2012 CHRYSLER 200 LIMITED VIN 1C3CCBCB2CN250770

This Chrysler 200 Limited is a 2012 model, finished in silver. The gearbox is automatic, with front-wheel drive. The car runs on petrol. Details for this car come from a single data source and may differ from its documents.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 122,948 miles. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable.

The main issue noted for this car is damage to the left front. Two cars with the same damage label can be very different: one needs a few new parts, the other major work. Given the kind of damage entered, a mechanic should look first at the left front wing, the suspension on that corner and the wheel alignment.

Without a key, a modern car needs a replacement coded to its immobiliser before it can even be started. Months of standing can leave a car with seized brakes and perished tyres.

The car carries a clean title. Such a title means no salvage, flood or similar mark was recorded against the car; it does not rule out damage repaired without a claim.

A car’s history answers three questions: who kept it, how it was looked after and what went wrong along the way. 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 clean, polished car can still hide a serious accident, a flood or years of hard use.

For the engine, the service history matters most: oil changes, filters and the timing belt or chain are the entries to look for. On a petrol engine, a rough idle, misfires or a warning light on the dashboard need looking into. Automatic transmissions, CVTs included, are expensive to repair, so the test drive should include pulling away from a standstill and a stretch at motorway speed.

A VIN never contains the letters I, O or Q, which could be mistaken for digits; its 17 characters identify the maker, the model and the individual car. The record gives the VIN as 1C3CCBCB2CN250770. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

A VIN report shows what has been logged: earlier registrations, odometer figures, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks, wherever such data exists. The past is on file; the car’s condition today is a job for a mechanic, who can check the structure, underbody, electrics and any repairs on a lift. Before making a decision about this Chrysler 200 Limited, check the history behind VIN 1C3CCBCB2CN250770.