How to check car service history

Monday 13th May 2019

Perhaps you’ve misplaced your service log book – or purchased a used car that didn’t come with its full service history. Fear not – there are ways to retrieve your car’s service history that can help you to understand when your service is due, the previous maintenance work undertaken and the general service history of your car.

What does full-service history mean?

But what actually is a full-service history, and what can it show you? A car’s full-service history refers to the record of the maintenance or repair work your vehicle has had throughout it’s lifetime. This provides documentation of not only what work was undertaken, but also when this work was completed, too.

Having a full record of your own vehicle’s service history shows responsibility as an owner – and proves that the car has been taken care of. When selling your vehicle, providing the car’s full-service history can increase the value by as much as 10% compared to a seller who does not have their service records. In turn, from a buyer’s perspective, purchasing a used car without a service history can save you money – but it’s not recommended to do so, as you may need to have that in-depth knowledge of its history at some point.

How to check service history of a car

Whether it’s to find out when your car service is due, or whether you’re wondering how to check your car’s full-service history to understand its previous faults in the past – there are certain ways to check your car’s service history without a log book.

• Garages: most garages these days have computerised files, so if you know where the car had been serviced, it’s relatively easy to get your hands on any missing information.
• Manufacturer: however, if you don’t have access to where the car was serviced, contacting your manufacturer can also provide you with missing car service information. Simply provide them with your VIN number (often located on the car’s door frame or in the engine compartment). They should then be able to tell you which dealer originally supplied the vehicle, who you can then approach to retrieve any missing car service history.
• MOT data: as well as service history, you may also be missing your MOT history. This is easily retrievable from GOV.uk – simply enter your car’s registration number and you can find out when your MOT expires, along with extra information about when your car tax is due, the year of manufacturer, the fuel type and more.

Now you know how to check car service history, perhaps it’s time to book in for your own service? Here at Formula One Autocentres, we offer specialist car servicing from our team of trained experts. Simply locate your nearest Formula One Autocentre and book in with us today.