Would you buy a car that didn’t have a full service history?

Not keeping a full service history can be a big mistake.

We surveyed over 2,000 car owners and found that almost half said that an incomplete service history would be a deal breaker – that they wouldn’t even consider buying a used car without a full service history. What’s more, those who would still buy without a service history expect a hefty discount – on average 19% – to take on the extra risk of a vehicle with an unknown past.

We did the maths and found that, with an average used car selling price of £7,706 for July 2014 (according to the BCA), sellers could find themselves £1,464 out of pocket, simply for not having a full set of stamps in the log book.

So if you’re putting off your service to save a bit of cash now, you could pay for it dearly in the long run when it comes to selling your car. Keeping a full service history isn’t just about getting the best value for money when you sell your car though.

Why are cars serviced?

Vehicles that are serviced to the manufacturer’s recommendations will generally be better performing, more efficient, and cheaper to run. Services go through all the nooks, crannies, and quirks of your car to make sure everything’s running as it should. It’s also a great time to flag up potential problems that can be fixed cheaply before they become more of an issue.

Things such as tyres can be perfectly fine when checked for an MOT test, but may have significantly worn by half way through the year – a service is able to pick up on this for you. If anything is flagged, you can even book your car for a tyre fitting to replace them with fresh, safe tyres.

Who can service my car?

It’s a common misconception that a full manufacturer service can only be carried out by a main dealership. This simply isn’t true – a Kwik Fit stamp in your log book is valid as part of a full service history and will uphold your manufacturer warranty.

Kwik Fit offers manufacturer servicing using manufacturer’s schedules and on-board computer information specific to your vehicle’s make, model, age, and mileage. In addition, all parts are guaranteed for 12 months or 12,000 miles.

Trust Kwik Fit

So, if you want to keep a full service history but don’t want the associated cost of dealership servicing, contact your nearest Kwik Fit Service centre and get a manufacturer service quote today.

Find out more about manufacturer servicing.