Number of owners?

[NR123]

I'm looking at a 2004 (54 Reg) Golf TDI with 4 previous owners including the seller, which would make me the fifth. Is that too high? The seller has owned the car around two years.

[Papa Hotel]

I wouldn't say that's too many owners, it's one every 2-3 years, that's a decent length of time to keep a car.

However, if the first owner had it for ten years, you have to wonder why it's getting kicked around like a used condom.

[DHE]

The car is 8 years old, averaging a new owner every two years wouldn't put me off.

[ohtari]

Wait, this isn't serious is it???


Who gives a flying fk how many owners a car has had!!!

[cuprabob]

I wouldn't say that's a high number of owners for an 8 year old car.

[Jimmy No Hands]

Stay away. It will most definitely blow up and kill you.

[Kolbenkopp]

ohtari said:

Wait, this isn't serious is it???
Who gives a flying fk how many owners a car has had!!!

Interesting cultural difference there if this was not ironic. Think in most of continental Europe it matters, certainly does in Germany. Bit annoying as there is some stuff I'd like to own for a short while just to tick a box...

[falkster]

Jimmy No Hands said:

Stay away. It will most definitely blow up and kill you.

And bang your wife.

[Matt UK]

Kolbenkopp said:

ohtari said:

Wait, this isn't serious is it???
Who gives a flying fk how many owners a car has had!!!

Interesting cultural difference there if this was not ironic. Think in most of continental Europe it matters, certainly does in Germany. Bit annoying as there is some stuff I'd like to own for a short while just to tick a box...

Interesting.

When buying used I'll tend to look at general condition and checks, service history and key work, service items / consumables upcoming, type of buyer selling it, how it feels on the drive drive.

Number of owners is the sort of thing I normally remeber only when we are filling out the V5.

Doesn't really make much difference to me. Dealers reg and private plates on/off all count as an owner i think? I'm not really fussed by number of owners.

[Papa Hotel]

ohtari said:

Wait, this isn't serious is it???


Who gives a flying fk how many owners a car has had!!!

Say you're buying a two year old Megane with five owners... wouldn't you wonder why?

[cuprabob]

Matt UK said:

Doesn't really make much difference to me. Dealers reg and private plates on/off all count as an owner i think? I'm not really fussed by number of owners.

You think wrong

[Matt UK]

cuprabob said:

Matt UK said:

Doesn't really make much difference to me. Dealers reg and private plates on/off all count as an owner i think? I'm not really fussed by number of owners.

You think wrong

Fair enough, private plates don't then? But dealer reg does?

Like I say, it's not something I really look at in much detail if everything else stacks up.
Flipping a car around between companies / family members can all add up on paper - but to me it's just that, a bit of paper.

[sim16v]

Papa Hotel said:

Say you're buying a two year old Megane with five owners... wouldn't you wonder why?

I'd be thinking why a Megane rather than the number of owners!

[cuprabob]

Matt UK said:

Fair enough, private plates don't then? But dealer reg does?

Like I say, it's not something I really look at in much detail if everything else stacks up.
Flipping a car around between companies / family members can all add up on paper - but to me it's just that, a bit of paper.

If the dealer pre-registers it, they are the first owners but if the car gets traded in and sold on the dealer is noted as an owner

[danjama]

My previous car was a 2005 Fiesta with 14 previous owners.

[Kolbenkopp]

Matt UK said:

Like I say, it's not something I really look at in much detail if everything else stacks up.

Yup, same for me really. Rest of the populace seems to think differently here, which is good when buying, not good when selling .

[E38Ross]

my 728i has had 7 different owners.

it's one of the better condition cars out there, that's for sure.

condition, not mileage or number of owners for me.

[valverguy]

Buy on condition, regardless of mileage/owners. A service history is ideal however!

[ohtari]

Papa Hotel said:

Say you're buying a two year old Megane with five owners... wouldn't you wonder why?

I hate to be cheeky, but I wouldn't buy a 2yo megane

I doubt any cars exchange hands 5 times in 2 years, but the OP was talk about 8 years. I consider it perfectly normal to consider changing a car every year, usually going up a year or two in the process. Have to keep up with them Jones don't we...

[Papa Hotel]

ohtari said:

I hate to be cheeky, but I wouldn't buy a 2yo megane

I doubt any cars exchange hands 5 times in 2 years, but the OP was talk about 8 years. I consider it perfectly normal to consider changing a car every year, usually going up a year or two in the process. Have to keep up with them Jones don't we...

Yes, an 11 year old 1.6 Focus, that's getting the neighbours talking, isn't it? My post was an example of why it might matter if a car has had a lot of owners, sorry if the idea went over your head.