGER SXT RWD VIN 2C3CDXHG7HH589426

This record covers a 2017 Dodge Charger SXT RWD. The petrol engine has six cylinders and produces 292 hp. The gearbox is automatic.

The source data puts the mileage at 83,150 miles. Gaps of several years between logged figures deserve attention, as does any reading lower than the one before it.

The record lists damage to the left front as the main problem on this car. 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. Given the kind of damage entered, a mechanic should look first at the left front wing, the suspension on that corner and the wheel alignment.

A key was noted with the car. Months of standing can leave a car with seized brakes and perished tyres.

Title status in the record: salvage. At some point in its life, the car was declared a total loss.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. 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 clean, polished car can still hide a serious accident, a flood or years of hard use.

A cold start, the colour of the exhaust smoke and any oil leaks tell a mechanic a good deal about how an engine has been treated. On a petrol engine, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. Automatic transmissions, CVTs included, are expensive to repair, so the test drive should include pulling away from a standstill and a stretch at motorway speed.

A history check works by VIN because the number never changes, unlike registration plates and owners. For this car, the VIN is 2C3CDXHG7HH589426.

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 making a decision about this Dodge Charger SXT RWD, check the history behind VIN 2C3CDXHG7HH589426.