2013 RAM 1500 TRADESMAN VIN 3C6JR6AG4DG588387

This RAM 1500 Tradesman is a 2013 model. Power comes from a 3.6-litre petrol engine with six cylinders, rated at 283 hp. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. The specification is taken from the source data and has not been checked against other documents.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 104,728 miles. A clock converted from miles to kilometres should be documented, since the swap can hide the true mileage. A later figure lower than an earlier one points to a replaced instrument cluster or an odometer that has been wound back. Figures carry most weight when they come from independent sources: workshops, inspection stations and past title paperwork.

The record lists flood 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. Given the kind of damage entered, a mechanic should look first at the wiring, connectors and electronics, and any corrosion under the carpets.

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

According to the source data, the car has a salvage title. Titles of this type are issued to cars declared a total loss. A branded title follows the car through every change of owner, so it remains part of its history.

A car’s history is everything logged against it since it left the factory: registrations and owners, inspections, repairs and insurance claims. A car’s past rarely shows on the paintwork: a well-repaired accident or water damage that was dried out is easy to miss.

An engine that has had its oil changed on time is far less likely to cause trouble later, and workshop invoices are the proof. On a petrol engine, a rough idle, misfires or a warning light on the dashboard need looking into. 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.

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. The record gives the VIN as 3C6JR6AG4DG588387. The number in the car’s documents should match the one stamped into the body and the one on the plate at the base of the windscreen.

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. A VIN check and a physical inspection answer different questions: the first says what happened to the car, the second what condition it is in now. For this 2013 RAM 1500 Tradesman, the sensible next step is a history check on VIN 3C6JR6AG4DG588387.