2016 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SE VIN JA4AZ3A31GZ004014

The Mitsubishi Outlander SE described here left the factory in 2016. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. Power comes from a 2.4-litre petrol engine with four cylinders. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 108,244 miles. The instruments count in miles; the same distance in kilometres is about 1.6 times the figure. A single figure proves little: what makes a mileage believable is a series of readings that rise steadily over the years. Older figures usually turn up on service invoices, inspection reports and past title paperwork.

In the source data, the main issue is hail damage. The damage type is a short label: the extent of the damage and the quality of any repair still have to be judged on the car. With hail damage on file, the inspection should start with the roof, bonnet and boot lid, and the glass.

A key is on file for the car. A condition note describes the car at one moment; months of standing or later work on the car can change the picture in either direction.

The record shows a salvage title. A title like this is issued when repair was judged uneconomical or unsafe. If any work has been done on the car since, photos and invoices should show what was replaced.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. From the outside, a car with a repaired accident and a car without one can look identical.

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, a rough idle, misfires or a warning light on the dashboard need looking into. 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. Drive to all four wheels means more to maintain: differentials and couplings have oil of their own, which some manufacturers want changed at set intervals.

A history check works by VIN because the number never changes, unlike registration plates and owners. The record gives the VIN as JA4AZ3A31GZ004014.

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 repair paid for in cash at a small workshop leaves no trace in any database, so no report can list it. A history report says nothing about the car’s present condition: the frame, corrosion, electrics and the quality of any repair are judged on a lift by a mechanic. Look up the history of VIN JA4AZ3A31GZ004014 first, and let what it shows guide the inspection.