2016 HYUNDAI ELANTRA SE VIN 5NPDH4AEXGH796216

This Hyundai Elantra SE was built in 2016. The petrol engine has four cylinders and produces 145 hp. The drivetrain combines an automatic gearbox with front-wheel drive. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The source data puts the mileage at 107,164 miles. Services and inspections note the distance covered, so a car with an ordinary past builds up a trail of figures that climb year after year.

No primary damage is given in the record for this car, which is not the same as proof that it has never been damaged. Signs of an old repair – uneven panel gaps, overspray, a slight mismatch in paint – can still turn up at an inspection.

When it was checked, the car could not be driven. The engine could be started. A key is on file for the car. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

The record shows a clean title. Such a title means no salvage, flood or similar mark was recorded against the car; it does not rule out damage repaired without a claim.

A car’s history is the sum of what has happened to it since it was new, and most of it has left a trace on paper somewhere. 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.

On a petrol engine, spark plugs, ignition coils and the cooling system are the routine items a service history should cover. 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.

Every modern car carries a 17-character VIN, its identity for life, and no two cars share one. The VIN on file for this car is 5NPDH4AEXGH796216. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

A VIN report gathers what different sources know about a car, such as the number of owners, mileage readings, damage and any branded title. A repair paid for in cash at a small workshop leaves no trace in any database, so no report can list it. A history report says nothing about the car’s present condition: the frame, corrosion, electrics and the quality of any repair are judged on a lift by a mechanic. Look up the history of VIN 5NPDH4AEXGH796216 first, and let what it shows guide the inspection.