2014 AUDI Q5 3.0 TDI PREMIUM PLUS VIN WA1CMAFP6EA109523

This entry is for a 2014 Audi Q5 3.0 TDI Premium Plus, finished in grey. Power comes from a 3.0-litre diesel engine with six cylinders. There is an automatic gearbox, with all-wheel drive.

The record gives the mileage as 166,000 miles. A single figure proves little: what makes a mileage believable is a series of readings that rise steadily over the years. A service book or a folder of workshop invoices is the simplest place to find past readings.

In the source data, the main issue is damage to the right front. Two cars with the same damage label can be very different: one needs a few new parts, the other major work. 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 ‘runs and drives’ note means the car moved under its own power when it was checked. A key was present.

The car carries a salvage title. A title like this is issued when repair was judged uneconomical or unsafe. A branded title follows the car through every change of owner, so it remains part of its history.

A car’s history is everything logged against it since it left the factory: registrations and owners, inspections, repairs and insurance claims. The paperwork is kept by different bodies – registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders – so the history of one car is spread across many places. What a car has been through is seldom visible at first glance, and a respray can make even a badly damaged car look sound.

An engine that has had its oil changed on time is far less likely to cause trouble later, and workshop invoices are the proof. A diesel used mainly for short trips may need attention to its particulate filter, EGR valve or injectors. The automatic gearbox should respond smoothly and without delay; jerks, slipping or hesitation on a test drive need investigating. On a car with all-wheel drive, a whine or clunk when turning tightly at low speed needs a mechanic’s attention.

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. This car’s identification number is WA1CMAFP6EA109523. The VIN usually appears at the base of the windscreen, on a door pillar and stamped into the body, and all of them should match the documents.

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 WA1CMAFP6EA109523.