2015 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT S VIN 1VWAS7A30FC010290

This Volkswagen Passat S is a 2015 model, finished in black. The petrol engine has four cylinders. The gearbox is automatic, with front-wheel drive. The specification is taken from the source data and has not been checked against other documents.

The record gives the mileage as 167,633 miles. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable.

Primary damage in the record: mechanical. A damage entry is a starting point for the inspection, telling the mechanic where to look first. A lift and a diagnostic check show what photos cannot: bent brackets behind a panel, chafed wiring or deployed airbags.

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

A salvage title is on file for this car. Titles of this type are issued to cars declared a total loss. A branded title follows the car through every change of owner, so it remains part of its history.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. What a car has been through is seldom visible at first glance, and a respray can make even a badly damaged car look sound.

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.

The VIN is a 17-character code assigned at the factory: it identifies the manufacturer, the model and its variant, and ends with a serial number unique to the car. This Volkswagen Passat S has the VIN 1VWAS7A30FC010290. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

Depending on what is on file, a VIN report may include past registrations, mileage readings, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks. Paperwork is only as complete as the people who kept it, so a report with few entries lowers the risk without removing it. A VIN check and a physical inspection answer different questions: the first says what happened to the car, the second what condition it is in now. With this 2015 Volkswagen Passat S, the first step is a look at the history behind VIN 1VWAS7A30FC010290.