2016 HYUNDAI GENESIS 3.8 VIN KMHGN4JE1GU136959

This Hyundai Genesis 3.8 is a 2016 model, finished in black. The drivetrain combines an automatic gearbox with rear-wheel drive. Under the bonnet is a 3.8-litre petrol engine producing 348 hp.

The recorded mileage is 95,873 miles. The instruments count in miles; the same distance in kilometres is about 1.6 times the figure. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable. Service invoices and inspection reports each carry a mileage figure, and lined up in order they show whether the clock tells the truth.

When the car was recorded, it showed damage to the left front. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since. With damage to the left front on file, the inspection should start with the left front wing, the suspension on that corner and the wheel alignment.

The car is recorded as running and driving. A key was noted with the car. Months of standing can leave a car with seized brakes and perished tyres.

The car carries a clean title. With a clean title the car can be registered and insured in the usual way.

Every car builds up a history from the day it is first registered: owners come and go, inspections are passed or failed, and repairs are paid for. A car’s paperwork is scattered: the registry knows about owners, the workshop about repairs and the insurance company about claims. From the outside, a car with a repaired accident and a car without one can look identical.

On a petrol engine, a rough idle, misfires or a warning light on the dashboard need looking into. The automatic gearbox should respond smoothly and without delay; jerks, slipping or hesitation on a test drive need investigating.

The tenth character of the VIN stands for the model year, and the eleventh for the plant that built the car. The record gives the VIN as KMHGN4JE1GU136959.

Where entries exist, a VIN check can show changes of owner, past mileage readings, reported damage and whether the car is listed as stolen. No report is complete: a repair done privately and never claimed on insurance leaves nothing to find. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. Before any decision, check what is known about VIN KMHGN4JE1GU136959.