How car owner check important for buying a used car?


A car owner check is one of the most important things when buying a second-hand car. It is impossible to know whether the dealer is upfront about its history.


There is no rule that a car can only have a limited number of owners. So the car you are going to buy might be owned by many people, and it is your responsibility to check all the previous number of owners the car had.

that's why getting a car history check is always a good idea. Read more to find out why checking the car's ownership is important.

What is car owner check?

When searching for previous owners of a used car not listed on the V5C logbook, you should first search through all the service records. Pay attention to invoices with names, addresses, and phone numbers. Those are the quickest ways to identify previous owners.

Alternatively, it would be best to fill in V888, the DVLA's specific vehicle information form. You will obtain car owner information from the DVLA if you have a legitimate reason.

Unlock your vehicle's hidden history

How important is it to check the ownership of a car?

It is important to pass a car owner check to put aside the complexity we face while buying a used car. Buying a pre-owned car is a gamble because the car will nearly come with a past. Hence, when purchasing a used car, it is very helpful to know the history of the previous keepers. A car owner check tells you how many owners my car has had till now.

Knowing the number of vehicle owners makes it easy for the user to determine its wear and tear, service, and maintenance.

Consequently, it influences the buyer to purchase or walk away from the deal depending upon the ownership details. If you suspect the seller, you can take various steps to verify their original information.

You should not undervalue the complete transfer process to a new owner as it is essential to avoid various future confusions. However, the process is not as tedious as you think.

Here are three major reasons spotted to know the importance of car owner checks:

  • Investigate the number of previous owners of the car. More number of previous owners are hard to sell and has heavy risks to buy.

  • Depending upon the number of previous owners of the vehicle, you can quickly determine the car's reliability, i.e., In the case of multiple owners, the car may not be well preserved and maintained, thus ending in reconsidering the purchase.

  • If there is a frequent change in the ownership of the vehicle, you should be more cautious and analyze legal details.

Recommended for you ; Car Ownership Transfer Guide – What to do When Buying or Selling?

How to check the previous owners of a car?

Many unprofessional sellers/dealers exist who deliberately hide the number of previous car owners. Still, there are ways to find them and enquire,

  1. One of the best ways to know the number of previous owners of a used vehicle is by carrying out a vehicle history check.

  2. Cross-check with the seller's claims and the V5 logbook if any discrepancy with the information arises. If there are any changes, do rethink the purchase.

  3. Go through the service record that also includes the car owner's history.

  4. Only for specific reasons, you can also request DVLA for vehicle history data.


However, the vehicle history check does not include specific information about the owner since it is impossible and against the law of the UK to find the car owner by registration number. Therefore, no online car check provider discloses the owner's personal information on a public forum.Checking the previous car owner is essential and takes a minute or two to carry out once you know what's what.

Unlock your vehicle's hidden history