Servicing and the related costs are an unavoidable fact of motoring. While the most common financial gripes amongst drivers tend to focus on the price of petrol and diesel, the upkeep and maintenance of a motor vehicle can be exorbitant. The exact cost will depend on various factors, including the make, model and age of your car but these tips should help to keep it to a minimum, regardless of what you are driving.
Shop Around
It may be blindingly obvious but the first and simplest way of reducing your servicing costs is shopping around. Don’t just automatically go to the garage you have used since the year dot, phone around your local area to see what other offers are available. Even within a small town, prices can vary significantly so you may be surprised by the savings you can make. Looking further afield can also be well worth your while if you live in or near an expensive city – travelling out of town to a cheaper servicing centre can save you enough to more than cover the accommodation you may require. Prices can vary greatly even within the manufacturer’s own network of dealers.
Remember that the best deal this year may not be as competitive next year – research your options every time your car needs a service.
Is the Dealer Service History worth it?
Many motorists choose to have all services carried out within the manufacturer’s dealer network to ensure their car has a full service history, but this is not always worth the extra cost. As EU legislation means you can have your car serviced at any approved garage without affecting your warranty, it is very likely that you can save a decent amount of money by going outside the network.
Of course, you will need to ensure that the garage you choose is reputable, as well as having all the required equipment, but there are countless outlets nationwide which can provide a service just as good as one from the official dealership. When shopping around for your next service, look into local garages and recognised non-manufacturer networks.
Once you have selected a shortlist of affordable garages, use the Motor Codes website to check them out before you hand your car over. Motor Codes is a government-approved, self-regulatory body for the motor industry, which has compiled a list of all local and national garages which conform with the Trading Standards Institute’s codes of practise.
One thing which you definitely should not do in order to save some money is book your car in to the cheapest local garage without checking it first. Find out whether they use manufacturer products or compatible alternatives (which may be just as good quality but will cost significantly less) and whether they are a genuine, VAT-registered business. The Motor Codes website will come in very handy at this stage of your research.
Also remember that repairs are different to servicing and having repairs carried out at a non-franchise garage may affect your warranty.
Maintenance: Do It Yourself
Another easy way of saving money when it comes to service time is carrying out simple maintenance tasks regularly. Some of the tasks and checks you can do by yourself to save time, money and potential panic when your car is next in the garage include:
Check tyre pressure and condition at least once a month. The recommended pressure can be found in the owner’s handbook, inside the driver’s doorframe or behind the fuel cap cover. Tyres should be replaced as soon as the tread reaches the 2mm minimum limit.
Have any small chips or cracks in the windscreen repaired immediately by Autoglass or a similar service. This may be covered by your insurance free of charge, whereas repairing further deterioration will be expensive and involve paying the applicable excess. It may also affect your no claims bonus.
Wiper blades should be checked and replaced regularly. New blades are inexpensive and can be changed in just a few minutes. If your windscreen never seems to be clean or appears blurry, it is likely that you need new wiper blades.
Keep an eye on the accuracy of your wiper jets. If they miss your windscreen more than they hit it, visit a local garage to have the nozzles adjusted. This is a quick job and will normally be done free of charge.
Bulbs can be replaced at home fairly easily. Headlights can be trickier in new models due to design changes but it should still be possible to swap bulbs without too much fuss. Consult your owner’s handbook to find out how to access the bulbs on your particular model. You may even find a useful video on YouTube showing you how to do it for your particular model.
Be Pro-active
Don’t put off any niggles or potential issues until your next service is due – as soon as you notice a problem with your car, arrange to have it checked by a qualified mechanic. The repair may be costly but remember it will only get more expensive with time. Procrastination is definitely a huge factor in car maintenance costs.
Check Your Warranty
Familiarise yourself with your car’s warranty and exactly what it covers. You may find that you are entitled to have work done free of charge at a dealership, rather than paying a local garage to do it.
Do you have any tips for saving money that you can pass on to us? If so we’d love to hear about them, so please leave a comment below.
Another great way to save money on your car is to buy quality car insurance. A fully comprehensive policy doesn’t have to cost the earth, so give us a call on 01480 402460 to find out how much we can save you.