2017 FORD EDGE TITANIUM VIN 2FMPK3K97HBB52644

This record covers a 2017 Ford Edge Titanium, finished in black. Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 245 hp. The gearbox is automatic. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The source data puts the mileage at 126,119 miles. Turning back an odometer takes little skill and leaves no visible trace, which is why earlier figures matter more than the display. Title paperwork often notes the mileage at each change of owner, which makes it a useful cross-check.

Primary damage in the record: rear end. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since.

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.

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. What a car has been through is seldom visible at first glance, and a respray can make even a badly damaged car look sound.

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. 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.

Every modern car carries a 17-character VIN, its identity for life, and no two cars share one. For this car, the VIN is 2FMPK3K97HBB52644. 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.

What a history report can list depends on what has been documented about the car: registrations, mileage readings, damage, branded titles and theft reports. 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. For this 2017 Ford Edge Titanium, the sensible next step is a history check on VIN 2FMPK3K97HBB52644.