2013 FORD FOCUS SE VIN 1FADP3K24DL244127

This record covers a 2013 Ford Focus SE. The car runs on petrol. There is an automatic gearbox, with front-wheel drive. The specification is taken from the source data and has not been checked against other documents.

The record gives the mileage as 112,057 miles. The figure is in miles and needs converting before it is compared with kilometres: one mile is about 1.6 km. A single figure proves little: what makes a mileage believable is a series of readings that rise steadily over the years.

In the source data, the main issue is rear-end damage. Two cars with the same damage label can be very different: one needs a few new parts, the other major work.

The record notes that the car ran and drove. A key is on file for the car. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

A clean title is on file for this car. Nothing on the title points to a total loss or a flood.

A car’s history is the sum of what has happened to it since it was new, and most of it has left a trace on paper somewhere. A car’s paperwork is scattered: the registry knows about owners, the workshop about repairs and the insurance company about claims. 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, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. 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 VIN 1FADP3K24DL244127 belongs to this 2013 Ford Focus SE. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

Where entries exist, a VIN check can show changes of owner, past mileage readings, reported damage and whether the car is listed as stolen. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. Look up the history of VIN 1FADP3K24DL244127 first, and let what it shows guide the inspection.