2016 HONDA HR-V EX VIN 3CZRU5H55GM721120

This Honda Hr-V EX was built in 2016. The gearbox is continuously variable (CVT), with front-wheel drive. The engine is a 1.8-litre petrol unit with four cylinders. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The clock stood at 160,845 miles when the data was entered. A clock converted from miles to kilometres should be documented, since the swap can hide the true mileage. High mileage alone does not rule a car out; what matters is whether regular servicing kept pace with it. 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.

The record lists minor dents and scratches as the main problem on this car. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since. With minor dents and scratches on file, the inspection should start with the paintwork and whether any dent has reached the metal underneath.

The record notes that the car ran and drove. A key was there when the car was checked. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

A clean title is on file for this car. There is no salvage or similar mark, so the car was never recorded as a total loss.

A car’s history answers three questions: who kept it, how it was looked after and what went wrong along the way. Pieces of a car’s history sit with registries, dealers, workshops and insurance companies, and none of them sees the whole picture. 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. On a petrol engine, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. The CVT gearbox needs its fluid changed at the manufacturer’s intervals, and invoices should show that it was.

Every modern car carries a 17-character VIN, its identity for life, and no two cars share one. For this car, the VIN is 3CZRU5H55GM721120. The VIN usually appears at the base of the windscreen, on a door pillar and stamped into the body, and all of them should match the documents.

A VIN report shows what has been logged: earlier registrations, odometer figures, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks, wherever such data exists. The absence of an entry is not proof that nothing happened; it may only mean that nobody wrote it down. However complete the paperwork, only an inspection shows the condition of the body, suspension, brakes and electrics today. Before any decision, check what is known about VIN 3CZRU5H55GM721120.