Why A Car Service History Is So Valuable
When your car service is due, it’s best to take it to your nearest service centre rather sooner than later. Don’t wait until later because you’re on a tight budget and continue driving for a few hundred miles as this could cause more damage. It’s important to get a car service if you want optimal performance and extend the life of the engine, not to mention keep your service history squeaky clean.
How and where you service your car can directly impact your full car service history. While many people believe a car should always be serviced by the franchised dealer, it’s really not necessary. However, you should always use a registered and reputable service centre and keep all your records.
At Elite Garages, we service all major makes and models using only original quality parts while offering great value for money. Book your service with our friendly and professional technicians and keep your service history up to date.
Car Service History Facts And Figures
While the main purpose of a car service record is to show it has been properly and regularly maintained, it also adds great value when you decide to sell. Did you know that your car loses about a quarter of its value if you don’t have a full-service history?
According to research from Kwik-Fit, 45% of used car buyers won’t even consider buying a car without a full-service history (FSH). If a car doesn’t have any records or they’re incomplete, buyers can expect as much as 23% discount. Considering the average price of a car is around £13,000 that could mean a discount of £2,990. Now that is a large sum of money you could lose when selling your car.
Even though the exact value of the service history depends on location, it still makes a big difference. The aforementioned 23% is in London compared to 15% in the south-west which works out to almost £2000.
How To Get A Full-Service History
Judging from the above-mentioned statistics, keeping one’s service book safe seems obvious. But what can you do if your service book has been lost or stolen?
If you used a main dealer, you could ask them for the records as many companies keep digital copies. In some cases, they also make some records available to car owners online. The centres who aren’t able to provide you with digital copies, you can ask for an updated service book which will cost about £20.
It’s not always that easy if the car is no longer serviced within the dealer network as independent garages are not as thorough at keeping records. Another challenge is tracking down the garage that did the work as they may have moved or changed ownership. Tracking down the previous owner is much simpler as the DVLA will sell you their details for about £5. While contacting former owners could prove useful, they may not be interested in, or capable of, helping.
Fraudulent Service Records
If honest cars owner can legitimately track down a car’s service history, would-be fraudsters can also do it. In fact, some individuals will supply a fake history from as little as £10. They actually use real books which they buy from the staff at main dealers and are either sold empty, with fake signatures or just dealer stamps.
Considering that process seems so easy and well-organised, how do you know when a service record isn’t fake? If the service book includes main dealer stamps, it is quite easy to verify whether or not that dealer actually exists. You can then check for receipts to accompany the specified service records.
Related: ‘How To Spot Fake Service History‘
Benefits Of A Regular Car Service
Regular vehicle maintenance ensures that the core components of your car run smoothly. It also determines whether you need any replacement parts or fluids including brakes, power steering, oil and coolant.
Car parts deteriorate over time which means regular servicing plays an even bigger role with high mileage vehicles. A regular car service can help identify problems before they get worse and allows you enough time to find a way to finance the situation if necessary.
While the second-hand car market is still booming, it is competitive and your car needs to stand out. Besides keeping your car’s exterior and interior immaculate, we’ve seen in this article the true value of a full-service history. This will often attract more buyers while fetching a higher selling price in the process.
Regular servicing also has the potential to help you save big on vehicle-related costs. Think about it, adding fresh oil and changing air filters mean the engine will run smoothly and more fuel efficient. It can also help avoid an expensive bill on something that a car service could easily have identified and resolved.
Related article: ‘Why You Should Book Your MOT With Elite Garages‘
Car Services At Elite Garages
For an expert, quality and affordable car service, MOT’s and more, visit your nearest Elite garage. We offer better value than dealerships without compromising on quality. When your car service is due, contact your local branch for more information or you can simply book your service online. You can rest assured that our professional, experienced technicians will take exceptional care of your vehicle.
You can also rely on Elite for exhausts, tyres, suspension, alignment, batteries and free safety checks among others. Remember the Elite price promise, ‘“If you find a genuine printed cheaper price for the same product which is in stock we will meet or beat this price at the time of purchase.”
