Staying on top of your car services

Having to fork out hundreds of pounds for a car service can be hard to digest, especially as there may not be any signs that it needs doing.  But it is important to understand that a service is vital to maintaining the vehicle and should not be overlooked. When a car is serviced it will often have oil and filter changes along with spark plugs if it’s a petrol car. They will also check over the major components on the car to see if there are any signs of damage or wear and tear which may mean they need to be replaced.  All coolant levels will be checked and topped up if needed.

Regularly servicing your car can make the difference between it running smoothly and fuel efficiently, and the risk of it breaking down and incurring an expensive and unexpected repair. The service intervals for a vehicle vary and will depending on the make, model, age and mileage of the vehicle. The schedule can usually be found in your car manual.

The service can be carried out by an independent garage or a main dealer or you may even be able to do parts of it yourself. If the car is still under warranty you may need to check if it will affect the warranty of you take it to an independent garage.