2006 FORD EXPLORER XLT VIN 1FMEU63EX6UB52174

This record covers a 2006 Ford Explorer XLT, finished in yellow. The petrol engine has six cylinders and produces 210 hp. The drivetrain combines an automatic gearbox with rear-wheel drive. The specification is taken from the source data.

The record gives the mileage as 226,828 miles. Because the clock counts miles, any figure noted in kilometres has to be converted before the two can be compared. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable. A service book or a folder of workshop invoices is the simplest place to find past readings.

This Ford Explorer XLT is recorded with side damage. 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 door pillars, the sills and the side airbags.

A key was there when the car was checked. A condition note describes the car at one moment; months of standing or later work on the car can change the picture in either direction.

The car carries a clean title. A clean title is a good sign, though it says nothing about wear, maintenance or how the car was driven.

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. What a car has been through is seldom visible at first glance, and a respray can make even a badly damaged car look sound.

For the engine, the service history matters most: oil changes, filters and the timing belt or chain are the entries to look for. Many modern petrol engines are turbocharged and direct-injected; where they are, the turbocharger and injectors belong on a specialist’s checklist. The automatic gearbox should respond smoothly and without delay; jerks, slipping or hesitation on a test drive need investigating.

The ninth character of the VIN is a check digit calculated from the other sixteen, so a mistyped or invented number does not add up. The record gives the VIN as 1FMEU63EX6UB52174.

A VIN report shows what has been logged: earlier registrations, odometer figures, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks, wherever such data exists. No report is complete: a repair done privately and never claimed on insurance leaves nothing to find. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. Before going any further with this Ford Explorer XLT, it makes sense to look up VIN 1FMEU63EX6UB52174.