|
Been discussing private purchase of prestige car today with 40,000 on the clock and 4 years old. Seller seems absolutely straight. Discloses that it has had 4 previous owners (he is the 5th) and that this is making it difficult to sell - any advice? Should I just forget it as others seem to have done?
|
Five owners in 4 years seems a lot. Just a thought.
--
L\'escargot.
|
5 owners..4 yrs..
someone knows something that you dont
--
www.storme.co.uk
|
I bought a 52 plate Mini Cooper S last year from a dealer believing it to have 1 previous owner, when I received the log book it had 4 previous owners (I know should have checked the log book). The car was an absolute nightmare, in the 6 weeks I owned it it spent at least 3 off the road having faults fixed. Luckily I managed to get the car changed, the dealer sold it on and I heard the next owner (number 6) was spending quite a bit of time at the local BMW dealer!
You have to wonder why it's changed hands so much and my advice steer well and truly clear!
|
There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation why there are so many regisered keepers,could have started as a demo,then sold,maybe the next owner could not afford it etc,or it could be hiding a far more dubious past.
You can get the previous keepers from DVLA and check them out before you buy the car,or as said before walk away.
|
|
|
|
One of ours has had three changes of registered keeper without a change in driver.
It can happen.
Or it might be an impractical vehicle. They often get sold quite quickly - insufficient room, fuel consumption, lack of security with a soft top etc. etc.
|
|
|
|
I agree, it does make one wonder; but on reflection it does not seem too unreal for a 'prestige car' if each owner has it for a year doing 10K miles and then says Been There, Done That. More worthwhile evidence would be a complete maintenance record with bills.
Having coveted a 306 cabrio for a while, I bought one when some money came along and kept it for 18 months - lovely car, but a bit impractical. I also had a 206 Garros for 2 months and 3K miles - got rid because the seats were intolerable after an hour's sitting, but even a decent test drive wasn't long enough to reveal that. So there are possible harmless reasons for multiple ownership.
|
Could transfer to a personalised registration have artificially increased the number of owners, especially with a "prestige" car? The recommended DVLA check would clarify this.
Jack
|
Avoid it.
I kept a Merc C-class for 18 months. I was the fourth registered keeper and bought it two years old. It's main failing was a leaking intergrated PWS pump and reservoir although the paint chipped easily and the glove box lid would not close properly. I always felt that it was a car that has something hidden that was going to wrong. The third owner got rid of it within a week.
Mind you, I sold it to a doctor in November 2002 and he still drives it.
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
|
Cars can sometimes pass through a few owners for perfectly good reasons. Many buyers keep a car for 6-12 months and then sell it on so if a car is, say, a dealer demo then gets a couple of short term owners the numbers can mount up quite quickly. You also sometimes get cars which have passed through small traders who have registered the car in their name and used it for a couple of months themselves.
It doesn't necessarily mean anything bad but obviously is something to take account of as part of an overall appraisal of a car.
|
|
Oh, and one other point, if it is a large car with a large engine (540 BMW, S500 etc.) then these sometimes show up with a large number of owners simply because they've been bought by people who didn't account for putting in £75 worth of fuel to go 300 miles twice a week...happens quite often.
|
|
Yes it could be that - the only thing that particularly got me worried was the fact that although he had had nomajor problem-when he got it the petroa;gaugewasn't working - it was a simplefaulttoput right-but itdoesmake you wonder if it is a carwith problemelectronics - what do the Japs call a friday afternoon car!
|
Japs - prestige - Lexus?
I don't think that will be a car with problem electronics; anyway, if it had, there would have been worse than the petrol gauge not working. Just a sensor or the indicator, one would guess.
|
|
|
|
I've always spoken to the previous owner of a vehicle I've acquired (usually they are very willing to answer any questions about it) - any dealer who has been reluctant to provide the name, address and phone number of the previous owner has seen me walk out of the door immediately.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
On, for example, a Mercedes, you can get a history of all the work - including warranty work - that's been done.
If the manufacturer in this case can provide the same facility, then that might be illuminating.
|
|
|
As said talk to previous owner, do a hpi full check and if happy kick the 5th owner very hard, as he has told you he is stuck with it.
--
\"a little man in a big world/\"
|
|
|
any dealer who has been reluctant to provide the name, address and phone number of the previous owner has seen me walk out of the door immediately.
Maybe something to do with the Data protection Act?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I have found on a number of occasions when looking at prestige/ high performance cars that there were a large number of previous owners. I guess someone buys one on a whim and either gets bored with it and wants to change it for something else (yes, I've done this) or realises after the novelty wears of that these things can be serious wealth destroyers and a Golf TDI isn't so bad after all. When I was looking at Porsches a few years back they seemed to have changed owners frequently.
|
Quite agree, my Porsche has had 9 previous owners in 19 years, why A. it's not the cheapest or most practical device & B. it's had 3 registration changes & each one is a change of owners. I'm not to worried provided the rest stacks up OK. Condition etc.
|
|
|
|
If the car has been serviced by a franchised dealer (highly likely for a prestige car) then contact a dealer service department and ask what is showing on the central computerised records. This will give you a better idea if it is a problem car, and if it is a money pit.
--
Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
|
|
Unfortunately dealers and manufacturers will now only tell you whether a car has been serviced or seen regularly. They are unlikely to tell you what has specifically been done - all thanks to the data protection act.
|
I have twice with 2 different cars managed to get copies of invoices for work carried out to it before I owned the car from the main dealer.
Both times the previous owners details where removed from the copy invoices before they printed them out & gave them to me.
|
One other point. I acquired my current Bora from a pal who ran a used car sales showroom for many year, but now works from home.
Although I was only the second owner when it was three-and-a-half years old, it was on its third registration number.
The original registration had been changed for a personal number plate by the first owner and, when it came into my possession, the DVLA had to issue a new number appliable to its year of registration.
Of course the manual lists the original registration, but the dealerships are kept up to date on this aspect.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
|
|
|
|
You are obviously worried about this car so stay clear, there are loads out there to choose from.
|
Had 2 CR-V's first was sold as 1 owner and had 3 previous (car only 3 years old), however, the car was an absoulute peach, no probs, no issues, ran like a dream only issue was exhaust heat shield coming loose and needing tightening. The second one, was a genuine one owner from new bought at 2.5 years old and 30k miles, and as documented on here, has had new timing chain, new tensioner, new followers, new water pump, and has caused trouble for the last year of ownership. (touch wood all sorted now).
The first car had been pre-reg'd (owner 1) company driver for 12 months (owner 2) and then private for a year (owner 3)a total of three years and 32000 miles before we bought it. I would check out servicing documentation and phone the dealership where it has been done, to see if any warranty work has been requested and what level grief-wise this warranty work was. Maybe it is a fine car which you may get at a good price, since most people are put off with the owners, but equally it may be something that is best awvoided.
|
My Mondeo has had one previous owner although I have had it from new, it was first registered to my employer and then to me personally. If it had been a pre reg it would have shown two previous even though I had it from new.
My motorbike has had five previous owners in 8 years though the last two were two guys I know, one took it p-ex when selling a car, the other took it p-ex when selling the first guy a car and I bought it off the second guy, so three changes of keeper over only a couple of months, shame they bothered to inform the DVLA, I could have been the 4th keeper not the 6th.
|
|
|
|
