2017 CHEVROLET EQUINOX LT VIN 2GNALCEK1H1615896

This entry is for a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox LT, finished in grey. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. Under the bonnet is a 2.4-litre petrol engine. The specification is taken from the source data.

The source data puts the mileage at 134,334 miles. Because the clock counts miles, any figure noted in kilometres has to be converted before the two can be compared. A later figure lower than an earlier one points to a replaced instrument cluster or an odometer that has been wound back. Title paperwork often notes the mileage at each change of owner, which makes it a useful cross-check.

The record lists mechanical damage as the main problem on this car. A damage entry is a starting point for the inspection, telling the mechanic where to look first. With mechanical damage on file, the inspection should start with the engine, the gearbox and the running gear.

The car is recorded as running and driving. A key was there when the car was checked.

A clean title is on file for this car. 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. No single office holds the whole story of a car: registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders each keep their own part. A car’s past rarely shows on the paintwork: a well-repaired accident or water damage that was dried out is easy to miss.

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.

The ninth character of the VIN is a check digit calculated from the other sixteen, so a mistyped or invented number does not add up. The VIN on file for this car is 2GNALCEK1H1615896. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

A VIN report gathers what different sources know about a car, such as the number of owners, mileage readings, damage and any branded title. The absence of an entry is not proof that nothing happened; it may only mean that nobody wrote it down. The past is on file; the car’s condition today is a job for a mechanic, who can check the structure, underbody, electrics and any repairs on a lift. With this 2017 Chevrolet Equinox LT, the first step is a look at the history behind VIN 2GNALCEK1H1615896.