2014 CHEVROLET IMPALA LIMITED LS VIN 2G1WA5E3XE1170751

This record covers a 2014 Chevrolet Impala Limited LS. The fuel is petrol. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox.

The car was recorded with 163,251 miles on the clock. Miles and kilometres are easy to confuse, and a distance in miles looks lower than the same distance in kilometres. Gaps of several years between logged figures deserve attention, as does any reading lower than the one before it. Older figures usually turn up on service invoices, inspection reports and past title paperwork.

The record lists front-end damage as the main problem on this car. The damage type is a short label: the extent of the damage and the quality of any repair still have to be judged on the car. Whatever the cause, a diagnostic scan of the car’s electronics shows fault codes that a visual check misses.

The record notes that the car ran and drove. A key is on file for the car.

A salvage title is on file for this car. A title like this is issued when repair was judged uneconomical or unsafe. A branded title follows the car through every change of owner, so it remains part of its history.

Behind every used car lies a string of events: who owned it and for how long, what the inspections found and which repairs and claims were made. A clean, polished car can still hide a serious accident, a flood or years of hard use.

For the engine, the service history matters most: oil changes, filters and the timing belt or chain are the entries to look for. Many modern petrol engines are turbocharged and direct-injected; where they are, the turbocharger and injectors belong on a specialist’s checklist. The automatic gearbox should respond smoothly and without delay; jerks, slipping or hesitation on a test drive need investigating.

A vehicle identification number has 17 characters: the first three name the manufacturer, the next six describe the model and its specification, and the last eight identify the individual car. The record gives the VIN as 2G1WA5E3XE1170751.

Where entries exist, a VIN check can show changes of owner, past mileage readings, reported damage and whether the car is listed as stolen. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. For this 2014 Chevrolet Impala Limited LS, the sensible next step is a history check on VIN 2G1WA5E3XE1170751.