When does car have too many owners?

Ozziej

I am currently looking at a 2006 used car with low milage and the cartell report states it had three owners.
The garage tell me that it was originally a demo model so the first owner was a main dealer garage then it was sold on twice since then. Do you think this is cause for concern?

It also states in the Cartell report that it was not taxed for two months during 2008.

I am getting full inspection done on car but am wondering whether I should be asking for more money off or running a mile due to this information?

EPM

That's fine.

Owners would worry me if it was a sports car with a different owner every year - I'd think bought and thrashed as a play thing. A lot of owners over a relatively short time frame on a normal car - somethings up. But if it was a demo, the two owners may have bought it and kept it two years each which is about as long as I usually keep a car.

Do a history check and see when it last changed owners and this will help you piece it together.

jhegarty

If each owner has it for average 2 years it sounds reasonable.

Ozziej

Thanks EPM. The dates of sale on the Cartell report are 13 Mar 06, 14 Jul 06, 24 Jul 08, 24 Oct 08. So looks like there was a quick sale made in 2008.

Any thoughts from people in the know?

Darsad

Personally the number of owners makes no difference to me why should it im buying the car not the paper work that just happens to come with it .
Once its vetted it should be irrelevant , I know plenty of one lady owner cars that are thrashed . I remember years ago buying a 3 series from a guy with 7 owners and he was all seven just different company names he put the car in for tax reasons of some sort.

si_guru

My car only had one previous owner, a dutch guy I think...?

Herr TZ VanHire.

Yawns

The 3rd owner porb bought it and only realised it wasn't for him after a month or 2. If he had bought private he would either have to keep it or sell it get as much of what he paid for it.