Every car needs periodic care and maintenance. A car service is the main element of the regime. How often a service is needed varies from car to car, with each manufacturer setting their own servicing intervals. However, it’s advisable to have your car serviced annually, especially if it’s more than five years old.
Having your car serviced regularly ensures hard-working components receive some well-deserved TLC and the whole car is checked to make sure everything is functioning properly. Consumable parts and fluids are renewed, existing issues dealt with, potential future issues brought to light.
Prevention is better than cure, of course, and it’s usually considerably cheaper. Waiting until components are totally worn out doesn’t just put your safety at risk, it could mean a much bigger bill to rectify the problem.
In this guide, we’re going to explain exactly what a car service is, when you should have your car serviced, how it affects your warranty, and how servicing works when you lease a car.
What is a full service on a car in the UK?
At minimum, a full car service involves changing the engine oil and oil filter. The car’s battery, bodywork, brakes, coolant, exhaust, lights, steering, suspension and tyres will also be checked to make sure there are no issues that need rectifying. Anything that’s not working as it should is replaced – once you’ve been consulted.
Cars have many consumable parts and fluids that need changing periodically such as the coolant, cambelt, brake pads and discs, transmission fluid and filter, fuel filter, clutch and so on. And there are other components that aren’t considered consumable but nevertheless have a limited life.
For instance, modern diesel cars with a manual gearbox generally need a new dual-mass flywheel (and clutch) at around 100,000 miles. And there are numerous cars that tend to need a new turbocharger at around 120,000 miles, including certain BMWs.
A good garage has the knowledge to advise what maintenance your car is going to need when it goes in for a service. However, you can’t take that for granted, so it pays to go into the conversation with a bit of knowledge about your car, which you can easily find online and in Parkers’ used car reviews.
Where can I get my car serviced?
Any garage can carry out routine car servicing – along with MoT testing, it’s their bread and butter. However, there are different sorts of garage.
For the most part, the archetypal dodgy backstreet garage doesn’t exist anymore, but there are still some that look run down and seemingly only deal with knackered old crocks. Such garages are best avoided. Most smaller operations are run by technicians with decades of experience and lots of loyal customers.
Then there are bigger garages that can carry out pretty much any servicing and maintenance on most cars. Many such garages are independent but also include the big brand names such as Kwik Fit, Halfords, National Tyres and Euromaster.
While these sorts of garages can service cars to a high standard, they don’t necessarily have specific knowledge on the vagaries of a given car. That’s where specialists that only deal with certain brands come in. A good specialist will know the cars inside-out and be able to do a better job in less time. They’ll also know about any problems that a particular car is prone to.
And finally, there are manufacturer service centres attached to main dealers. They’re often the best place to go if you have a car that’s still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. Such garages have access to the best parts and latest knowledge, however a specialist can be a better option once the warranty has expired. That’s because specialists often have a better understanding of what the cars require at higher mileage.
You could, of course, carry out basic maintenance tasks at home, such as an engine oil and filter change. Even more involved operations such as changing the brakes can be done at home if you have the knowledge, skills and the right tools. However, we advise that checks and repairs on safety critical parts are best left to the professionals.
How often should you service your car in the UK?
Every car manufacturer specifies service intervals for their cars – that is, the maximum mileage between each service. In some cases, those intervals are fixed, in others they depend on how the car is used.
You can find out the service intervals for your car in its service book, or by contacting a dealer. The vast majority of modern cars also show a message in the instrument display when a service is due. The dealer may call you near the time, and the car’s companion app can ping a notification.
That being said, it’s advisable to at least have your car’s engine oil and oil filter changed roughly every 12 months or 12,000 miles. That’s because even the best oils degrade and pick up a lot of soot and debris from an engine in that time. Fresh, clean oil is absolutely vital to the health of your car’s engine, so it’s better to err on the side of caution and have it changed fairly frequently.
How much is a car service in the UK?
The cost of a car service very much depends on what sort of car you have, what sort of garage you use and where in the country you are. But we can extrapolate a few rules of thumb.
A basic engine oil and oil filter change generally costs around £100 at a local general garage, or a brand-name outfit such as Kwik Fit or Halfords. Those companies sometimes have cut-price offers for servicing, so keep an eye out.
