How Often Should You Service Your Car?

Recently we spoke about what happens in an MOT and how several key parts of the car are not checked at an MOT but are instead inspected and repaired at a service. There are though, three different types of service available. The one you have will depend on your annual mileage and age of the car. It is not a legal requirement to have a service but, a full-service history can increase your sell-on potential as well as the price people may be willing to pay. It also saves you from costly repairs in the future.

The three types of service

Interim service

This is a service, ideally for high mileage drivers and will take place roughly every 6 months or 6000 miles. It will include checks on lights, brakes, steering, suspension, and fluid levels. The exact amount of checks can vary by garage but in an interim service an oil change, an oil filter replacement and inspection of the drive belt can all be expected.

You can expect to pay an average of £119 for an interim service but may find them as cheap as £80. With an interim service your car will be in the garage for around 90minutes.

Full Service

This service is for a lower mileage driver and occurs every 12 months or 12000 miles. Whichever comes sooner. Within this inspection you can expect the same as in the interim but with some additional checks such as an alternator hose and vacuum hose inspection, the wheels to be removed and rotated and the air cleaner to be replaced. As with the interim service, there may be some additional checks and at some garages there can be as many as 80 carried out on your car.

For a full service you can pay anything from £155 up to £395 depending on the size of car. A full service can take up to 3 hours so remember to factor this time scale in.

Major service

This is the highest-level service your car can get and is normally carried out every 2 years or 24000 miles.  It will include all of the full-service checks plus some additional extras. Again, these could vary per garage and car type but commonly involve:

• Battery test
• Spark plug replacement
• Brake fluid replacement

A major service averages at around £280 but can be as low as £250 or as high as £400. For a major service, be prepared to be without your car for around 4-5 hours.

Additional costs

One thing to be aware of is that the cost of your service does not include any repairs. If a fault is discovered and the garage recommend a solution, if you give them the ok to proceed with it, you will be charged. Always ask about charges so you can be fully aware of what costs you are incurring. Whilst you do not have to agree to the additional work being done, it may save you money in the future if the problem develops.

Useful hints

Missing out on a service at the right time could lead to expensive repairs in the future so have a look at our list to see how you can keep on top of your service history.

• Log your service history so you know when the next one is due-perhaps set a reminder on your phone!
• Keep an eye on your mileage, use our suggestions above to get an idea of when you could be due a service. Especially if you have been driving more than usual.
• Get quotes from a variety of garages-remember you do not have to go to a manufacturer authorised dealer for the service. It will help with selling though when a prospective buyer sees a full dealer history.
• If you have recently bought a larger car, don’t be surprised to see slightly higher costs in your service.
• When you have found a few garages, ask what is included in the relevant service level. By shopping around you may get a better service for less money.

All of our cars at Euphoria finance are comprehensively examined before you get the keys and we endeavour to make sure everything is 100% before you drive away.

So if you require poor credit car finance are a young driver looking for finance, contact us today for your FREE quote.