2014 INFINITI QX60 BASE VIN 5N1AL0MM9EC507778

This Infiniti QX60 Base is a 2014 model. There is an automatic gearbox, with four-wheel drive. The car runs on petrol. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 121,209 miles. Miles and kilometres are easy to confuse, and a distance in miles looks lower than the same distance in kilometres. A later figure lower than an earlier one points to a replaced instrument cluster or an odometer that has been wound back. Title paperwork often notes the mileage at each change of owner, which makes it a useful cross-check.

Primary damage in the record: minor dents and scratches. A damage type says what kind of damage the car had, not how serious it was or whether it has been repaired since.

When checked, the car could be started and driven under its own power. A key was noted with the car. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

Title status in the record: clean. With a clean title the car can be registered and insured in the usual way.

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. A car’s paperwork is scattered: the registry knows about owners, the workshop about repairs and the insurance company about claims. 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. 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. Drive to all four wheels means more to maintain: differentials and couplings have oil of their own, which some manufacturers want changed at set intervals.

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. For this car, the VIN is 5N1AL0MM9EC507778. 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. The absence of an entry is not proof that nothing happened; it may only mean that nobody wrote it down. The past is on file; the car’s condition today is a job for a mechanic, who can check the structure, underbody, electrics and any repairs on a lift. Before any decision, check what is known about VIN 5N1AL0MM9EC507778.