2012 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S VIN 1N4AL2AP5CN569717

This Nissan Altima 2.5 S was built in 2012. The drivetrain combines an automatic gearbox with front-wheel drive. The petrol engine has four cylinders and produces 170 hp. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The record gives the mileage as 195,436 miles. A clock converted from miles to kilometres should be documented, since the swap can hide the true mileage. A later figure lower than an earlier one points to a replaced instrument cluster or an odometer that has been wound back. Figures carry most weight when they come from independent sources: workshops, inspection stations and past title paperwork.

This Nissan Altima 2.5 S is recorded with damage to the left front. Whether the damage has been repaired since, and how well, is not something a damage entry can show. 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.

When checked, the car could be started and driven under its own power. A key was noted with 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.

Title status in the record: salvage. A title like this is issued when repair was judged uneconomical or unsafe. Once issued, a branded title stays with the VIN for good, and it affects registration and insurance for every later owner.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. From the outside, a car with a repaired accident and a car without one can look identical.

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.

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 1N4AL2AP5CN569717.

Where entries exist, a VIN check can show changes of owner, past mileage readings, reported damage and whether the car is listed as stolen. The absence of an entry is not proof that nothing happened; it may only mean that nobody wrote it down. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. Before making a decision about this Nissan Altima 2.5 S, check the history behind VIN 1N4AL2AP5CN569717.