2015 NISSAN FRONTIER SV VIN 1N6AD0ER2FN726693

This entry is for a 2015 Nissan Frontier SV, finished in blue. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. Power comes from a 4.0-litre petrol engine with six cylinders. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The source data puts the mileage at 148,535 miles. The instruments count in miles; the same distance in kilometres is about 1.6 times the figure. 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.

When the car was recorded, it showed front-end damage. A damage entry is a starting point for the inspection, telling the mechanic where to look first. Given the kind of damage entered, a mechanic should look first at the radiator support, the headlamp mountings and the front crash structure.

At the time of recording, the car ran and drove. A key was noted with the car. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

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. Pieces of a car’s history sit with registries, dealers, workshops and insurance companies, and none of them sees the whole picture. From the outside, a car with a repaired accident and a car without one can look identical.

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. A petrol engine in good order starts cleanly, idles evenly and pulls without hesitation. The automatic gearbox needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was.

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 record gives the VIN as 1N6AD0ER2FN726693. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

Depending on what is on file, a VIN report may include past registrations, mileage readings, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. A history check on VIN 1N6AD0ER2FN726693 is the place to start.