2016 TOYOTA RAV4 LE VIN 2T3BFREV0GW468171

The Toyota RAV4 LE described here left the factory in 2016. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. Under the bonnet is a 2.5-litre petrol engine producing 176 hp.

The source data puts the mileage at 136,377 miles. The instruments count in miles; the same distance in kilometres is about 1.6 times the figure. A later figure lower than an earlier one points to a replaced instrument cluster or an odometer that has been wound back.

In the source data, the main issue is damage to both front and rear. A damage entry is a starting point for the inspection, telling the mechanic where to look first. Given the kind of damage entered, a mechanic should look first at the crash structures at both ends and the alignment of the body between them.

A ‘runs and drives’ note means the car moved under its own power when it was checked. A key was present.

The car carries a salvage title. A title like this is issued when repair was judged uneconomical or unsafe.

A car’s history answers three questions: who kept it, how it was looked after and what went wrong along the way. The paperwork is kept by different bodies – registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders – so the history of one car is spread across many places. What a car has been through is seldom visible at first glance, and a respray can make even a badly damaged car look sound.

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. Many modern petrol engines are turbocharged and direct-injected; where they are, the turbocharger and injectors belong on a specialist’s checklist. The automatic gearbox should respond smoothly and without delay; jerks, slipping or hesitation on a test drive need investigating.

Stamped into the body and printed on a plate, the VIN is the one identifier that stays with a car through every owner, registration and repair. For this car, the VIN is 2T3BFREV0GW468171.

A VIN report gathers what different sources know about a car, such as the number of owners, mileage readings, damage and any branded title. A repair paid for in cash at a small workshop leaves no trace in any database, so no report can list it. 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. Before any decision, check what is known about VIN 2T3BFREV0GW468171.