How to maintain your warranty with proper servicing

Buying a new car is an exciting experience, but to continue to experience the full benefits of your purchase, it's really important to make sure that you understand how to maintain your warranty.

When it comes to servicing your vehicle, you may be wondering whether you need to have it serviced by your dealership network to avoid inadvertently devaluing your car. This information isn't necessarily readily available at a glance, so we've put together this handy guide to help.

How to choose a car service to keep the warranty valid

As per the European Block Exemption rules, car manufacturers are not permitted to void warranties if car owners choose to have their vehicles serviced at a non-franchised dealership. Thankfully, this piece of legislation was retained after Brexit, and it means that you are free to take your vehicle to be serviced at your preferred garage, which could be both more convenient for you and more affordable.

However, it's important to note that wherever you have your vehicle serviced, it will need to be completed in line with the requirements and schedule set out by your car's manufacturer. In practice, this means that you'll need to arrange your services at specific intervals and make sure that the garage is using the correct fluids, oils and parts. For this reason, it's important to visit a reputable garage that will work within your car manufacturer's guidelines.

Documenting your car servicing history

To ensure that you have proof of maintaining your vehicle in accordance with the manufacturer's requirements, it's important to keep an up-to-date record of all services. This should be in the form of a stamped service book, as well as itemised invoices which clearly set out all work that your vehicle has undergone.

It's really important to visit a garage that will document everything they do to your vehicle, including the fluids and oil grade that they've used during the servicing process. This is something that our vehicle experts do during every service, so if you're ready to have your car serviced at one of our garages, you can be confident that it will be completed in line with your manufacturer's requirements.

Can I take my car to any garage to be serviced if it has an extended warranty?

If you have an extended warranty, there may be a requirement to have your vehicle serviced at a specified garage. We recommend checking all the terms and conditions associated with your extended warranty to determine whether there are any limitations in place that you'll need to adhere to.

What about my MOT?

Your new vehicle won't need to have an MOT until it's three years old in England, Scotland and Wales or four years old if you're in Northern Ireland. When your vehicle does need an MOT, you can visit any garage and still maintain your warranty.

It's worth noting here that your warranty may not cover items such as worn brakes or tyres, which are common causes of MOT failure. Always check the terms and conditions to ensure that you understand exactly what is and isn't covered so you know where you stand.

Frequently Asked Questions