2013 LEXUS ES 350 VIN JTHBK1GG3D2052355

The Lexus ES 350 described here left the factory in 2013. There is an automatic gearbox, with front-wheel drive. Under the bonnet is a 3.5-litre petrol engine. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

The source data puts the mileage at 118,238 miles. Because the clock counts miles, any figure noted in kilometres has to be converted before the two can be compared. The number on the clock proves little by itself; earlier figures logged at services and inspections are what make it believable. Title paperwork often notes the mileage at each change of owner, which makes it a useful cross-check.

When the car was recorded, it showed flood damage. 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. Some damage shows its consequences only later: corroded connectors and electrical faults can surface months afterwards.

When checked, the car could be started and driven under its own power. A key was there when the car was checked. A condition note describes the car at one moment; months of standing or later work on the car can change the picture in either direction.

According to the source data, the car has a salvage title. 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.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. Much of a car’s past cannot be seen: a good body repair leaves no obvious mark, and neither do years of hard driving.

For the engine, the service history matters most: oil changes, filters and the timing belt or chain are the entries to look for. On a petrol engine, a rough idle, misfires or a warning light on the dashboard need looking into. Automatic transmissions, CVTs included, are expensive to repair, so the test drive should include pulling away from a standstill and a stretch at motorway speed.

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 JTHBK1GG3D2052355.

Depending on what is on file, a VIN report may include past registrations, mileage readings, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. Look up the history of VIN JTHBK1GG3D2052355 first, and let what it shows guide the inspection.