Too many owners a spoiler for me

There’s a 1998 Honda Integra in Galway that is on its 31st owner. That’s right – 31st. Now I don’t know about you but I’d be very reluctant to buy any car secondhand that had more than one previous owner – preferably the legendary ‘careful’ one too.

Others, it seems, don’t share my squeamishness. Cartell.ie, the vehicle history and data service, says that 17,363 private vehicles, excluding garage sales, have had 10 owners or more. There are 145 vehicles with 17 owners, 82 vehicles with 18 owners, 128 vehicles with 19, and 11 vehicles with more than 25 owners.

The Integra actually was a Japanese import and it arrived here in 2006. In the 150 months since, it has averaged an owner change every 147 days. One sold it after just 14 days. A further two cars have had 30 owners – a 2004 BMW 530 and a 1999 Lexus IS200.

I feel somewhat left out, because I’ve owned my 1997 Saab 900 for all its life. In fact, I should be organising its 21st birthday party in November.

So does this matter? Well, yes, of course it does. ‘The number of owners for a vehicle can sometimes be overlooked by a potential buyer as a less important data marker but it’s an important part of the vehicle’s history,’ says Cartell’s John Byrne. ‘A higher number of owner changes can sometimes indicate hidden issues such as mechanical problems with the vehicle.

‘A higher number of owner cycles means the continuing upkeep of the vehicle becomes an issue too, as some owners are more particular than others about ensuring vehicles are serviced regularly.’

My Byrne also highlights the fact that driver style can impact on wear and tear (and I can’t imagine anyone bought an Integra just to go to the shops). He also notes increased rates of ownership change for vehicles taxed at a higher rate under the old engine capacity regime, with many finding it difficult to pay high motor tax for older vehicles (and mine is €710 a year, though in reality €800, because I pay by the quarter).

The simple advice is this. If you’re buying second-hand and the car is more than a few years old, pay for a vehicle history check first.