A manufacturer service centre attached to a dealer could charge a couple of hundred pounds for the same work, while the bill from a marque specialist will likely fall somewhere between the two. That pattern should repeat for pretty much any type of work. As such, it pays to shop around for quotes.
More involved tasks such as changing a cambelt or clutch can run well into the hundreds or even thousands. Even if the parts are inexpensive, it could take many hours to fit them. Don’t forget to factor VAT at 20% into the equation, either.
Many garages will often quote two prices – one using genuine parts from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and one using generic ‘pattern’ parts. OEM parts are usually a lot more expensive but are made specifically for your car to a high quality standard. Pattern parts may be cheaper, but their quality is more of an unknown.
Should I use a main dealer to service my car?
If you’ve bought a new, nearly-new or approved used car, a main dealer service centre is usually the best option for servicing. It’s often the most expensive, but you have the reassurance that the technicians have been specifically trained on your car and only genuine parts will be used. They also have access to the latest service bulletins, updates and recall notices.
Many manufacturers offer fixed price service plans on new and approved used cars that can be paid for in full or in instalments. Those plans often require you to use one of the manufacturer’s – or at the least the dealer’s – service centres.
Not using a main dealer for servicing doesn’t void the car’s warranty. However, if a problem develops soon after the warranty expires, you stand a better chance of the manufacturer contributing to the cost of repairs if you used a main dealer.
Can I protect my warranty if I don’t use a main dealer?
Under UK law, a new car’s warranty will be preserved if you decide not to use a main dealer for servicing. However, going down that route may create hassle for you if the car develops any problems shorty after the warranty has expired.
In the absence of main dealer service history, the manufacturer may be reluctant to contribute to the cost of repairs. That’s because they don’t know the standard of maintenance carried out on the car.
In Toyota’s case, under its Toyota Relax program, its cars come with a three-year warranty as standard, but it can be extended up to 10 years so long as you use a main dealer for servicing and repairs. Car leasing deals along with private contract purchase and private contract hire deals often require you to use main dealers, as well.
What’s included in a winter service?
A winter service is broadly the same as any other car service, but a particular focus is put on particular areas of the car. They include the coolant, battery, windscreen washers and wiper blades, lights, engine oil and tyres. A general health and safety check is carried out as well.
A winter service is worthwhile if you do a lot of miles during the colder months, or live in an area where winters are particularly harsh. Brand-name garages often do cut-price offers on winter services; even if your car isn’t strictly due a service, there’s no harm in taking advantage of an offer. After all, you can never be too safe on the roads in winter.
Alternatively, you could carry out a winter car check at home, if you have confidence that you know what you’re looking for.
Do lease cars need servicing?
The vast majority of car leasing deals are available with the option of a fixed-price maintenance plan; some even include one as standard. You’ll still need to book your car into a garage for servicing – the fine print usually stipulates you must use main dealer service centres – but the costs are lumped into your monthly payment.
A lease maintenance package typically includes:
- Scheduled servicing
- Breakdown cover including home start, roadside assistance and recovery
- Replacement tyres, battery and exhaust – within fair wear and tear limits
- MoTs for cars over three years old
Do electric cars need servicing?
Electric cars are no different to any other vehicles in that they need periodic servicing. There’s none of the fluid and filter changes cars with an internal combustion engine need. But an electric car needs the same health and safety checks as any other car, and assorted consumable parts need changing periodically, such as cooling fluids, brakes and tyres.
Do I need to update my car’s service history?
Whenever your car is serviced, you should make sure its service history is updated. If it has a service book, the garage should put their stamp in the appropriate box, noting the date and the car’s mileage.
If your car has a digital service record, most garages should have access to update it. You can check to make sure it has been updated on the car’s infotainment system, via its companion app, or by getting a print-out from a main dealer.
You should also keep a file of the receipts you have for servicing plus other maintenance and repairs carried out on your car. Having that paperwork shows the car has been well looked after and helps maximise its value.
Are there any other benefits to servicing a car regularly?
Having your car regularly serviced and keeping it well maintained generally ensures it’s fit, healthy and usable for as long as possible. It also helps maximise the car’s value, especially if you have a comprehensive service history to show for it, including a fully stamped service book and receipts.
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