4 changes in owner in 7 months
Discussion
Red flag?
Looking at a 9 year old diesel high miler (122k). Priced around 3k, its a very high spec crossover that will be used probably once a week as a runaround (less than 2k miles annually). I'd naturally prefer a petrol but this is priced at trade-in value and ticks a lot of boxes. It's also low insurance and zero tax.
Car looks to be in great cosmetic condition, inside and out, diamond cut alloys look almost unmarked. Body panels appear straight and true but only going by pics. For what it's worth it is completely HPI clear too. Also conscious that cars can now be categorised U and X meaning damaged/repair history can go unrecorded on HPI register and possibly means cars change hands/ownership between salvage conpanies, repairers and possibly private resellers.
However, it had two owners for the first 8 years of It's life and then suddenly 4 owners in the last 7 months. This feels like a red flag but I have also seen cars where a husband transfers the ownership to the wife and then back again (although not as quickly as this one indicates). Also judging by the mileage register, 2nd owner lmay have used it as a private hire vehicle (possibly). No MOT recorded by them either in 2022 and mileage also jumps from 75k to 118k in 2 day
although I suspect this is a data logging error of sorts.
The other red flag appears to be the seller - English not his first language (not a flag in itself) but when I called him didn't give much info on the car - just told me to come view it. Also he has a couple of cars for sale on Facebook classifieds, so possibly an unregistered private trader. Car is also currently not insured on MID.
I'm naturally very wary of the car but also want to give it a chance. Car is located an hour away (so reasonable to go and view). Seller says he has the V5, so will check that thoroughly for ownership change details and matching his licence etc.
Ownership history:
Mileage history:
Looking at a 9 year old diesel high miler (122k). Priced around 3k, its a very high spec crossover that will be used probably once a week as a runaround (less than 2k miles annually). I'd naturally prefer a petrol but this is priced at trade-in value and ticks a lot of boxes. It's also low insurance and zero tax.
Car looks to be in great cosmetic condition, inside and out, diamond cut alloys look almost unmarked. Body panels appear straight and true but only going by pics. For what it's worth it is completely HPI clear too. Also conscious that cars can now be categorised U and X meaning damaged/repair history can go unrecorded on HPI register and possibly means cars change hands/ownership between salvage conpanies, repairers and possibly private resellers.
However, it had two owners for the first 8 years of It's life and then suddenly 4 owners in the last 7 months. This feels like a red flag but I have also seen cars where a husband transfers the ownership to the wife and then back again (although not as quickly as this one indicates). Also judging by the mileage register, 2nd owner lmay have used it as a private hire vehicle (possibly). No MOT recorded by them either in 2022 and mileage also jumps from 75k to 118k in 2 day
although I suspect this is a data logging error of sorts. The other red flag appears to be the seller - English not his first language (not a flag in itself) but when I called him didn't give much info on the car - just told me to come view it. Also he has a couple of cars for sale on Facebook classifieds, so possibly an unregistered private trader. Car is also currently not insured on MID.
I'm naturally very wary of the car but also want to give it a chance. Car is located an hour away (so reasonable to go and view). Seller says he has the V5, so will check that thoroughly for ownership change details and matching his licence etc.
Ownership history:
Mileage history:
Edited by type-r on Sunday 14th April 07:10
trickywoo said:
The owner changes are just the fly on top of the turd.
Mentally I wrote it off a while ago but part of me is curous to find out more info around this and if there is a legitimate(!!) reason for this.Price, spec and condition (based on pics) is what is feeding my curiosity.
If I was to guess
Owner 3 bought it in September 2023, only to find out it was vary heavily clocked car (or perhaps running a mileage blocker) and then rejected it or sold it on. Then a series of buyers/ sellers, probably for nefarious reasons.
If you buy it, you might as well start your I bought a crashed / clocked/ lemon car from a drive way dodgy dealer thread now
Owner 3 bought it in September 2023, only to find out it was vary heavily clocked car (or perhaps running a mileage blocker) and then rejected it or sold it on. Then a series of buyers/ sellers, probably for nefarious reasons.
If you buy it, you might as well start your I bought a crashed / clocked/ lemon car from a drive way dodgy dealer thread now
Yeah I've factored that into account... same car is probably worth 4.5k (yes, another red flag). So would have 1.5k leeway should anything go wrong and probably not much depreciation afterwards. Could consider taking a warranty if reasonably priced and available.
The other reason it looks attractive on paper, is that it has a full sevice history up until 118k (or just after the 2nd seller flogged it last Sept). According to the seller it has 10/10 service history (whatever that means). If it's got reasonable tyres, brakes, newish exhaust, timing chain and/or clutch... might be worth a calculated punt if car drives true with no strange sounds/smells and electrics / AC function as they should?
