Cars with a "high" number of previous owners

[krisdelta]

Hi All,

Me again

A speculative question - having seen a few cars, some of them do have a good number of previous owners (3-5 for a 5 y/o car). I understand these are very much aspirational cars, but what are people's views on this? Assume the car is fully maintained as per schedule and is under AM warranty, am I missing a trick by this automatically making me nervous?

Views / opinions much appreciated.

Cheers

Kris

[peterr96]

krisdelta said:

Hi All,

Me again

A speculative question - having seen a few cars, some of them do have a good number of previous owners (3-5 for a 5 y/o car). I understand these are very much aspirational cars, but what are people's views on this? Assume the car is fully maintained as per schedule and is under AM warranty, am I missing a trick by this automatically making me nervous?

Views / opinions much appreciated.

Cheers

Kris

Run away... I would. Stinks of a hard to repair issue. My bet would be repetatively flat battery.
Unless you could find a previous owner (say number 3 or 4 of 5) who could put you mind at rest.

[Shmee]

I wouldn't be worried about it, when I briefly played with the idea of an F430, pretty much every car had 1 owner per year of the car's life. If anything that's better than a car that's had 1 owner who barely uses it for 5 years because you'll know it's been looked after during each's short time with it.

ETA: 3 in 5 years sounds fine, 5 in 5 years sounds bordering on investigation required.

[toofastforme]

peterr96 said:

krisdelta said:

Hi All,

Me again

A speculative question - having seen a few cars, some of them do have a good number of previous owners (3-5 for a 5 y/o car). I understand these are very much aspirational cars, but what are people's views on this? Assume the car is fully maintained as per schedule and is under AM warranty, am I missing a trick by this automatically making me nervous?

Views / opinions much appreciated.

Cheers

Kris

Run away... I would. Stinks of a hard to repair issue. My bet would be repetatively flat battery.
Unless you could find a previous owner (say number 3 or 4 of 5) who could put you mind at rest.

Don't agree. You only need to read this forum to see how many Aston owners quickly get itchy feet for the next model, and probably end up changing their car at least every couple of years. Extrapolate from that, and there are bound to be cars out there with several owners. Doesn't mean a thing about reliability.

[JohnG1]

krisdelta said:

Hi All,

Me again

A speculative question - having seen a few cars, some of them do have a good number of previous owners (3-5 for a 5 y/o car). I understand these are very much aspirational cars, but what are people's views on this? Assume the car is fully maintained as per schedule and is under AM warranty, am I missing a trick by this automatically making me nervous?

Views / opinions much appreciated.

Cheers

Kris

I had a 911 for 9 months. I was the fourth owner of a two year old car. This often happens with heavy metal.

I would be more concerned about the number of miles - don't buy a garage princess.

[yeti]

I was the seventh owner of my DB7 in 7 years, a fact which I missed whan I bought it as I didn't care (and still don't). However, the amount of people who'd call about it and be put off by that was surprising, much like Peter they got it in their head it was a wrong 'un in some way. It wasn't, just had been passed on yearly after the itch was scratched, I did the same thing to move to my DB9!

Doesn't bother me, but I'd be aware come resale time that many folk think it means something it doesn't.

[michael gould]

run run run run run run and dont stop to look over your shoulder ....plenty of low ownership cars out their....not worth the risk

[peterr96]

I'm clearly in the minority here. Probably cos I don't (can't) circulate in the stratosphere that some of you do.
I guess that's what comes of not being a hedgie.
As I say, if I managed to speak to the owner before the current one and got some kind of feeling that the car was not a dog, I may consider it.

I'd far rather buy a car with fewer owners and evidential history of "being used". But that's just me being cautious.

[JohnG1]

peterr96 said:

I'm clearly in the minority here. Probably cos I don't (can't) circulate in the stratosphere that some of you do.
I guess that's what comes of not being a hedgie.
As I say, if I managed to speak to the owner before the current one and got some kind of feeling that the car was not a dog, I may consider it.

I'd far rather buy a car with fewer owners and evidential history of "being used". But that's just me being cautious.

