Buying private - number of owners

johnb25

I am looking at buying a 2008 Avensis 2.0 T3X privately.
Motorcheck shows the following owner history in Ireland, and flagged the above-average number of owners. It was imported from UK in 2014, one UK owner.
The durations of some are so short it looks like trading rather than
dissatisfied owners.
Would this put you off buying it?
The 5th owner is the current one, and 11 months & 5 days is up to today.

Mileage checks out ok; currently 130K, steady increase over the life of the car.

14/03/2016
Private (Consumer), 5th owner
Duration: 11 months, 5 days
01/02/2016
Private (Consumer), 4th owner
Duration: 1 month, 13 days
08/01/2016
Private (Consumer), 3rd owner
Duration: 24 days
24/12/2015
Private (Consumer), 2nd owner
Duration: 15 days
20/10/2014
Private, 1st owner
Duration: 1 year, 2 months

Date(s) Of Sale (UK)
27/02/2009

Thanks.

Atlantic Dawn

The 3 owners in the middle only kept the car for a few weeks each, not sure why they would offload it so quick but seeing as current owner has it nearly a year and issue that those 3 had must now be repaired or resolved, I wouldn't worry about it once the car is ok now.

extra-ordinary_

johnb25 wrote: »

...Motorcheck shows the following owner history in Ireland, and flagged the above-average number of owners. It was imported from UK in 2014, one UK owner...

Did you do a check on the previous UK reg, and what's the current owners theory on the previous short term ownerships?

Tweaky

This looks like a situation where they are changing owners to avoid motor tax arrears - moving ownership from one family member to another. Chances are if they were skimping on paying motor tax that they didn't put the money into maintenance either !!

Special Circumstances

Tweaky wrote: »

This looks like a situation where they are changing owners to avoid motor tax arrears - moving ownership from one family member to another. Chances are if they were skimping on paying motor tax that they didn't put the money into maintenance either !!

Lad at work here was refused insurance on a car recently by one shower ... "too many owners". And it wasn't double digits either.

millington

Tweaky wrote: »

This looks like a situation where they are changing owners to avoid motor tax arrears - moving ownership from one family member to another. Chances are if they were skimping on paying motor tax that they didn't put the money into maintenance either !!

Chances are they put the motortax money into maintaining the car

It's a 08 car so I doubt it was for tax reasons. Maybe it was for insurance reasons, wife decided to buy the car then husband insured it etc. Maybe it was being traded as suggested. Who knows?

Wouldn't worry about it in the slightest. I'd be impressed by a one owner car, anything after that makes no difference.

johnb25

Thanks for the replies.
I have just spoken with the seller again. He is not the registered owner.
Story is as follows:
He had a '07 7-seater to sell, and took the Avensis in exchange; reckoned it would be easier shift the Avensis than the 7 seater.
This happened just before Christmas, and he did not send the Registration Cert; he did not want to add another owner.
He is unaware of the previous history of the vehicle, and the frequent ownership changes, apart from the year of import.

I will take a look at it anyway, and see from there.
To answer a question above, the only UK check I have is the Motorcheck report, which includes mileage, owners, theft etc.

colm_mcm

Jaysus. Run away as quick as you can.

johnb25

Took a look at the car this evening. Looks to have had a fair bit of body work. Front bumper a shade different from the rest of the car. Two steel bolts and washers in the floor of the boot; one of the rear doors catching slightly before closing. Other panels slightly off also.

bear1

johnb25 wrote: »

Took a look at the car this evening. Looks to have had a fair bit of body work. Front bumper a shade different from the rest of the car. Two steel bolts and washers in the floor of the boot; one of the rear doors catching slightly before closing. Other panels slightly off also.

It's been in a pretty strong crash.
Leave.

johnb25

Thanks Bear... I already have.