Firstly, when purchasing a vehicle, you should always refer to the service history to check it has been serviced timely and correctly. As discussed below, this will help when you come to sell the vehicle in future.

A service history is proof that a vehicle has been maintained in accordance with manufacturer guidance. This is of particular importance when it comes to selling a used vehicle through the pre-owned vehicle market.

Regardless of whether you take your vehicle to a main dealer, or an independent repair centre, your service and any relevant paperwork can be logged in your service book, which will help to maintain the vehicle’s value. If your chosen independent repair centre uses original equipment and is VAT registered (like CARS), your manufacturer warranty will remain unaffected.

However, if you miss a service, your vehicle will have a partial service history which could limit how much you are able to sell it for in the future.

If you’re looking into buying a used vehicle, either privately or via a dealership, you should ask to see all the relevant paperwork. If the vehicle has been serviced and maintained correctly, each service will be logged and dated within the service book, along with any additional paperwork. For some more modern vehicles, you can check the service history online which may provide further information about the vehicle.

Visit our blog ‘Why is it important to service my car?’ for further information.