Why the number of keepers matters
A car with one or two careful owners and a full service history is what most buyers hope for. A car that has changed hands every year might be fine, but it raises questions. Did people keep selling it because of a fault that never got fixed? Was it bought and sold by traders?
The number alone does not tell the whole story, which is why the dates matter. Three keepers in ten years is unremarkable. Three keepers in the last eighteen months is worth a conversation.
Look at the dates alongside the MOT history. If the car changed hands just after failing an MOT with expensive faults, ask whether they were fixed. If each owner kept it for several years and the MOTs show steady care, that is reassuring.
Keepers and owners are not the same thing
The DVLA records the registered keeper: the person responsible for taxing and registering the car. That is not necessarily the legal owner. A car on finance is owned by the lender, and a company car is owned by the company or a leasing firm. Our V5C logbook guide explains the difference.
That is why a keeper check works best alongside a finance check. Both are in the full history check, along with the stolen and write-off checks that tell you whether the car's past has anything to hide.
How it affects the Vettly Score
Four or five previous keepers cost 3 points on the Vettly Score. Six or more cost 6. Fewer than four costs nothing. Separately, the free check takes off 2 points if a new logbook was issued in the last 90 days, because a recent keeper change is worth asking about. The deductions are small because keeper numbers are a prompt to ask questions, not proof of a problem.
If the seller says they have owned the car for years but the dates show a recent change, ask why. Ask how long they have had it before you show them the report, and compare the answer. They may be a trader posing as a private seller, which affects your rights as a buyer.
Part of the full history check
The keeper check is included in the full history check, which costs £4.49, or £3.00 a check in a pack of 10. You also get finance, write-off, stolen, plate and colour checks, and mileage from every recorded source. The free check covers MOT, tax and mileage.
If the report shows a keeper change after the latest MOT, ask the seller how long they have had the car and why they are selling so soon. There may be a good reason, such as a new job or a growing family, but you should hear it before you buy.