2015 MERCEDES-BENZ C 300 4MATIC VIN 55SWF4KB9FU009237

This record covers a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4MATIC, finished in white. The fuel is petrol. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. The specification is taken from the source data and has not been checked against other documents.

Turning back an odometer takes little skill and leaves no visible trace, which is why earlier figures matter more than the display.

In the source data, the main issue is minor dents and scratches. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since. With minor dents and scratches on file, the inspection should start with the paintwork and whether any dent has reached the metal underneath.

Without a key, a modern car needs a replacement coded to its immobiliser before it can even be started. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

Title status in the record: clean. With a clean title the car can be registered and insured in the usual way.

A car’s history answers three questions: who kept it, how it was looked after and what went wrong along the way. 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.

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. On a petrol engine, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. 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 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. This Mercedes-Benz C 300 4MATIC has the VIN 55SWF4KB9FU009237. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

Depending on what is on file, a VIN report may include past registrations, mileage readings, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks. 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 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4MATIC, it makes sense to look up VIN 55SWF4KB9FU009237.