Can a car have 3 owners?

Previous owners of my car

When buying a new car, it’s important to know the vehicle’s background, including its service history, mileage and when it was manufactured. While this information is often provided during the selling process, sellers may sometimes withhold certain facts to secure a better resale price. One such factor is the number of previous owners the vehicle has had. Below we will discuss why this is important and how to find out about the previous owners of a car.

30 second car valuation

The importance of a car’s previous owners

A car’s number of previous owners is important as it can provide a bigger picture of the car’s usage over the years. The main features of a car’s history discussed above can also be impacted by the amount of owners it has had.

Mileage

How and where the car was driven

How well the car was looked after

How to find out a car’s previous owners

When buying a vehicle, it’s important to find out as much information as possible about your potential new car. The easiest way to find out how many previous owners a car has had is by entering the registration plate into our free car check tool. Another easy way to find out basic information is simply through a conversation with the buyer; ask as many questions as you feel is necessary until you are satisfied that it’s a good deal. Obviously, a private seller will be more informed about the previous treatment of the car than a used car dealer, but you will be relying on them to be completely honest.

You may not be able to find car owner by registration number online, but you can find out how many previous owners it has had.

For more detailed and reliable information, check the service records of the car. This will highlight how often the car has been serviced, what mechanical issues have been fixed, and often provides the names of the car’s previous owners. Even if the owner information is missing or is unclear, where the service took place can give an indication of how many owners it has had. For example, if the car has been serviced in 3 different areas in the UK, there is the likelihood that the car has had 3 previous owners. If the previous owner only had the car for a couple of years there’s also the chance the car is still under warranty.

How many owners are too many?

The desired amount of previous owners is often one. This probably doesn’t come as a surprise, but let’s talk about why one is considered the sought-after number when buying a used car.

If the car has only had one owner prior to you, it is likely to have received a consistent driving experience and care. For example, the car will have been driven in the same style since its production, rather than being treated more sporadically with multiple owners.

However, there is no definite answer of how many previous owner’s is too many. Obviously, the less owners the better, but as long as each owner has treated the car well and it is in a good condition, then the number of owners shouldn’t really matter.

Buying a Used Car — How Many Previous Owners Should it Have?

Investing in a used car be tricky, but beneficial at times. You should probably go for the one-owner vehicle while buying a used car. Almost everyone wants a used car that has not been in too many hands, is in good condition, and has all the paperwork. To find the perfect vehicle, you need to keep searching until you find one. What if you find your dream car in good condition but has been owned by multiple people? In such a situation, how many owners is too many? And how do you find out how many owners has the car had?

There are various reasons why one-owner cars are deemed to be the favorites of the used-car world. The main idea behind this is an owner’s faithful maintenance and dedication in preserving the car and the car’s driving history.

A few points to consider before purchasing a used car are the paperwork of the vehicle like RC etc., the servicing and maintenance of the vehicle. If a car has been driven for a decade and has been poorly taken care of, it may be in quite a bad condition. So, it’s not just about having one owner, but also checking other factors such as the distance the car has been driven. Lastly, when a car has already had several owners, the car is likely to have endured different driving styles, modifications, etc., which may extensively affect long-term durability.

How To Check How Many Previous Owners A Used Car Has Had

It can be a pretty frustrating and tedious task to figure out how many owners has a car had. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find out unless your source is trustworthy. People may lie about these and present twisted facts. When you are looking for used cars, a one-owner vehicle that has traveled more than 100,000 miles is almost equivalent to a car that has been passed onto 3-4 owners. The primary difference between both these situations is what is happening under the hood. There is a hack to find out the number of owners a car has had. You can check all the service records of a car, and if the vehicle has those records, it will display all the names of the previous owners. So, if there are multiple names, it’s evident that a car has numerous owners.

Another trustworthy method to find out the number of owners is by paying for a vehicle history report from services like AutoCheck or Carfax . They use the registration data to find how many owners a vehicle has had. Sometimes, a dealership will present you with the Carfax of a vehicle when you inquire about the car itself. Often, you will simply need the VIN number of the car.

Why Does It Matter If A Car Has Had Multiple Previous Owners?

If you get a car with just one user that has also been driven for a moderate distance, you can definitely consider that car. But to be really honest, it’s usually better to consider a vehicle with fewer owners. But if a car is owned by multiple owners but has been taken care of accurately along with proper paperwork, there is no reason to reject that car. You can verify the car’s status and its maintenance paperwork by taking the car to an experienced mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection. We suggest you do a proper review before finalizing any deals. It’s less about how many owners have had a particular car and more about the mechanical condition of a car.

Is A Car Having A Lot Of Previous Owners A Red Flag?

