2017 FORD FIESTA SE VIN 3FADP4BJ8HM171104

This Ford Fiesta SE is a 2017 model. The engine is a 1.6-litre flex-fuel unit with four cylinders. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. Details for this car come from a single data source and may differ from its documents.

The car was recorded with 198,191 miles on the clock. Because the clock counts miles, any figure noted in kilometres has to be converted before the two can be compared. High mileage alone does not rule a car out; what matters is whether regular servicing kept pace with it. A single figure proves little: what makes a mileage believable is a series of readings that rise steadily over the years.

The record lists front-end 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 radiator support, the headlamp mountings and the front crash structure.

As a non-runner, the car needs its engine, gearbox and electrics assessed before anything else. The engine would not start, which can mean anything from a flat battery to serious mechanical damage. A key was noted with the car.

The record shows a salvage title. At some point in its life, the car was 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. The paperwork is kept by different bodies – registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders – so the history of one car is spread across many places. 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, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. On a car that does not run, the automatic gearbox cannot be judged on the road; the colour and smell of its fluid and a diagnostic scan give the first clues.

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 record gives the VIN as 3FADP4BJ8HM171104. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

Depending on what is on file, a VIN report may include past registrations, mileage readings, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks. 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. The next step is to look up the history behind VIN 3FADP4BJ8HM171104.