2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GL VIN WVWMD63B13P251787

This Volkswagen Passat GL was built in 2003. The drivetrain combines a manual gearbox with front-wheel drive. Under the bonnet is a 1.8-litre petrol engine producing 170 hp. The specification is taken from the source data.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 257,853 miles. The instruments count in miles; the same distance in kilometres is about 1.6 times the figure. Services and inspections note the distance covered, so a car with an ordinary past builds up a trail of figures that climb year after year. Title paperwork often notes the mileage at each change of owner, which makes it a useful cross-check.

This Volkswagen Passat GL is recorded with front-end damage. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since. Given the kind of damage entered, a mechanic should look first at the radiator support, the headlamp mountings and the front crash structure.

The record describes this Volkswagen Passat GL as a non-runner. The engine started, but that says nothing yet about the gearbox or the drive to the wheels. A key was noted with the car. Months of standing can leave a car with seized brakes and perished tyres.

A salvage title is on file for this car. A title of this kind usually means the car was written off as a total loss after damage. The structure and the quality of any work done deserve a thorough inspection on a car with a branded title, however sound the car looks.

A car’s history is everything logged against it since it left the factory: registrations and owners, inspections, repairs and insurance claims. 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.

An engine that has had its oil changed on time is far less likely to cause trouble later, and workshop invoices are the proof. On a petrol engine, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. On a non-runner the clutch and gearbox cannot be tried on the road, so a mechanic has to check the linkage, the clutch hydraulics and the gearbox oil instead.

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. For this car, the VIN is WVWMD63B13P251787. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

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 going any further with this Volkswagen Passat GL, it makes sense to look up VIN WVWMD63B13P251787.