Used cars owned for short periods - dodgy?
Discussion
Currently in the market of buying a sub 5k performance car (Mondeo ST220/Civic Type R etc.).
A lot of sellers I have called have only owned the car for less than 12 months. These are specialist cars (relative to standard models), so my spidy senses tell me there could be something wrong with the car which is why the owners are not holding on to them.
Would you buy a used car that has been owned by someone for less than 12 months?
A lot of sellers I have called have only owned the car for less than 12 months. These are specialist cars (relative to standard models), so my spidy senses tell me there could be something wrong with the car which is why the owners are not holding on to them.
Would you buy a used car that has been owned by someone for less than 12 months?
A short ownership period isn't an immediate red flag to me. 6 months is a long time for me to have a car. Not because they are dogs or broke just i get bored. Civic type r is brilliant. I've had 4 EP3's and one FN.
It's definitley a concern for some folk though as i am currently trying to sell my VRS and its been a question that has been asked by the a few prospective viewers.
It's definitley a concern for some folk though as i am currently trying to sell my VRS and its been a question that has been asked by the a few prospective viewers.
I just sold my S2000, owned it for 10 months. Bought it with the intention of having some fun for a year to then sell it to top up the mortgage fund. There are many reasons why people only own a car for a short amount of time.
The "shed" focus I have bought to replace it until I've bought the house will likely see a year or less too as once I've got the mortgage I'll probably lease something.
The "shed" focus I have bought to replace it until I've bought the house will likely see a year or less too as once I've got the mortgage I'll probably lease something.
As others have said I wouldn't necessarily have a problem with that so long as it has been maintained and there is evidence of that, especially with performance/halo models.
I bought a Z4 Coupe last year because I have always wanted one - thought about selling it once I had scratched that itch (I've had over 25 cars in about 40 years, too many cars, not enough time) but every time I drive it I change my mind!
I would just buy on condition and history, but you have to remember that when you sell it some people may be put off so maybe negotiate a bit!
I bought a Z4 Coupe last year because I have always wanted one - thought about selling it once I had scratched that itch (I've had over 25 cars in about 40 years, too many cars, not enough time) but every time I drive it I change my mind!
I would just buy on condition and history, but you have to remember that when you sell it some people may be put off so maybe negotiate a bit!
JimClark49 said:
Would you buy a used car that has been owned by someone for less than 12 months?
Yes.People sell cars for all sorts of reasons and, in my experience, the proportion of cars being sold primarily because they're f
ked is pretty low. JimClark49 said:
spidy senses
Edited by Gruber on Tuesday 6th October 23:43
I wouldn't be unduly concerned. I'd ask the seller why he wanted rid, and listen carefully to his answer. If he fumbles, maybe there's a problem. If however he says "well, to be fair it's good on fuel on a run but a bit heavy around town, and that's where I do most of my miles" then you can buy that.
I'm trying to think how long I've kept my cars over the last 5 years, all sheds doing about 15k miles a year:
Astra - 17mo (ran like a watch when sold)
Vectra - 21mo (this one really was knackered when I sold it)
Saab - 10 mo (needed work for the test, plus oil strainer, timing chain)
Mondeo - 15 mo so far, OK now, just tested, hope to get rid maybe in spring.
None of them were disproportionately knackered apart from the Vectra, and all were sub - £500. Everyone knew what they were buying though.
I'm trying to think how long I've kept my cars over the last 5 years, all sheds doing about 15k miles a year:
Astra - 17mo (ran like a watch when sold)
Vectra - 21mo (this one really was knackered when I sold it)
Saab - 10 mo (needed work for the test, plus oil strainer, timing chain)
Mondeo - 15 mo so far, OK now, just tested, hope to get rid maybe in spring.
None of them were disproportionately knackered apart from the Vectra, and all were sub - £500. Everyone knew what they were buying though.
To be fair that is when buying privately is so much better than using a stealer - you get to meet the person who owned it and get some background, plus you get to evaluate the previous owner's approach to their ownership and reason for sale.
Plus it is usually cheaper as they don't have to offer a warranty that doesn't cover anything anyway!
Plus it is usually cheaper as they don't have to offer a warranty that doesn't cover anything anyway!
It's not a good induction. The history of the car and maintenance schedule are the best indicator. I have owned nearly 30 cars in 10 years, none of these ever broke down or caus d me any issue. Indeed I buy at the top of the market to nullify such risks. However, I do get bored easily and look for another 'hit'..invariably looking back with fondness on a car I owned for not long enough. Do I wish I was more risk averse and could just 'settle'? Yes, do I know that I have frequently spent a lot of money on a car servicing & returning to 'as new' condition to then sell it on?! Yes, frequently...that's life and I would have a much bigger house if I didn't love performance cars....
Never have pre-conceptions. Some will sell a car quickly because it's a dog...some will sell for a variety of other reasons. Performance cars & sportscars are more vulnerable to a change in personal circumstance than a Diesel Saloon/Estate is the salient fact
Never have pre-conceptions. Some will sell a car quickly because it's a dog...some will sell for a variety of other reasons. Performance cars & sportscars are more vulnerable to a change in personal circumstance than a Diesel Saloon/Estate is the salient fact
Not necessarily - I have owned 4 cars for less than a year including my current one. Partially because I get itchy feet easily. My Mondeo estate I sold after six months just because I didn't really gel with it - very solid example, and to be honest if I'd seen in my crystal ball that a little while after selling it I'd buy and renovate my home then I would have kept it as it was enormous. Didn't even get brought up by anybody.