A newer car that has a ton of owners previously can actually be considered a red flag. When a new car is resold quickly after purchase, it may be because of an issue that the owner does not want to disclose. When an owner sells a new car quite early in their investment, it is likely indicative that the car has shown some serious mechanical problems, and the owner has sold the car to cut the financial loss. It is possible that the previous owners ended up not liking the car, but this situation is relatively few in number.

Another situation to consider is when a vehicle has too many owners within a span of a couple of years. When a vehicle has been sold off quickly to many owners, this may be a similar situation as the previous example. If a car is less than five years old and has more than 3-4 owners, you should definitely consider that as a red flag and avoid that car. Moreover, multiple owners of a single-car make paperwork and maintenance status much more difficult.

How Many Previous Owners Are Too Many?

While there is no such thing as too many previous owners, we do suggest you try to go for one-owner cars. Cars used by only one owner make the paperwork easy and ensure the car’s traceable maintenance status. When there are way too many owners, you often get puzzled by the condition and modifications done to that car. But it’s also true that a single owner can neglect their car and have never done servicing of that car. So it’s sheer luck and depends entirely on the source which you are relying on to purchase a car. AutoBrokers of Paintsville works to provide you with the most reliable cars on the market, so you never have to simply depend on luck or wonder if you are making the right decision buying a car.

Visit AutoBrokers of Paintsville for Pre-Owned Vehicles!

We expect that the article was informative enough to understand the steps you need to consider while buying a used car. We highly recommend you source your car from a reliable and trustworthy entity. Make sure you check all the boxes to ensure that the car you are purchasing is in top condition.

If you are located near Paintsville, KY, and are in the market for a pre-owned vehicle, consider visiting Autobrokers! We have a generous selection of pre-owned vehicles . Please fill out the contact form on the sidebar if you have any questions about our inventory.

Why Previous Car Owners Really Matter

A lot can happen in a car’s lifetime, and it all ahs a big impact on what your car’s future will look like too. There are tonnes of different signs and factors that all add up to make one big picture, and out of all of these, one of the biggest impacts from how many owners the car has had.

It sounds trivial, we know. Why would it matter how many people have driven the car? That’s a fair question to ask too. The thing is though, it’s not just who has driven it that matters, but it’s how they have driven it too. Even how they bought it an be a huge factor. Let’s take a look at why.

Wear and Tear

One of the most obvious examples of how previous car owners can have a big impact is how they used the car directly. How someone drives particularly has a massive result on how it stands in the test of time, and it’s more important than most other stuff put together.

If the car has been driven around by a new driver or even someone who is just a little reckless, then the car has probably seen better days. It gets put through the wringer, and it takes a huge toll on every aspect of the car. From tyres and clutches through to engines and structure, anything can be worn out if it’s not treated how it should be.

Know History

Another massive thing to look at when you’re thinking about previous owners of a car is what the car has already gone through on the record. With modern tech, you can find out just about everything you need to know about your car if you need to. The previous owner is still always one better though. They tell you who the legal owner is, the mileage, and even any discrepancies about how it drives.

On top of that, the MOT and service history will be different from car to car too, and it’s the owner behind it all that keeps things ticking over as it’s supposed to. If the owner is careless or even inexperienced it might not work in your favour if you’re dealing with your new used car. The owner is responsible for it all.

Their Finance

For a lot of people, the first port of call when it comes to checking out a used car anyway comes from getting a HPI check, and that’s just as relevant here. The last thing you ever need when you’re getting a new car is for a previous owner to have made things a little less than legal and some financial complications. That’s what the HPI check is designed for.

When you get one of these, you can check out how the previous owner bought the car, and what they did with the payment plan they sued to get it. If you decide that finance is right for you, you need to make sure you pay everything that you need to. If an owner sells it before this is finished the car doesn’t actually belong to you, and that can be a huge issue alone. Don’t fall in the trap.

Bad Omens

Last but not least, another big thing to think about with previous car owners on record is how many there have actually been. At the end of the day, this comes down to two reasons. The first is how many previous owners means how many previous complications you might have. There more people that have been involved, the more variation this car has seen, and the more likely it is for someone in the chain to have mistreated the vehicle. It’s a bit of a lottery.

Secondly, it has a massive signal behind it about the car itself. Why has a car been passed around so many times? If it’s had a huge list of previous car owners, maybe even take it as a warning to new buyers. There is always a good reason for selling a car, but still, make sure you aren’t signing your money away with something you could have seen coming. Always do every check you can to keep yourself safe!

Ultimately, owners are just another cog in the machine behind what makes a car a good buy or a terrible mistake. Do your homework and always get a professional opinion to keep you in the best situation possible.

• ← Different Car Insurance Types & Why They Matter
• Diesel Vs Petrol: Which To go for in 2020 →