2018 DODGE JOURNEY SXT VIN 3C4PDCBG7JT241248

This Dodge Journey SXT was built in 2018. The engine is a 3.6-litre petrol unit with six cylinders. There is an automatic gearbox, with front-wheel drive. The specification is taken from the source data.

The clock stood at 152,985 miles when the data was entered. The figure is in miles and needs converting before it is compared with kilometres: one mile is about 1.6 km. A car that has covered this much distance for its age has worked hard, and a mechanic should judge the wear accordingly. Gaps of several years between logged figures deserve attention, as does any reading lower than the one before it. Title paperwork often notes the mileage at each change of owner, which makes it a useful cross-check.

When the car was recorded, it showed front-end damage. The damage type is a short label: the extent of the damage and the quality of any repair still have to be judged on the car.

When checked, the car could be started and driven under its own power. A key was there when the car was checked. Months of standing can leave a car with seized brakes and perished tyres.

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.

Behind every used car lies a string of events: who owned it and for how long, what the inspections found and which repairs and claims were made. 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. 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 needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was.

A history check works by VIN because the number never changes, unlike registration plates and owners. The VIN on file for this car is 3C4PDCBG7JT241248. The VIN usually appears at the base of the windscreen, on a door pillar and stamped into the body, and all of them should match the documents.

A VIN report shows what has been logged: earlier registrations, odometer figures, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks, wherever such data exists. 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. A history check on VIN 3C4PDCBG7JT241248 is the place to start.