How often should I get my car serviced
Published: 04.01.2019
To keep your car in the best condition and avoid expensive repair bills, you need to make sure you get your car serviced regularly.
Typically, you should get your car serviced every 12 months or every 12,000 miles – whichever comes first.
But you might need to get your car serviced more regularly if you use your car in ‘severe’ driving conditions.
Your car may need to be serviced more regularly if you:
- Drive more than 20,000 miles each year
- Routinely perform short trips, less than four miles
- Routinely drive on demanding roads, for example, if you live in a particularly hilly area or drive on low-quality roads
- Routinely drive in very hot or very cold weather
If you meet any of these ‘severe’ driving conditions, you should get your car serviced more regularly. But you may be able to get an interim service rather than a full service.
Your vehicle’s logbook should have a stamp from the last time it got serviced. It may also suggest an appropriate time interval or number of miles before you should get your car serviced again.
The service book will also give you more accurate information about when your vehicle needs servicing.
If your car has an internal computer or self-diagnostics features, it may tell you when your car needs a service. We recommend that you listen to these warnings and check your car’s service book.
How often should I change the oil in my car
In between services, there are some important maintenance tasks that you need to take care of to keep your car running in peak condition.
This includes changing the oil and other fluids and filters like the engine air filter.
Your vehicle’s service handbook will give you a detailed breakdown of when these wearable parts need to be changed.
Caring for your car saves money
Getting your car serviced regularly and carrying out maintenance in-between services can help you save money in the long run.
Taking your car to a garage regularly gives you the best chance of finding a problem early on when it will be cheaper to fix.
It may be tempting to skip a car service from time to time, but if you do this, you could end up having to replace expensive parts like a radiator, water pump, engine exchange or a cylinder head gasket.
Regular servicing and maintenance can also help improve fuel economy, vehicle life expectancy and the resale value of a car when it comes to being sold.
Second-hand car buyers are often willing to pay a higher price when they see that a car has a fully stamped service book.
Your car’s service manual should tell you when a car’s replaceable parts might need changing.