2017 TOYOTA RAV4 SE VIN JTMNFREV2HJ140828

This entry is for a 2017 Toyota RAV4 SE. Power comes from a 2.5-litre petrol engine with four cylinders. The gearbox is automatic. The specification is taken from the source data and has not been checked against other documents.

The source data puts the mileage at 157,358 miles. The instruments count in miles; the same distance in kilometres is about 1.6 times the figure. Averaged over the car’s age, the mileage works out well above the usual annual distance, and wear on the suspension, brakes and interior should be judged with that in mind. 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.

The record lists front-end damage 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.

A ‘runs and drives’ note means the car moved under its own power when it was checked. 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. At some point in its life, the car was declared a total loss. Once issued, a branded title stays with the VIN for good, and it affects registration and insurance for every later owner.

Registrations, changes of owner, inspection results and accident claims together make up what is called a car’s history. 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.

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.

The tenth character of the VIN stands for the model year, and the eleventh for the plant that built the car. For this car, the VIN is JTMNFREV2HJ140828. Scratches, fresh paint or a replaced plate around the VIN markings are warning signs in their own right.

Depending on what is on file, a VIN report may include past registrations, mileage readings, damage entries, branded titles and theft checks. A repair paid for in cash at a small workshop leaves no trace in any database, so no report can list it. 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 JTMNFREV2HJ140828.