2018 BMW 330E IPERFORMANCE VIN WBA8E1C52JA755922

This entry is for a 2018 BMW 330E Iperformance, finished in white. Power reaches the wheels through an automatic gearbox. A 2.0-litre engine works together with an electric motor, for a combined output of 180 hp.

The record gives the mileage as 70,011 miles. Miles and kilometres are easy to confuse, and a distance in miles looks lower than the same distance in kilometres. A single figure proves little: what makes a mileage believable is a series of readings that rise steadily over the years.

In the source data, the main issue is hail damage. Two cars with the same damage label can be very different: one needs a few new parts, the other major work. Whatever the cause, a diagnostic scan of the car’s electronics shows fault codes that a visual check misses.

A note in the source data says the car did not run. An engine that will not start could have a simple electrical fault or internal damage, and only diagnostic work can tell which. 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. A branded title follows the car through every change of owner, so it remains part of its history.

A car’s history answers three questions: who kept it, how it was looked after and what went wrong along the way. A clean, polished car can still hide a serious accident, a flood or years of hard use.

An engine that has had its oil changed on time is far less likely to cause trouble later, and workshop invoices are the proof. 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 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 WBA8E1C52JA755922. A VIN that differs between the documents and the car, or shows signs of tampering, is reason enough to walk away.

What a history report can list depends on what has been documented about the car: registrations, mileage readings, damage, branded titles and theft reports. 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. A history check on VIN WBA8E1C52JA755922 is the place to start.