2014 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.0L TDI SEL PREMIUM VIN 1VWCN7A35EC092967

This Volkswagen Passat 2.0L TDI SEL Premium is a 2014 model, finished in black. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. The fuel is diesel.

The clock stood at 175,638 miles when the data was entered. The figure is in miles and needs converting before it is compared with kilometres: one mile is about 1.6 km. Turning back an odometer takes little skill and leaves no visible trace, which is why earlier figures matter more than the display. Figures carry most weight when they come from independent sources: workshops, inspection stations and past title paperwork.

In the source data, the main issue is front-end damage. Whether the damage has been repaired since, and how well, is not something a damage entry can show.

A car that does not run has to be moved on a trailer, and its real condition is known only after a thorough assessment. The engine would not start, which can mean anything from a flat battery to serious mechanical damage. No key was available with the car.

Title status in the record: clean. Nothing on the title points to a total loss or a flood.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. Pieces of a car’s history sit with registries, dealers, workshops and insurance companies, and none of them sees the whole picture. A car’s past rarely shows on the paintwork: a well-repaired accident or water damage that was dried out is easy to miss.

When a car does not run, a compression test and the condition of the oil tell a mechanic whether the engine can be brought back to life. On a diesel, the particulate filter, injectors and turbocharger are the parts an inspection should cover, as they are costly to replace. On a car that does not run, the automatic gearbox cannot be judged on the road; the colour and smell of its fluid and a diagnostic scan give the first clues.

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 1VWCN7A35EC092967. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

What a history report can list depends on what has been documented about the car: registrations, mileage readings, damage, branded titles and theft reports. No report is complete: a repair done privately and never claimed on insurance leaves nothing to find. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. Look up the history of VIN 1VWCN7A35EC092967 first, and let what it shows guide the inspection.