2014 BUICK REGAL TURBO/E-ASSIST PREMIUM I VIN 2G4GN5EX0E9309592

This Buick Regal is a 2014 model, finished in white. The fuel is petrol. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox.

The source data puts the mileage at 95,344 miles. A later figure lower than an earlier one points to a replaced instrument cluster or an odometer that has been wound back. A service book or a folder of workshop invoices is the simplest place to find past readings.

The main issue noted for this car is damage to both front and rear. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since. With damage to both front and rear on file, the inspection should start with the crash structures at both ends and the alignment of the body between them.

At the time of recording, the car ran and drove. A key is on file for the car. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

The car carries a salvage title. At some point in its life, the car was declared a total loss. If any work has been done on the car since, photos and invoices should show what was replaced.

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. Much of a car’s past cannot be seen: a good body repair leaves no obvious mark, and neither do years of hard driving.

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, a rough idle, misfires or a warning light on the dashboard need looking into. The automatic gearbox needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was.

A vehicle identification number has 17 characters: the first three name the manufacturer, the next six describe the model and its specification, and the last eight identify the individual car. This car’s identification number is 2G4GN5EX0E9309592.

Where entries exist, a VIN check can show changes of owner, past mileage readings, reported damage and whether the car is listed as stolen. No report is complete: a repair done privately and never claimed on insurance leaves nothing to find. 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. The history behind VIN 2G4GN5EX0E9309592 is the natural starting point before any decision about this Buick Regal.