A car service is a routine health check for your vehicle, completed by a local garage. A mechanic inspects various parts of your car, checking for excessive wear and tear and recommending repairs where needed.

A car service is the best way to keep your car in good condition and helps to avoid expensive repairs and breakdowns. Some of the items assessed in a car service are:
● Tyres
● Oil
● Filter
● Brakes
● Timing Belt
● Windscreen Wipers
● Exhaust
● Suspension
● Steering System

You should always follow the service intervals specified in your vehicle handbook. Most manufacturers recommend booking a full service every 12 months or 12,000 miles – whichever comes first. They may also recommend booking interim and major services, as well as oil and filter changes, at other intervals.

The frequency of servicing depends on two factors:
● Your driving style
● Your yearly mileage

If you are an aggressive driver or you travel more than 25,000 miles a year, you may wish to service your car more often. Similarly, if your car sits around for long periods of time, you may wish to service it more often to protect it against the negative effects of disuse.

We recommend servicing your car at the following intervals:
● Interim Service every 6 months or 6,000 miles (if you have a high yearly mileage)
● Full Service every 12 months or 12,000 miles
● Major Service every 24 months or 24,000 miles

The cost of a service will depend on the engine size of your car and the rates that each individual garage charges. It will also depend on the type of service that you choose as they get more expensive as you go down the list (starting with interim as the cheapest service and major being the most expensive).

Our directory features thousands of independent, franchise and fast-fit garages and we make it easy for you to compare and save on the cost of your car service.

Simply enter your vehicle reg and postcode and choose the best deal at a garage on the list to book your appointment.

Each car service takes a different length of time, due to the differing numbers of checks. On average, a car service takes:
● Around 1 and 1/2 hours for an interim service
● Around 3 hours for a full service
● Around 4 hours or longer for a major service

If the mechanic finds extra faults, the repair time will take longer.