2020 DODGE DURANGO R/T AWD VIN 1C4SDJCT2LC395231

This entry is for a 2020 Dodge Durango. The engine is a 5.7-litre petrol unit with eight cylinders. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. The specification is taken from the source data.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 131,358 miles. The figure is in miles and needs converting before it is compared with kilometres: one mile is about 1.6 km. 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.

This Dodge Durango is recorded with flood damage. The damage type is a short label: the extent of the damage and the quality of any repair still have to be judged on the car. With flood damage on file, the inspection should start with the wiring, connectors and electronics, and any corrosion under the carpets.

When checked, the car could be started and driven under its own power. A key was noted with the car. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

A salvage title is on file for this car. Such a title means the car was declared a total loss and can return to the road only after repair and inspection. 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.

Every car builds up a history from the day it is first registered: owners come and go, inspections are passed or failed, and repairs are paid for. 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.

Many modern petrol engines are turbocharged and direct-injected; where they are, the turbocharger and injectors belong on a specialist’s checklist. 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. On a car with all-wheel drive, a whine or clunk when turning tightly at low speed needs a mechanic’s attention.

Every modern car carries a 17-character VIN, its identity for life, and no two cars share one. The VIN on file for this car is 1C4SDJCT2LC395231. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

What a history report can list depends on what has been documented about the car: registrations, mileage readings, damage, branded titles and theft reports. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. With this 2020 Dodge Durango, the first step is a look at the history behind VIN 1C4SDJCT2LC395231.