Car Servicing

southernscouser

Is it worth having my car serviced?

I've got a 4 year old Ford Focus from new. Has been serviced for the last 3 years without fail. No major work has been done to it other than what the warranty covered. The roll bar/cage was misalligned and corrected and also some heat absorber thingy was broked or not fitted properly and that was sorted.

I know when coming to sell the car it will look better to prospective buyers by having an annual service but is it worth it other than that?

Or is it just a motor industry fad to make us pay more money out?

Also I will be taking it to Fords as I just don't feel confident in the local dealers. Although saying that Fords did leave a screwdriver in my engine! :rolleyes:

balsingh

Its worth having it serviced annually just to make sure the oil and filters are clean. It also allows the car to be looked over to make sure nothign more serious is wrong with it.

As the car is no longer under warranty, I suggest not bothering with the Ford dealer. You will save yourself some money.

Remember, a non Ford history is worth more than no history. When you sell the car, a missing service counts against the car more than a car serviced by someone other than a main dealer.

southernscouser

balsingh wrote:

Remember, a non Ford history is worth more than no history. When you sell the car, a missing service counts against the car more than a car serviced by someone other than a main dealer.

Thats a very good point and taken on board. Thanks very much! :beer:

ohreally

balsingh wrote:

As the car is no longer under warranty, I suggest not bothering with the Ford dealer. You will save yourself some money.

As a point of interest,in terms of warranty issues, there is no requirement to have a vehicle serviced by the dealer network to maintain the warranty.

Cumbrian_Male

ohreally wrote:

As a point of interest,in terms of warranty issues, there is no requirement to have a vehicle serviced by the dealer network to maintain the warranty.

Any VAT registered garage as long as they stick to the reccommended service specifications.

Check your service schedule to see what work is required, as after 4 years you could be due a brake fluid change. Best practice is every 2 years, as you absorb water from the atmosphere which will make you more subceptable to brake fade.

Silent_Bob_3

Servicing a car on a regular basis keeps the engine and other parts in the best condition possible thuis extending its life. I change my oil every 6 months or 6000 miles, same with the gearbox oil as its a semi automatic and the air filter every 12 months.

noni

ohreally wrote:

As a point of interest,in terms of warranty issues, there is no requirement to have a vehicle serviced by the dealer network to maintain the warranty.

I have a 04 Kia Picanto and had it serviced by the local dealer as they said my warranty would be invalid if I went to another garage - seems this was the wrong info. Can anyone tell me if I can go to another garage to get brakes serviced as I think that the pads need replaced. Any ideas how much this would cost?

david29dpo

i point will be reached, after 6,7,8 years or so, when a FSH will no longer be worth the expense. my last car was 10 years old when i sold it, SH stopped at me after 5 years, did it myself after than. if anything, it increased the value because it was done properly!

nej

You can go to another garage as long as the other garage does it to the manufacturers specifications, using manufacturer parts.

chrisw

Regardless who does it, it's definitely worth getting done. Things like brake pad wear and fluid levels aren't part of the mot and unless you check them yourself you wouldn't necessarily know there was a problem. It can stop small problems becoming big ones, lessens the chances of a breakdown and prolongs the life of the car. Cars generally seem to run better following a service, and you may even recoup some of the cost in terms of fuel saving with new air filter, etc.

ohreally

noni wrote:

I have a 04 Kia Picanto and had it serviced by the local dealer as they said my warranty would be invalid if I went to another garage - seems this was the wrong info.

http://www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/fact-sheets/page29050.html