2011 TOYOTA TACOMA BASE V6 VIN 3TMMU4FN3BM032120

This Toyota Tacoma Base V6 is a 2011 model, finished in black. The car runs on petrol. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox.

The clock stood at 170,164 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. Gaps of several years between logged figures deserve attention, as does any reading lower than the one before it. 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 left side. Two cars with the same damage label can be very different: one needs a few new parts, the other major work. Given the kind of damage entered, a mechanic should look first at the pillars, sills and doors on the left side.

When it was checked, the car could not be driven. The engine would not start, which can mean anything from a flat battery to serious mechanical damage. A key was present.

The record shows 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. The paperwork is kept by different bodies – registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders – so the history of one car is spread across many places. From the outside, a car with a repaired accident and a car without one can look identical.

On a petrol engine, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. With no test drive possible, the automatic gearbox has to be assessed on a lift and with diagnostic equipment. A car with all-wheel drive has extra differentials and often a transfer case, which an inspection should cover alongside the engine and gearbox.

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 3TMMU4FN3BM032120. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

A VIN report shows what has been logged: earlier registrations, odometer figures, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks, wherever such data exists. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. Before making a decision about this Toyota Tacoma Base V6, check the history behind VIN 3TMMU4FN3BM032120.