2014 FORD FUSION SE VIN 3FA6P0HD4ER315829

This Ford Fusion SE is a 2014 model. The gearbox is automatic. Under the bonnet is a 1.5-litre petrol engine producing 181 hp.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 263,002 miles. Because the clock counts miles, any figure noted in kilometres has to be converted before the two can be compared. A car that has covered this much distance for its age has worked hard, and a mechanic should judge the wear accordingly. A single figure proves little: what makes a mileage believable is a series of readings that rise steadily over the years. Figures carry most weight when they come from independent sources: workshops, inspection stations and past title paperwork.

The main issue noted for this car is damage to the right side. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since. With damage to the right side on file, the inspection should start with the pillars, sills and doors on the right side.

The record notes that the car ran and drove. A key was noted with the car. Condition notes are a snapshot: the car may have been worked on, stripped of parts or left standing since.

According to the source data, the car has a salvage title. Titles of this type are issued to cars declared a total loss.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. The paperwork is kept by different bodies – registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders – so the history of one car is spread across many places. Much of a car’s past cannot be seen: a good body repair leaves no obvious mark, and neither do years of hard driving.

An engine that has had its oil changed on time is far less likely to cause trouble later, and workshop invoices are the proof. Many modern petrol engines are turbocharged and direct-injected; where they are, the turbocharger and injectors belong on a specialist’s checklist. 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 vehicle identification number has 17 characters: the first three name the manufacturer, the next six describe the model and its specification, and the last eight identify the individual car. This car’s identification number is 3FA6P0HD4ER315829.

What a history report can list depends on what has been documented about the car: registrations, mileage readings, damage, branded titles and theft reports. No report is complete: a repair done privately and never claimed on insurance leaves nothing to find. A history report says nothing about the car’s present condition: the frame, corrosion, electrics and the quality of any repair are judged on a lift by a mechanic. A history check on VIN 3FA6P0HD4ER315829 is the place to start.