2016 MAZDA CX-3 SPORT VIN JM1DKFB72G0131076

This Mazda CX-3 Sport was built in 2016. The drivetrain combines an automatic gearbox with four-wheel drive. Power comes from a 2.0-litre petrol engine with four cylinders. Details for this car come from a single data source and may differ from its documents.

The record gives the mileage as 100,159 miles. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable. Older figures usually turn up on service invoices, inspection reports and past title paperwork.

In the source data, the main issue is damage to the left side. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since.

The record notes that the car ran and drove. A key was there when the car was checked. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

The record shows a non-repairable title. Titles of this type are issued to cars declared a total loss. If any work has been done on the car since, photos and invoices should show what was replaced.

A car’s history answers three questions: who kept it, how it was looked after and what went wrong along the way. A car’s paperwork is scattered: the registry knows about owners, the workshop about repairs and the insurance company about 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.

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. The automatic gearbox needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was. With four-wheel drive, mismatched tyres can strain the centre differential or coupling, so all four should be the same make and similarly worn.

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. The record gives the VIN as JM1DKFB72G0131076. 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. No report is complete: a repair done privately and never claimed on insurance leaves nothing to find. The past is on file; the car’s condition today is a job for a mechanic, who can check the structure, underbody, electrics and any repairs on a lift. Look up the history of VIN JM1DKFB72G0131076 first, and let what it shows guide the inspection.