Would you buy a 5 year old car with 3 previous owners?

Car_54

ontheroad1970 said:

You could have a car that has had 1 owner in 5 years.  If it was a hire car it would have to be declared.

Are you sure?

forgotmyname

Its a used car how would the seller know if it was a hire vehicle previously?  Less info on the V5C these days.

One of the best cars I have owned was one where the name on the paperwork went back to new and the 2nd

name on the V5C was that same name.  Assumed rightly or wrongly it was a guys company vehicle, either his

or an employer and he purchased it at 2 years old.

Brakes and tyres and regular oils and filters, nothing else needed replacing not even a bulb.

NottinghamKnight

ontheroad1970 said:

You could have a car that has had 1 owner in 5 years.  If it was a hire car it would have to be declared.  If it was a run around car for a garage or a courtesy car for a garage, it could have been driven by many MANY people.  You don't know if you just assume without asking.  That's why its good for sellers to keep receipts for work done.  How it has been looked after is the key...

No requirement to be declared as a hire car.

ontheroad1970

NottinghamKnight said:

ontheroad1970 said:

You could have a car that has had 1 owner in 5 years.  If it was a hire car it would have to be declared.  If it was a run around car for a garage or a courtesy car for a garage, it could have been driven by many MANY people.  You don't know if you just assume without asking.  That's why its good for sellers to keep receipts for work done.  How it has been looked after is the key...

No requirement to be declared as a hire car.

The Advertising Standards Authority state that you cannot advertise an ex rental car as a one previous owner.

This suggests they certainly should not be advertising an ex rental car as a one previous owner:

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/102191/buyers-sold-ex-rental-or-company-cars-without-warning-to-get-compensation

born_again

Another option.
PCP/Lease deal.
Purchaser buys car as settlement value is lower than final payment to keep. 
That's 2 owners. They then sell it as it's value is higher than the payment = PROFIT = 3 owners. Despite only 2 having had the car.

AdrianC

ontheroad1970 said:

NottinghamKnight said:

ontheroad1970 said:

You could have a car that has had 1 owner in 5 years.  If it was a hire car it would have to be declared.  If it was a run around car for a garage or a courtesy car for a garage, it could have been driven by many MANY people.  You don't know if you just assume without asking.  That's why its good for sellers to keep receipts for work done.  How it has been looked after is the key...

No requirement to be declared as a hire car.

The Advertising Standards Authority state that you cannot advertise an ex rental car as a one previous owner.

This suggests they certainly should not be advertising an ex rental car as a one previous owner:

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/102191/buyers-sold-ex-rental-or-company-cars-without-warning-to-get-compensation

Which doesn't apply to a private seller.

It's also very unclear whether it would apply to a subsequent sale of a privately-owned vehicle, even by a trader, since there's zero enforceable obligation on the private owner to pass that information on, and zero way in which the trader can easily discover the identity of previous keepers.

Car_54

ontheroad1970 said:

NottinghamKnight said:

ontheroad1970 said:

You could have a car that has had 1 owner in 5 years.  If it was a hire car it would have to be declared.  If it was a run around car for a garage or a courtesy car for a garage, it could have been driven by many MANY people.  You don't know if you just assume without asking.  That's why its good for sellers to keep receipts for work done.  How it has been looked after is the key...

No requirement to be declared as a hire car.

The Advertising Standards Authority state that you cannot advertise an ex rental car as a one previous owner.

This suggests they certainly should not be advertising an ex rental car as a one previous owner:

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/102191/buyers-sold-ex-rental-or-company-cars-without-warning-to-get-compensation

That's a world of difference from "it would have to be declared2>

couriervanman

I'd go for the Toyota all day long....better build quality

NottinghamKnight

ontheroad1970 said:

NottinghamKnight said:

ontheroad1970 said:

You could have a car that has had 1 owner in 5 years.  If it was a hire car it would have to be declared.  If it was a run around car for a garage or a courtesy car for a garage, it could have been driven by many MANY people.  You don't know if you just assume without asking.  That's why its good for sellers to keep receipts for work done.  How it has been looked after is the key...

No requirement to be declared as a hire car.

The Advertising Standards Authority state that you cannot advertise an ex rental car as a one previous owner.

This suggests they certainly should not be advertising an ex rental car as a one previous owner:

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/102191/buyers-sold-ex-rental-or-company-cars-without-warning-to-get-compensation

But that's irrelevant and nit what you originally claimed.

Herzlos

Owners doesn't mean much - it could have had a single registered keeper who never quite mastered a clutch and let all 3 of her teenage boys race it around at the weekends. There's no way to know if a 5 year, 3 owner car has been looked after better than a 5 year, 2 owner car.

3 owners isn't a big deal, but it'd be interesting to see how long the last owner had it - does the MOT history and paperwork hint at 2 shifts of garage? HPI mention any plate changes?