2020 FORD FUSION SE VIN 3FA6P0HD0LR125457

This record covers a 2020 Ford Fusion SE. The car runs on petrol. The drivetrain combines an automatic gearbox with front-wheel drive. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 182,694 miles. Because the clock counts miles, any figure noted in kilometres has to be converted before the two can be compared. Averaged over the car’s age, the mileage works out well above the usual annual distance, and wear on the suspension, brakes and interior should be judged with that in mind. Services and inspections note the distance covered, so a car with an ordinary past builds up a trail of figures that climb year after year.

The record lists front-end damage as the main problem on this car. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since. Whatever the cause, a diagnostic scan of the car’s electronics shows fault codes that a visual check misses.

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

According to the source data, the car has a clean title. With a clean title the car can be registered and insured in the usual way.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. What a car has been through is seldom visible at first glance, and a respray can make even a badly damaged car look sound.

For the engine, the service history matters most: oil changes, filters and the timing belt or chain are the entries to look for. A petrol engine in good order starts cleanly, idles evenly and pulls without hesitation. The automatic gearbox should respond smoothly and without delay; jerks, slipping or hesitation on a test drive need investigating.

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 3FA6P0HD0LR125457.

What a history report can list depends on what has been documented about the car: registrations, mileage readings, damage, branded titles and theft reports. A repair paid for in cash at a small workshop leaves no trace in any database, so no report can list 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. Before going any further with this Ford Fusion SE, it makes sense to look up VIN 3FA6P0HD0LR125457.