2009 CADILLAC CTS RWD W/1SA VIN 1G6DF577590140867

This Cadillac CTS RWD is a 2009 model, finished in black. There is an automatic gearbox, with rear-wheel drive. The engine is a 3.6-litre petrol unit with six cylinders.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 240,000 miles. Miles and kilometres are easy to confuse, and a distance in miles looks lower than the same distance in kilometres. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable. Title paperwork often notes the mileage at each change of owner, which makes it a useful cross-check.

No damage type appears in the source data; that shows what was entered, not what the car has been through. Water marks under the carpets, rust in unusual places or a panel in a slightly different shade would point to damage nobody ever entered.

The car is recorded as running and driving. A key is on file for the car. 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. There is no salvage or similar mark, so the car was never recorded as a total loss.

Behind every used car lies a string of events: who owned it and for how long, what the inspections found and which repairs and claims were made. A car’s past rarely shows on the paintwork: a well-repaired accident or water damage that was dried out is easy to miss.

A cold start, the colour of the exhaust smoke and any oil leaks tell a mechanic a good deal about how an engine has been treated. On a petrol engine, a rough idle, misfires or a warning light on the dashboard need looking into. The automatic gearbox needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was.

The tenth character of the VIN stands for the model year, and the eleventh for the plant that built the car. The VIN 1G6DF577590140867 belongs to this 2009 Cadillac CTS RWD. 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. A history report says nothing about the car’s present condition: the frame, corrosion, electrics and the quality of any repair are judged on a lift by a mechanic. Before any decision, check what is known about VIN 1G6DF577590140867.