Vehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie tells us 17,363 private vehicles in Ireland (excluding imports ) have 10 owners or more over the lifetime of the vehicle – excluding garage sales.
The highest number of owners recorded for a single vehicle is 31. There are 145 vehicles with 17 owners, 82 vehicles record 18 owners, 128 vehicles have 19 owners or more; and 11 vehicles have 25 or more owners over the course of the lifetime of the vehicle.
The highest number of owners recorded for a single vehicle is 31 owners: a Honda Integra registered in Galway with a 1998 plate. This vehicle was imported from Japan in 2006. In 150 months in Ireland it has averaged an owner change every 147 days. One owner held that vehicle for just 14 days. Two vehicles in Ireland record 30 owners: a BMW 530 registered in 2004 and a Lexus IS200 registered in 1999.
The number of vehicles currently displaying 25 or more owners is 11 vehicles. Cartell last looked at the equivalent number of vehicles displaying 25 owners or more in 2015 when the number returned was five vehicles.
John Byrne of Cartell.ie says the number of owners for a vehicle can sometimes be overlooked by a potential buyer as a less important data marker, but it is an important part of the vehicle’s history.
"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.
"There is also the issue of driving style which can impact on wear and tear of components and can point to increased maintenance costs down the line. We are commonly seeing more owner changes for vehicles which are taxed at a higher rate – many owners simply find it difficult to justify paying high values for motor tax for older vehicles over long periods.”
Size of the fleet Cartell.ie also reports the size of the fleet in Ireland (all vehicles ) hit 3.2 million for the first time when it returned a number of 3,204,161 registered vehicles on July 30. The unprecedented size of the fleet presents issues for the road network and parking, particularly in urban areas.
John Byrne added: “The unprecedented size of the fleet will not come as a surprise to commuters who will have noticed increased congestion on our roads network and shortage of parking in urban areas. Issues around free-flow of traffic, enforcement of parking, access to business and footfall, will prove increasingly challenging as the economy continues to grow. Residential zones will also have noticed overflow parking in urban areas as we accommodate a larger fleet than ever before.”
Number of ownership changes per vehicle in private fleet (excluding imports )
(Source: Cartell.ie Carstat )
O wners N umber
1 486498
2 570287
3 380990
4 211011
5 116447
6 66533
7 38401
8 22534
9 13106
10 7503
11 4311
