2016 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN S VIN WVGAV7AX3GW541430

This record covers a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan S. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. The petrol engine has four cylinders. The specification is taken from the source data.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 146,251 miles. The instruments count in miles; the same distance in kilometres is about 1.6 times the figure. Gaps of several years between logged figures deserve attention, as does any reading lower than the one before it. Figures carry most weight when they come from independent sources: workshops, inspection stations and past title paperwork.

No primary damage is given in the record for this car, which is not the same as proof that it has never been damaged. 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. Months of standing can leave a car with seized brakes and perished tyres.

Title status in the record: clean. A clean title is a good sign, though it says nothing about wear, maintenance or how the car was driven.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. A car’s paperwork is scattered: the registry knows about owners, the workshop about repairs and the insurance company about claims. Much of a car’s past cannot be seen: a good body repair leaves no obvious mark, and neither do years of hard driving.

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. A petrol engine in good order starts cleanly, idles evenly and pulls without hesitation. The automatic gearbox needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was.

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 WVGAV7AX3GW541430. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

Depending on what is on file, a VIN report may include past registrations, mileage readings, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks. A repair paid for in cash at a small workshop leaves no trace in any database, so no report can list it. 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 WVGAV7AX3GW541430.