2016 TOYOTA COROLLA LE VIN 2T1BURHE2GC634606

This Toyota Corolla LE was built in 2016. The gearbox is automatic. The petrol engine has four cylinders. The specification is taken from the source data.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 29,301 miles. A clock converted from miles to kilometres should be documented, since the swap can hide the true mileage. A car that has covered little distance for its age still ages: rubber seals, tyres and brake fluid deteriorate with time as well as use. A later figure lower than an earlier one points to a replaced instrument cluster or an odometer that has been wound back. Service invoices and inspection reports each carry a mileage figure, and lined up in order they show whether the clock tells the truth.

Primary damage in the record: front end. A damage entry is a starting point for the inspection, telling the mechanic where to look first. A lift and a diagnostic check show what photos cannot: bent brackets behind a panel, chafed wiring or deployed airbags.

The car is recorded as running and driving. A key was present. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

A salvage title is on file for this car. A title like this is issued when repair was judged uneconomical or unsafe. The structure and the quality of any work done deserve a thorough inspection on a car with a branded title, however sound the car looks.

Every car builds up a history from the day it is first registered: owners come and go, inspections are passed or failed, and repairs are paid for. 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. A petrol engine in good order starts cleanly, idles evenly and pulls without hesitation. 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 VIN never contains the letters I, O or Q, which could be mistaken for digits; its 17 characters identify the maker, the model and the individual car. The VIN on file for this car is 2T1BURHE2GC634606. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

Where entries exist, a VIN check can show changes of owner, past mileage readings, reported damage and whether the car is listed as stolen. Paperwork is only as complete as the people who kept it, so a report with few entries lowers the risk without removing it. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. For this 2016 Toyota Corolla LE, the sensible next step is a history check on VIN 2T1BURHE2GC634606.