2013 TOYOTA COROLLA S VIN 5YFBU4EE1DP195174

This record covers a 2013 Toyota Corolla S, finished in red. Power comes from a 1.8-litre petrol engine with four cylinders, rated at 132 hp. There is an automatic gearbox, with front-wheel drive. 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. 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. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since. Damage rarely stays where it is first seen: an impact can reach the mountings and airbags behind a panel, and water or fire the wiring and electronics.

A key is on file for the car. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

A salvage title is on file for this car. A title of this kind usually means the car was written off as a total loss after damage.

A car’s history is everything logged against it since it left the factory: registrations and owners, inspections, repairs and insurance claims. A car’s past rarely shows on the paintwork: a well-repaired accident or water damage that was dried out is easy to miss.

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 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 VIN of this Toyota Corolla S is 5YFBU4EE1DP195174. The number in the car’s documents should match the one stamped into the body and the one on the plate at the base of the windscreen.

A VIN report gathers what different sources know about a car, such as the number of owners, mileage readings, damage and any branded title. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. Look up the history of VIN 5YFBU4EE1DP195174 first, and let what it shows guide the inspection.