How can I find out if a vehicle’s service history is genuine?
When buying a used car, the service history is an important factor to consider. It can be determined whether a car has been well-maintained by its service history. A vehicle with a Full Dealer Service History (FSDH) or Full-Service History (FSH) gives you peace of mind that the seller has a history of all maintenance, repairs, and services. If you don’t know how the vehicle has been maintained over the years, you can’t trust the Part Service History (PSH). In this blog, we will show you the best ways to check the vehicle service history check.
How to check if a Vehicle Service History is Genuine?
No doubt, it is common for sellers to provide fake vehicle service history. But the important thing is how to know if the vehicle service history is genuine. Is the service history check enough? Let’s find out.
When you are buying a used car, look for the following three things to know that the vehicle service history is genuine:
- When buying a used car, the first thing is to check its service history record. Look for the garage name where the car was serviced and contact them. The garage staff may consider your request to confirm the service. However, they won’t share the repair details. Still, it is a positive sign that the car repair record is true to some extent.
- Afterwards, note the odometer’s reading at the different tune-ups. If the car had a maintenance record at its recommended intervals, it’s a positive factor. Otherwise, you should ask the seller for a reason for missing it. It is one of the alarming signals for you to do deep research on the vehicle.
- If the car has a tune-up record from a certified main dealer, it is 100% original.
Try the above three ways vehicle service check. If all three gave green signals, it confirms that the vehicle service history is genuine.
3 Best Ways to Find the Vehicle Service History Check
Do you know the car’s condition may not be as good as it looks from the outside? Yes, such frauds are common where the sellers only give an excellent touch-up to the vehicle’s outside for getting a good deal. The vehicle may look flashy on the outside, but it may have worse conditions on the inside.
Therefore, it’s crucial to run a service history check when buying a used vehicle – it’s easy and free. And it might save you from buying a faulty car. So, without any further ado, let’s discover how to find car service history for free.
What are the Ways to Find the Car Service History?
It’s easy to check your car service history, and it may save thousands of pounds down the line too. Here are the best ways to find vehicle history before you buy the used car:
Service History Record
You get a service record when you repair or maintain the car at the certified garage or the dealership’s garage. As a seller, you will get a good deal on your car if it has a service record. In the same way, it’s your right to ask the seller for the service book of their car. Some may have it, and some may provide a valid reason for not having it.
However, some dishonest sellers provide a fake service record with the correct garage details. In this case, you should contact the garage mentioned in the service book and confirms the maintenance details with them.
Service History Check at Gov.uk
You can check free car service history at the UK government official website, Gov.uk. It will source the vehicle information directly from the DVLA and provide the following vehicle details:
- Make and model
- Vehicle colour
- Fuel type,
- Tax Status and due date
- MOT status and next MOT test date.
To get free car history check, follow these steps:
- Go to website Gov.uk Click on “Start now.”
- Enter the vehicle’s registration
- Now, click on “continue.”
- Confirm the details and select “yes” if correct
- Click on “Continue”, and you will get all the above-mentioned details of the vehicle.
Online Service History Check
You will find multiple online car history checking services, including the official HPI check website. However, most will charge you for providing the comprehensive vehicle details. Since you are only concerned with vehicle service checks, visit the dvla mot check for free history check. It will show you the vehicle MOT records along with advisory and failure notes – which is, to some extent, enough for judging the vehicle’s condition.
Recommended for you: Vehicle service history checks: Why you should need one in the UK?
What is Checked in a Vehicle Service?
The car service depends on the garage you visit and the specific service you pay for. Generally, it includes the car’s external checking – quite like the MOT test. In addition, they will check your car’s brakes, gearbox, tyres, etc. If you have a hybrid or electric car, they will also check the battery’s condition and the charging port.
The general checks in a car service include oil level, front and rear lights, engine oil, brakes, oil filter, suspension springs, exhaust cylinder, steering, coolant, and battery. The garage staff will look for worn car parts and replace them if needed.
Can I Check the Vehicle Service History for Free?
Yes, the Gov.uk website offers a free vehicle service history check. It will tell you the vehicle’s make and model, fuel type, tax and MOT status with their due dates. Besides the government website, you can ask the seller for the service history book. And you can also confirm the details from the garages where the vehicle had tune-ups.
Can I Buy a Vehicle with No Service History?
It’s not a legal requirement to only buy vehicles with service history. However, the buyer’s concern is to know that the car is in a roadworthy condition. Or the car I am paying extra for does not have some hidden faults.
Yes, you can buy a car with no service history, but it is not suggested. A car should have a service record or a valid reason for not having it. You can use this factor and negotiate with the seller, but you can’t be sure that the vehicle is in good condition.
Conclusion
A car having a service record is a good sign because you know the seller is hiding nothing. However, you must ensure that the seller provides a genuine service record. A car missing a service record raises red flags, but it does not mean that it is impossible. So, to avoid being a fraud victim, follow the above-discussed points.