2013 KIA SOUL + VIN KNDJT2A64D7545318

This KIA Soul + is a 2013 model. The engine is a 2.0-litre petrol unit with four cylinders. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. The specification is taken from the source data and has not been checked against other documents.

The record gives the mileage as 248,759 miles. Miles and kilometres are easy to confuse, and a distance in miles looks lower than the same distance in kilometres. A car that has covered this much distance for its age has worked hard, and a mechanic should judge the wear accordingly. 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.

No damage entry is on file for this car. Paint depth, panel gaps and the underbody show whether the body has been repaired.

A ‘runs and drives’ note means the car moved under its own power when it was checked. A key was present. Condition notes are a snapshot: the car may have been worked on, stripped of parts or left standing since.

Title status in the record: clean. Nothing on the title points to a total loss or a flood.

Behind every used car lies a string of events: who owned it and for how long, what the inspections found and which repairs and claims were made. The paperwork is kept by different bodies – registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders – so the history of one car is spread across many places. 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. Many modern petrol engines are turbocharged and direct-injected; where they are, the turbocharger and injectors belong on a specialist’s checklist. The automatic gearbox needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was.

The VIN is a 17-character code assigned at the factory: it identifies the manufacturer, the model and its variant, and ends with a serial number unique to the car. The VIN on file for this car is KNDJT2A64D7545318.

Where entries exist, a VIN check can show changes of owner, past mileage readings, reported damage and whether the car is listed as stolen. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. Before going any further with this KIA Soul +, it makes sense to look up VIN KNDJT2A64D7545318.