2017 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA S VIN 3VW2B7AJ7HM391236

This record covers a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta S, finished in black. Under the bonnet is a 1.4-litre petrol engine. The gearbox is automatic.

The clock stood at 76,390 miles when the data was entered. 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. Figures carry most weight when they come from independent sources: workshops, inspection stations and past title paperwork.

The record lists rear-end damage as the main problem on this car. Whether the damage has been repaired since, and how well, is not something a damage entry can show.

The car is recorded as running and driving. A key was there when the car was checked.

The car carries a salvage title. Titles of this type are issued to cars declared a total loss. The structure and the quality of any work done deserve a thorough inspection on a car with a branded title.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. No single office holds the whole story of a car: registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders each keep their own part. A clean, polished car can still hide a serious accident, a flood or years of hard use.

A cold start, the colour of the exhaust smoke and any oil leaks tell a mechanic a good deal about how an engine has been treated. 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.

Every modern car carries a 17-character VIN, and no two cars share one. The VIN on file for this car is 3VW2B7AJ7HM391236.

Depending on what is on file, a VIN report may include past registrations, mileage readings, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks. The absence of an entry is not proof that nothing happened; it may only mean that nobody wrote it down. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. With this 2017 Volkswagen Jetta S, the first step is a look at the history behind VIN 3VW2B7AJ7HM391236.