Generic Car Service History Maintenance Record Book for All Car Makes Models

Product Information

If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of service history, there are a few tips you can try to find out: We are authorised and regulated for credit-broking activities by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”). We are not a lender. Our FCA Firm Reference Number(s) are 689220, 688824, 688878, 688893 respectively. You do not have to pay us for our services. However, a funder or broker we work with will typically pay us for introducing you to them. Different funders/brokers pay us different amounts, but it will typically be based on a fixed percentage of the amount borrowed.

Servicing should be carried out at least once a year, or every 12,000 miles – whichever comes first. Although many people tie this in with their annual MOT. Understanding the service history of a car can be the difference between finding a great used car or one that’s set to be a dud. Just like anything mechanical, a poorly-maintained car will eventually give way. Traditionally, a car’s service book would be stamped at every service, with the date and mileage noted down. However, most new cars now have a ‘digital service record’, which means that the data is stored on the manufacturer’s database and the service books are not stamped.

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As a buyer, it's important to ascertain that maintenance has been carried out to the manufacturer's schedule. Likewise, confirming that the car has had a full service, and not just an interim, is important too. A workshop should always give you a detailed invoice and breakdown of all the work undertaken on your car during a service. If a car has not been serviced on time, every time, or has been taken to a non-approved garage for a service, then it would be considered to have a partial service history.

A strong service history proves how well looked after a car is, meaning it’s much less likely to go wrong compared to a car without it. In turn, this increases the value of a car comparatively. Deceptive Practices: Falsifying service history records is unethical and may be considered fraudulent. It misrepresents the vehicle’s true condition and can lead to legal repercussions if discovered. You can then write to them and ask if they know the service history details – though you will be at the mercy of them replying and remembering the service details and/or having the service book. Reliable support– Our team of customer service professionals are always on hand to provide support and answer any queries you may have regarding your vehicleIf a dealer cannot produce a car’s full service history on the spot, assume it doesn’t have one. Excuses like: “We’re getting the service centre to send us the details”, or: “You should be able to get that from the main dealer” are not acceptable and are almost certainly lies. What does FMSH mean? Or FPSH, or FASH, etc? For instance, if you are planning to buy a car that has high mileage, it will likely have had one if not more of the following components replaced at some point: If you have used a franchised dealership or national garage, then they will likely keep digital and paper records of the work carried out on their vehicles. Whilst the repair of parts like these is essential, these repairs fall outside of the manufacturer’s servicing schedule given the fact that the mileage of the car will not decide when these parts need to be replaced. However, an incomplete service history isn’t necessarily a bad thing and doesn’t always mean anything sinister - sometimes it may just be that the car’s service history book is missing.

As stated above, the service book that comes with the car will be stamped by the garage to confirm the relevant work has been completed, with receipts detailing specific work done and any parts that have been fitted.

The car service record itself typically includes details such as the date and type of service, parts replaced, and any other relevant information. No. It’s perfectly legal to drive a car that hasn’t been serviced. However, it must have a valid MOT. Dealers will often include the brand name in the service history acronym. So ‘FMSH’ could mean ‘Full Mercedes Service History’, for example. ‘FBSH’ might mean ‘Full BMW Service History’ and ‘FASH’ could be ‘Full Audi Service history’. With an incomplete service history, you won’t have the full picture of how the car has been treated and what condition it is in. Therefore, you could be purchasing a car with hidden or developing faults that could end up costing you more money in the long run.

There are reasons why “missing” or “lost” service records eventually impact buying decisions. Although you can negotiate with the aspect of missing service history, it is impossible to say the vehicle issue-free. Some manufacturers now offer a Digital Service Booklet instead of a hard copy. This prevents you losing any servicing information. This is a desirable trait in any used car, and one that used car dealers use to catch the eye of potential buyers. But what does it mean, exactly? And is it worth paying extra for a car that has a full service history? What is a full service history? Having an FSH means that a car has been maintained consistently to the standards outlined by the manufacturer when it rolled off the production line, with all of the required service tasks undertaken and all of the correct procedures followed.

Where do I find my car’s service history?

Some manufacturers can be strict regarding where you are allowed to service the vehicle whilst it is in warranty - and what parts can be used. Not to worry - if you have lost your car service book, then there are a few things you can do to try and recover your lost service history.