I think that there are about three folks on the AM forum who work in hedge funds. Hardly a stratosphere. Most folks are employees of regular firms or else people who have set up successful companies.

I can think of one gentleman with a net worth in nine figures sterling who runs a hedge fund but will only buy second hand cars...

[peterr96]

JohnG1 said:

I think that there are about three folks on the AM forum who work in hedge funds. Hardly a stratosphere. Most folks are employees of regular firms or else people who have set up successful companies.

I can think of one gentleman with a net worth in nine figures sterling who runs a hedge fund but will only buy second hand cars...

Damn.
Think I managed to miss a few smilies off my mail.

Take these

: : : : : : : : : : :

[krisdelta]

Thanks all, this is kind of what I was thinking - but wanted to see if folk thought the same.

To summarise:
1) It doesn't mean the car is a "wrong-un" - but it might mean it would be worth investigating a little more closely.
2) It will possibly be a pain to move on - when the time comes and I get a grown up car (DB9)

I shall continue the search.... my "no car" impatience is increasing (after just 1 week!).

Thank you!

Kris

[michael gould]

krisdelta said:

Thanks all, this is kind of what I was thinking - but wanted to see if folk thought the same.

To summarise:
1) It doesn't mean the car is a "wrong-un" - but it might mean it would be worth investigating a little more closely.
2) It will possibly be a pain to move on - when the time comes and I get a grown up car (DB9)

I shall continue the search.... my "no car" impatience is increasing (after just 1 week!).

Thank you!

Kris

I think that is a fair asumption.....there is always a risk of buying a car with a high number of owners .....i would be very worried if the car had had 3 owners in the past 12-18 months.....good luck and remeber the golden rule about buying a second hand car .....there will always be a better deal to be had next week...or next month....be patient

[GTDB7]

I'm the 3rd owner for my 2003 GT.

I was pondering whether that was becoming too high.. lol

This thread has subdued those thoughts now.

:-)

[V8 Animal]

If your buying through a main dealer you will get a year warranty anyway so if it was dodgy i would of thought the main dealer would of passed it on through the trade.
Mine is a 2nd car so i get bored quickly and move on had my last car for 9 months nothing wrong with the car just fancied a aston.

[krisdelta]

michael gould said:

.....there will always be a better deal to be had next week...or next month....be patient

Quite right, I've dispensed that advice myself often enough... "must listen to self!"

Cheers!

Kris

[SL500UK]

Bought my 4 yr old V8V at the start of the year and I'm the 4th owner. No major problems at all - minors ones carried out under the warranty that came via the franchised dealer. If my car was 'thrashed' by previous owners, would any defect come to light soonish (ie. in the next 16 mths whilst the car's under its 'extended' warranty) or could there be long term damage that won't come to light till much later?

[krisdelta]

SL500UK said:

Bought my 4 yr old V8V at the start of the year and I'm the 4th owner. No major problems at all - minors ones carried out under the warranty that came via the franchised dealer. If my car was 'thrashed' by previous owners, would any defect come to light soonish (ie. in the next 16 mths whilst the car's under its 'extended' warranty) or could there be long term damage that won't come to light till much later?

From all I've read here over the last year, it being used as intended would usually only be seen by worn brakes / clutch - as you would expect. My question was to validate my thoughts on how people perceived cars with a number of owners, not to call into question that this meant a maintenance worry for the future - I am sure it doesn't. The main issue is perception @ resale time as the replies back up to a good degree.

The issues on well used cars seem much less than garage queens. I suspect you've got nothing to worry about, especially with 16 months warranty left.

[David W.]

I always take most care of my cars in the 1st 12 months that I own them. If everyone is the same then a high number of owners is a good thing.

[Jockman]

peterr96 said:

I'm clearly in the minority here. Probably cos I don't (can't) circulate in the stratosphere that some of you do.
I guess that's what comes of not being a hedgie.

Yes you can, and you do, on the Forum.

I am the wealthiest person I know and I have very little money left.

Attend to the intangibles rather than following the prickly creatures

[apotek]

Mine had 4 owners in the first 2 years and me for the next 3 years with no problems other than the known ones,so just have a good look and take the care you should buying second hand