7 year old car, low miles but 3 owners,is this off putting ?
7 year old car, low miles but 3 owners,is this off putting ?
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Discussion

Rodney Trotter

Original Poster:

63 posts

102 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
quotequote all
We are going to look at a car at a main dealers, it is not their make so assume trade in.
It is 7 years old, 30k on the clock but three owners.
It is the spec we ere looking for and every fibre in my body say's that it will be ok, but I still have the nagging doubt about 3 owners in 7 years.
Would this put other people off ?

GEFAFWISP

87 posts

113 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
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I don't see what's so unusual about 3 owners in 7 years personally... I think if it had been 5-6 + owners maybe but even so.

What is your main concern?

Seesure

1,207 posts

261 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
quotequote all
No...

My previous car was 3 years old when I bought it and it had 5 previous owners...

You are buying a car and not owners... so judge the car on it's merits...

Ultrafunkula

1,018 posts

127 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
quotequote all
Not necessarily, people swap cars a lot more often these days. Mine is a 2014 with two previous owners and I'm thinking of px'ing it after 1 year of ownership. Not because there's anything wrong with the car, simply because I'm getting the urge for something less sensible. It's so easy these days and people are quite picky!
I'd have been worried when I was buying 20 years ago though, thinking it was a dog.

gazzarose

1,176 posts

155 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
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When I bought my car, I bought it from a dealer and it didnt even cross my mind to do a check on on. It was 4 1/2 years old and when I had the V5 back I was the 5th owner. I was a bit concerned by then thought by the time you take in account of maybe ex demo or preregistration, then maybe a lease company it soon adds up. It's a shame the v5 or checks don't give the details of previous owners other than just the last one, would tell more of the story.

Mexman

2,442 posts

106 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
quotequote all
Why would it possibly put you off?
First owner could have been a dealer, pre-reg, or demonstrator, so therefore technically 2 owners.
Always baffles me, this.
Sometimes the more owners the better.
For example. What do you think happens every time a used car changes hands?
It gets a PDi, normally a service, and a full valet with a nice coat of protective polish/wax and any worn/damaged stuff replaced.
Do you think it would have got this treatment if it was a one owner car?
If it was a one owner car, it probably would have never seen a coat of polish/wax ever.
When/if you become the new owner, what will you treat it like?
You will cosset it, love it, probably sort any little niggles and wax it to your hearts content.
This would not of happened 3 times if it were a one owner car no doubt.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

148 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
quotequote all
Pre-reg. 1.
Pre-reg to 3yrs. 2.
3yrs to 7yrs. 3.

Hardly ridiculous, is it?

Torquey

1,942 posts

250 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
quotequote all
If its an impractical car I'd have no concerns at all.

I bought an impractical car - 3 years old - I was the 5th owner. The car was perfect. I thought I'd keep it 5 years and it would be fine. After 1 year it was up for sale when circumstances changed.

The main dealer turned their nose up at it when I tried to sell it back at the time of getting it serviced. I sold it soon after no problem at all. Most people didn't give it a second thought.

Rodney Trotter

Original Poster:

63 posts

102 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies. I just expected it to be on the 2nd owner and not the 3rd.
As others have said we will judge if it is for us on what it is not how many owners.

Timbo_S2

650 posts

285 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
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I'm the third owner of my 16 plate golf - Dealer pre-registered, then owner kept it a year and traded it for a golf R estate. Didn't bother me for a minute...

steve-5snwi

9,885 posts

115 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
quotequote all
No, and if your already thinking like that then you might as well go and buy a new car, just not a pre reg one.

Toyoda

1,569 posts

122 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
quotequote all
Not sure why so many assumptions of pre reg.
I agree with the poster above. Just buy new if this sort of thing bothers you. You can spin it any way in your head e.g 1 owner for 7 years, maybe just getting rid of it cos of a major problem. If youre naturally suspicious you'll never buy anything. Mind if it was 7 owners in 7 years as many are then personally I wouldn't be interested.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

148 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
quotequote all
Toyoda said:
Not sure why so many assumptions of pre reg.
Not an assumption on my part - merely an illustration of how 3 owners over 7 years can mean relatively long ownership, not worryingly short.

timberman

1,383 posts

237 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
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I bought a Mercedes c320 at several weeks old as the 2nd owner then traded it in approx 6 months later for a Amg,
it was then placed on the forecourt and sold on shortly after, so it had 3 owners within the 1st year.

Red Hot Rupert

95 posts

160 months

Friday 22nd December 2017
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What are you going to do with it ? Drive it or marry it!

Sa Calobra

40,443 posts

233 months

Saturday 23rd December 2017
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My last car, a 09 Focus had 5 previous owners. It was immaculate. I didn't even bother with breakdown cover when I took it to Belgium and back.

eltawater

3,378 posts

201 months

Saturday 23rd December 2017
quotequote all
Not at all.

My previous car had 3 previous keepers at 4 years old. Looking at the hpi history it looked like they were the sort of people who liked changing cars often and had the funds to do so as each one put a cherished plate on it. I traded it in after 3 years due to changing circumstances which required an estate body over a saloon.

I'm the second keeper of my current daily at 18 months old, the first keeper was seat UK. Manufacturers run car schemes for their employees which mandate them to change cars every 3-6 months which handily keeps a steady supply of nearly new ex-management cars being delivered into the dealer network.

Swmbo's daily has three registered keepers at 7 years old as the dealer we bought it from registered it in my name 5 years ago and it was just less hassle to organise a registered keeper change with the dvla.

It's a seven year old car, any issues it may have will most likely be age related. Buy on maintenance history and condition today, not on the number of keepers!

focusxr5

330 posts

138 months

Saturday 23rd December 2017
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I bought my 2012 Mercedes C220 Estate back in May. 38k on the clock and I'm owner number 5. However, I did my research on the car and I can only imagine that the previous owners weren't doing the mileage to justify keeping it. Mechanically the car is perfect and there was absolutely no reason for the number of previous owners to concern me.

I'll be mitigating that because I'm keeping the car for at least 3-5 years as, having just bought a new house, I need to curb my obsessive car buying every 6 months.

As long as the mileage tallies with receipts and if you can get in touch with a previous owner etc then there's no reason why the number of owners should be a put off.