Alfa 156 GTA I had about 8-9 months, I had intended to keep it a lot longer but ended up buying a flat where the insurance was going to be over £2k, plus the money from the sale could pay for stamp duty and solicitors etc. I did have a couple of questions over why I'd had it for such a short time, what was it hiding etc, but when I explained it nobody seemed to mind.
I've had my current shed for nearly a year. If something interesting comes up on the cheap I might grab it, and that'll be for no reason other than fancying a change.
Now, with all of that said, I must admit that it would potentially put me off of buying a car
Alfa 156 GTA I had about 8-9 months, I had intended to keep it a lot longer but ended up buying a flat where the insurance was going to be over £2k, plus the money from the sale could pay for stamp duty and solicitors etc. I did have a couple of questions over why I'd had it for such a short time, what was it hiding etc, but when I explained it nobody seemed to mind.
I've had my current shed for nearly a year. If something interesting comes up on the cheap I might grab it, and that'll be for no reason other than fancying a change.
Now, with all of that said, I must admit that it would potentially put me off of buying a car
The previous owner of my car had only had the car for a few months
He realised after a few months that both him and his wife didnt need a family size car as he already had a van for his work so her car was more than enough. Why he bought the car in the first place baffles me??
I basically stole the car for £1000 less than he originally wanted as I watched the advert for a few weeks on autotrader until he reduced the price and said offers accepted.
What I paid him was less than he paid originally but as i reminded him he was saving money by not having to advertise for another few weeks.
He realised after a few months that both him and his wife didnt need a family size car as he already had a van for his work so her car was more than enough. Why he bought the car in the first place baffles me??
I basically stole the car for £1000 less than he originally wanted as I watched the advert for a few weeks on autotrader until he reduced the price and said offers accepted.
What I paid him was less than he paid originally but as i reminded him he was saving money by not having to advertise for another few weeks.
The previous owner of my Mk5 Golf TDi had it for three weeks 
He had sold his 300+hp Evo 8 after the engine had gone pop. Three weeks of driving around in a 105hp diesel golf he had had enough and part-ex'd me when I was selling my '06 EP3 which had been remapped et. He told me he just wanted something with a bit of poke Ironically three weeks of the golf and I was thinking the same
As an aside he never once sat in my car before he bought it. First time he drove it and heard it running was when he drove away
He had sold his 300+hp Evo 8 after the engine had gone pop. Three weeks of driving around in a 105hp diesel golf he had had enough and part-ex'd me when I was selling my '06 EP3 which had been remapped et. He told me he just wanted something with a bit of poke Ironically three weeks of the golf and I was thinking the same As an aside he never once sat in my car before he bought it. First time he drove it and heard it running was when he drove away
JimClark49 said:
Currently in the market of buying a sub 5k performance car (Mondeo ST220/Civic Type R etc.).
A lot of sellers I have called have only owned the car for less than 12 months. These are specialist cars (relative to standard models), so my spidy senses tell me there could be something wrong with the car which is why the owners are not holding on to them.
Would you buy a used car that has been owned by someone for less than 12 months?
As some on here have attested, its not uncommon for people to change their cars often. So having the last owner under a year doesn't automatically make it a problem child/lemon.A lot of sellers I have called have only owned the car for less than 12 months. These are specialist cars (relative to standard models), so my spidy senses tell me there could be something wrong with the car which is why the owners are not holding on to them.
Would you buy a used car that has been owned by someone for less than 12 months?
But.... as the average ownership is higher than a year, a consistent run of short ownership for a particular car (when compared to identical cars for sale) should ring alarm bells - even though it might turn out to be an innocent situation.
I don't think short term ownership means a car is bad necessarily, but there is an increased chance of maintenance being skimped or costly repairs being deferred infinitely.
Routine servicing is easy - you either have evidence it's been done, or you don't, and you make a decision accordingly before you hand over the funds. I'm talking about advisories, and things that might be picked up on a service as starting to go, and needing attention in the near future.
If you buy a car with the intention of owning it only for a short period of time, and you take it in for a service, and you get an advisory that something is on its way out, but which has no noticeable impact on how the car drove at that time, you would be more likely to pend it for the next owner than if you had a longer term interest in the car. If you have a succession of owners in a short period, that could, potentially, mean the car has an imminent bill or bills that have gone unattended for a period of time.
I've seen it with my project Puma I bought which has had three owners in the last 18 months. There are a number of issues (thankfully none of which are expensive to sort) which would have been picked up 18 months ago, and were simply left for someone else to worry about. The last owner openly admitted to me he'd bought it to run around in for 6 months before going travelling, and had done "nothing to it". In his position, I wouldn't have either.
Routine servicing is easy - you either have evidence it's been done, or you don't, and you make a decision accordingly before you hand over the funds. I'm talking about advisories, and things that might be picked up on a service as starting to go, and needing attention in the near future.
If you buy a car with the intention of owning it only for a short period of time, and you take it in for a service, and you get an advisory that something is on its way out, but which has no noticeable impact on how the car drove at that time, you would be more likely to pend it for the next owner than if you had a longer term interest in the car. If you have a succession of owners in a short period, that could, potentially, mean the car has an imminent bill or bills that have gone unattended for a period of time.
I've seen it with my project Puma I bought which has had three owners in the last 18 months. There are a number of issues (thankfully none of which are expensive to sort) which would have been picked up 18 months ago, and were simply left for someone else to worry about. The last owner openly admitted to me he'd bought it to run around in for 6 months before going travelling, and had done "nothing to it". In his position, I wouldn't have either.
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