Cars need to be serviced regularly to ensure that they run at their optimal performance and to try and avoid any unnecessary repair bills. It is always surprising how many car owners have no idea when their car was last serviced or when it is due one. This is usually the case if the car has been bought second hand and is over three years old.

Delaying on your service could be costly and you can end up doing some irreversible damage if you are not careful.

The cost to service a car can vary depending on the make and model, the type of service needed and where you take it. On average you can expect to pay between £200 and £400 for a main dealer service on a standard vehicle and often between £150-£300 at an independent garage. Once the car is out of warranty then you do not have to replace the serviceable parts with genuine ones so you can often save quite a bit of money there.

Always take your vehicle to a garage you can trust. Be sure to check what is included in the service and makes sure that the garage stamps the service book afterwards so you have a record of when it was done. If you come to sell your vehicle, it will be more saleable and possibly more valuable if you have a record of all the service history.