Many car owners do not have their first maintenance done at authorized dealerships, leading to gaps in early data. In such cases, we do not blindly trust the odometer; instead, we analyze the tire production dates and wear levels, as well as the depth of grooves on the brake disc edges, using the "gold standard" of physical wear to infer the intensity of early use.
Once the car system (especially in a closed ecosystem) undergoes a major version upgrade, its bootloader is usually locked, preventing downgrades. If this happens, there is basically no solution in an overseas environment. Therefore, we strongly warn: do not blindly insert a USB drive to upgrade while offline.
State of Health (SOH) tells you how much of the original battery capacity remains. Here's how to use it. Reading the report: SOH is usually shown as a percentage of original capacity. A car at 90% SOH retains roughly 90% of its original range. Also check for cell imbalance (voltage spread between modules)—a low SOH with balanced cells is often fine, but high imbalance causes sudden range drops and charging problems. Acceptable thresholds: for a car under 3 years old, expect 90%+ SOH. For 3-5 years, 85-90% is normal. Below 80% SOH, the battery may soon need replacement—replacement costs can exceed the car's value, so negotiate hard or walk away. How to verify: don't trust a screenshot. Ask for a live screen recording of the diagnostic app (like the brand's official tool) starting from the car's VIN page. Cross-check the fast-charging curve: a healthy battery charges at near-peak rate up to 60-70%; a degraded one tapers early. Finally, remember that hot climates degrade batteries faster—if the car spent its life in southern China, scrutinize SOH more carefully.
