Some cars get registered multiple times yet are the same owner due to taxes, moving, etc... I would look towards how many shops had their hands in the car. If only one or two shops did all the work, I would be fine on it. More context is needed for a better answer.

 

Honestly the more high end the car, the more likely it will have a lot of owners that were 1-3 years and maybe 1-6k miles. It's partially due to the trade around culture and often said Lamborghini V12 (for example) owner has MANY cars and doesn't keep them forever or put a ton of miles on them.

Number of Owners? No big deal. Excellent Service records and condition over literally everything else. I've seen dealer maintained one owner cars with zip ties, broken fasters and tool marks where there shouldn't be. I've also seen 5 owner cars that have been self or indy serviced that I'd trust completely to be great and get me anywhere. Carfax, Number of Owners, Dealer Maintenance; they are all tools to help signal and filter cars; but they are not the end all be all, thats the PPI.

 

i guess this thread has kind of taken a confusing turn .

The one on eBay is the original vehicle in question that the OP wanted I didn't realise we moved onto another car

 

Regardless, nobody wanted that heap and all eight of them unloaded it quickly. Every one probably took a loss, especially the first owner (OUCH).

 

Steve:
This one is on carvana houston. It is a XKR not XK but it is on ebay too.


JDog

 

The one on eBay is the xkr think Stuart posted the xk ( your after the 13 xkr yes ?)

 

The OP identified the vehicle as having 48K miles and implied that the seller was Carvana. The photo I posted was a screenshot of the only X150 with 48K miles on Carvana's website.

 

All true, particularly the service records, and high end cars that are toys sold by the wealthy.

Though, some of very expensive issues either may not generate DTC's, and are invisible to PPI's. Also, anyone who sells cars knows to clear all codes, particularly the historical ones, prior to sale.

In particular I'd be suspicious about a many-owner R, since the first thing an R owner wants to do is see what it can really do. Many owners (to me, of course) implies potential successive abusing.

1. Tranny fluid black implying abuse;
2. Differential fluid black implying abuse;
3. Power steering wear and abuse (in old reservoirs, the fluid visible can appear clean when the fluid in the rack is much less so).
4. Any number of intermittent electrical and sensor problems.

Again, with so many documented XK/R examples, why bother? Like marrying a woman with eight previous husbands. Gotta be an issue there somewhere....

Cheers, Panthera

 

During the PPI you can spot a lot, but these are possible hidden dangers. Generally I will put a premium (and pay more) for a no excuses car, but will absolutely buy one with a story when the price is right. I also tend to not trust anything someone tells me who is trying to sell the car; so I verify everything I can. I run my scan tools on cars and depending on the car, sometimes you can see how long since reset; but if I see a used car that the seller has warmed up or freshly cleared codes, I get suspicious. I will buy an absolute pile of a car if everything checks out and the price is right, but I won't buy what appears immaculate if something feels off or the seller seems in anyway slick and deceptive.

 

Absolutely. You know cars, as do I, and buying the right one is a mix of good data end human interaction. To me, no data = bad data, and the price is adjusted accordingly. And, as we both know, ya gotta be ready to walk away to get a good car.

BTW, on high-end cars: I came across a fine looking low mileage Aston for a reasonable price. Tempted, I checked parts prices, because I knew I'd be able to maintain it. A brake rotor for $1K rather put me off....

In my more naďve younger days, I was looking a a very nice BMW. I popped open the oil fill with a flashlight. Told the dealer "hey, do you know someone put axle grease in the top end?" He smiled and said "really? How'd that get there?"

Live and learn.

 

Many high end cars have third party companies that produce quality parts for a fraction of OEM. No idea about Aston but Maserati owners have this option, and Bentley.. Well when you buy parts OEM from the dealer their Bentley cash register has a 4x button.

 

It can be the luck of the draw. I took a chance and bought my XKR on ebay with a patchy service history over 4 years ago, and I’ve not had a single problem with it. I once bought a new STR from a Jag dealer though, and it would randomly throw out fault codes. In and out of the dealer for weeks until they traced it to a bad wire harness in the front bumper.

 

Most Jaguar dealers provide a free, yearly health report. I would have the appointment pre-booked before scheduling delivery. Then, take it to a trusted Indie mechanic.

 

I don't know much about carvana but I have a 2012 Jaguar XKR convertible with about 48,000 miles. I am thinking about selling. I love the car no problems and it has a balance of a bumper to bumper Warrantee to 75,000 miles and almost 2 years left. if you are interested please send an email to bankers51@bellsouth.net and I will send pictures. It is black with ivory interior.

 

The price of that rotor would be no different for any marque that has the same braking system. They're Brembo brakes, and not sure which model you were looking at. 150-250K car new has expensive parts; just the way it is.

 

My own 2008 XKR was a multiple owner car (6 I think) with just over 45k on the odo. It looked, drove, sounded, smelled like a new car. Still does save a bit more wear on drivers seat lol. Best way to know is look at it and drive it. Take it on a good long test drive.

I would be cautious about the Carvana thing though. Buying anything sight unseen, despite any '100-whatever point inspection'. For example, another XKR I looked at (ragtop), at another dealer said car was ready to go, passed their own 75 point inspection, 56k mi, 2 owner....only to find out the top didnt work, among other things.

 

Put on your PF Flyers and run for the hills!
I bought a 2009 XK Coupe with 32k miles and in as new condition; no problems ; I’m the fourth owner.

 

When I was looking for mine, I found many were trying to be flipped by someone who thought the car was worth a lot more than it was, then dumped it to another fool just to get rid of it. Anyway, these are temperamental beasts and I would not buy one without putting my eyes on it and paying a few $$$hundred to a reputable shop for a thorough inspection.

 

Dealers are in the business of pain as cheap as possible and selling for as much as possible. They know you will sign an “As-Is Purchase” document which is the law and I’m sure the industry had a hand in passing that. They cannot fail to disclose known defects but it’s hard to prove they didn’t just overlook them. Just like employers can see a name on a resume or a history of jobs and make assumptions about race or age and claim they ‘just didn’t like a resume’ because there’s no law against that!

I don’t know enough about Carvana, if they’re an actual dealer that stocks vehicles for sale or if they’re more of a Uber type dealer where they simply find sellers and connect them with buyers.

I do know you can require other terms to a purchase be amended to your contract or you can walk. They may initially Balk or turn you down but if you are a well-qualified buyer, chances are after you get up and walk they’ll capitulate. If they don’t you may be better off to keep walking. (Not every dealer will accept if they think there’s lots of interest in that very vehicle.) Everyone says have your own mechanic inspect a used car but I really don’t think a dealer is going to allow that because the vehicle would be out of their control. They may instead after you to see their inspection which if they do make sure you get a copy and maybe even insist their inspection to be accurate at the time performed & otherwise as-is. If there an honest dealership will stand behind their inspection because that protects them in case something else breaks down after you buy it because that’s always possible. If there are questionable business they’ll refuse no matter what.

You can also bargain for mechanical breakdown insurance to add as a condition of sale. Their cost is less than yours would be as they usually offer it because they make money off of it.

 

Great advice!
I lucked out with my XK Coupe; had it a year with zero problems and starts every time.........simply fabulous!