2007 LEXUS RX 400H VIN JTJGW31U072004707

This Lexus RX 400H was built in 2007. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. The powertrain is hybrid. Every figure for this car is given as it appears in the source data.

At the time of recording, the car had covered 233,296 miles. A clock converted from miles to kilometres should be documented, since the swap can hide the true mileage. A single figure proves little: what makes a mileage believable is a series of readings that rise steadily over the years. Older figures usually turn up on service invoices, inspection reports and past title paperwork.

No damage entry is on file for this car, and the bodywork still needs checking in person. Paint depth, panel gaps and the underbody show whether the body has been repaired.

As a non-runner, the car needs its engine, gearbox and electrics assessed before anything else. The engine could not be started. A key was noted with the car. Running condition describes a single moment, and standing or work done since can change it.

The car carries a clean title. A clean title is a good sign, though it says nothing about wear, maintenance or how the car was driven.

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. The paperwork is kept by different bodies – registries, workshops, insurance companies and lenders – so the history of one car is spread across many places. A car’s past rarely shows on the paintwork: a well-repaired accident or water damage that was dried out is easy to miss.

When a car does not run, a compression test and the condition of the oil tell a mechanic whether the engine can be brought back to life. A hybrid adds a traction battery to the engine, and its condition deserves a check of its own. 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.

A VIN never contains the letters I, O or Q, which could be mistaken for digits; its 17 characters identify the maker, the model and the individual car. The VIN on file for this car is JTJGW31U072004707. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

Where entries exist, a VIN check can show changes of owner, past mileage readings, reported damage and whether the car is listed as stolen. No report is complete: a repair done privately and never claimed on insurance leaves nothing to find. A professional inspection makes sense whatever the paperwork shows, because no report measures corrosion, worn bushes or a poor repair. For this 2007 Lexus RX 400H, the sensible next step is a history check on VIN JTJGW31U072004707.