The other reason it looks attractive on paper, is that it has a full sevice history up until 118k (or just after the 2nd seller flogged it last Sept). According to the seller it has 10/10 service history (whatever that means). If it's got reasonable tyres, brakes, newish exhaust, timing chain and/or clutch... might be worth a calculated punt if car drives true with no strange sounds/smells and electrics / AC function as they should?
type-r said:
Yeah I've factored that into account... same car is probably worth 4.5k (yes, another red flag). So would have 1.5k leeway should anything go wrong and probably not much depreciation afterwards. Could consider taking a warranty if reasonably priced and available.
The other reason it looks attractive on paper, is that it has a full sevice history up until 118k (or just after the 2nd seller flogged it last Sept). According to the seller it has 10/10 service history (whatever that means). If it's got reasonable tyres, brakes, newish exhaust, timing chain and/or clutch... might be worth a calculated punt if car drives true with no strange sounds/smells and electrics / AC function as they should?
You’ve got Shiny Car Syndrome.The other reason it looks attractive on paper, is that it has a full sevice history up until 118k (or just after the 2nd seller flogged it last Sept). According to the seller it has 10/10 service history (whatever that means). If it's got reasonable tyres, brakes, newish exhaust, timing chain and/or clutch... might be worth a calculated punt if car drives true with no strange sounds/smells and electrics / AC function as they should?
type-r said:
Red flag?
Looking at a 9 year old diesel high miler (122k). Priced around 3k, its a very high spec crossover that will be used probably once a week as a runaround (less than 2k miles annually). I'd naturally prefer a petrol but this is priced at trade-in value and ticks a lot of boxes. It's also low insurance and zero tax.
Car looks to be in great cosmetic condition, inside and out, diamond cut alloys look almost unmarked. Body panels appear straight and true
That screams too good to be true. No one gives away a car. Unless they have drug debts or lost the lot on the horses. Looking at a 9 year old diesel high miler (122k). Priced around 3k, its a very high spec crossover that will be used probably once a week as a runaround (less than 2k miles annually). I'd naturally prefer a petrol but this is priced at trade-in value and ticks a lot of boxes. It's also low insurance and zero tax.
Car looks to be in great cosmetic condition, inside and out, diamond cut alloys look almost unmarked. Body panels appear straight and true
Reread it back, out loud.
Then say 'for 3k'. What could be wrong.
Facebook marketplace ad, by any chance? That would explain the price.
I see a lot of underpriced cars on there being sold by Eastern Europeans.
The 75000 in the mileage history is what somebody wrote on the V5 they sent to the DVLA.
Fiction, but not important.
The truth was what the MOT test two days later said, and makes sense compared to the nileage from the previous test, 28 months earlier.
No MOT for 16 months is more of an issue for me - either forgot (it can happen, my late ex-wife unwittingly ran her Yaris for 11 months without one), or more of a worry.
I see a lot of underpriced cars on there being sold by Eastern Europeans.
The 75000 in the mileage history is what somebody wrote on the V5 they sent to the DVLA.
Fiction, but not important.
The truth was what the MOT test two days later said, and makes sense compared to the nileage from the previous test, 28 months earlier.
No MOT for 16 months is more of an issue for me - either forgot (it can happen, my late ex-wife unwittingly ran her Yaris for 11 months without one), or more of a worry.
Thanks for the feedback chaps. PH still does devil's advocate very well and I wanted and needed to hear 
It may sound like shiny car syndrome but I have owned enough cars in my time to have learnt to never let my heart rule my head. Yes there are a lot of red flags with this car concerning mileage, missing MOT, changes in very recent ownership etc but I'm also not trying to judge the car without seeing it. The seller is probably the most concerning but again don't want to judge before meeting them and seeing the car.
If the car is still available early part of next week, I'll probably still go to see it just satisfy my curiosity but approach it with a significantly long bargepole.
It may sound like shiny car syndrome but I have owned enough cars in my time to have learnt to never let my heart rule my head. Yes there are a lot of red flags with this car concerning mileage, missing MOT, changes in very recent ownership etc but I'm also not trying to judge the car without seeing it. The seller is probably the most concerning but again don't want to judge before meeting them and seeing the car.
If the car is still available early part of next week, I'll probably still go to see it just satisfy my curiosity but approach it with a significantly long bargepole.
DaveyBoyWonder said:
2k a year in a diesel, loads of red flags from the seller/history.... Run a mile.
This x 100. 2k per year, local runabout.. diesel? Honestly don't bother, you want a petrol for this. Any theoretical cost savings from low VED will be wiped out when the DPF craps itself.
The red flags are there. Do the sensible thing and ignore it, it's a turd and you know it.
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