2022 NISSAN ALTIMA SV FWD VIN 1N4BL4DV2NN396882

This entry is for a 2022 Nissan Altima SV FWD, finished in silver. The petrol engine has four cylinders and produces 188 hp. The gearbox is continuously variable (CVT). Details for this car come from a single data source and may differ from its documents.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 73,054 miles. Miles and kilometres are easy to confuse, and a distance in miles looks lower than the same distance in kilometres. The mileage is high for the car’s age, so the suspension, brakes, seats and steering wheel deserve a close look. Services and inspections note the distance covered, so a car with an ordinary past builds up a trail of figures that climb year after year. Older figures usually turn up on service invoices, inspection reports and past title paperwork.

This Nissan Altima SV FWD is recorded with flood damage. Two cars with the same damage label can be very different: one needs a few new parts, the other major work. Some damage shows its consequences only later: corroded connectors and electrical faults can surface months afterwards.

A ‘runs and drives’ note means the car moved under its own power when it was checked. A key was noted with the car. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

According to the source data, the car has a salvage title. At some point in its life, the car was declared a total loss.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. A car’s paperwork is scattered: the registry knows about owners, the workshop about repairs and the insurance company about claims. What a car has been through is seldom visible at first glance, and a respray can make even a badly damaged car look sound.

An engine that has had its oil changed on time is far less likely to cause trouble later, and workshop invoices are the proof. Many modern petrol engines are turbocharged and direct-injected; where they are, the turbocharger and injectors belong on a specialist’s checklist. The CVT gearbox should respond smoothly and without delay; jerks, slipping or hesitation on a test drive need investigating.

The tenth character of the VIN stands for the model year, and the eleventh for the plant that built the car. This car’s identification number is 1N4BL4DV2NN396882. The number in the car’s documents should match the one stamped into the body and the one on the plate at the base of the windscreen.

A VIN report shows what has been logged: earlier registrations, odometer figures, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks, wherever such data exists. A repair paid for in cash at a small workshop leaves no trace in any database, so no report can list it. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. The next step is to look up the history behind VIN 1N4BL4DV2NN396882.