With new cars still in short supply and old cars staying on the road longer, many vehicles are changing hands multiple times according to new figures released by vehicle history expert Cartell.ie. 

They report there are 18,260 vehicles in Ireland that have 10 owners or more over the course of their lifetime. The highest number of owners recorded for a single vehicle still live in the fleet is 43 owners of an Audi A6. There are 16 vehicles with 26 owners, and a further 6 vehicles have 31 owners across the country.

Regionally of those 18260 vehicles with 10 or more owners, 3,795 are located in Dublin, 2152 in Cork, 920 in Galway, and 867 in Limerick.

However, the majority of vehicles in Ireland are still on their first, second or third owners. Cartell say it is important to establish the number of owners when buying a used vehicle. 

Ross Conlon, CEO CarsIreland.ie and Group Director New Business at Mediahuis Ireland commented, “The number of owners is a data point which some buyers ignore and this is a mistake. A high number of owners can indicate one of several things including mechanical issues with the vehicle, where owners are off-loading a troublesome car, for instance, or, at the very least, a high number of owners points to various different driver-styles which increases the likelihood of wear and tear issues. In the long run it’s best to get a vehicle history check to establish issues like number of owners before you purchase."