When to stop spending on servicing old cars

With old cars consistently holding their value, it can be challenging to find a good deal, and therefore many people are running their current car for longer, simply because they cannot justify the cost of replacing it. However, if the vehicle is becoming increasingly unreliable or costing a lot in maintenance, a replacement, though expensive, could represent better value for money in the longer term.

How to know when to scrap a vehicle in the UK 

In general, people will scrap their vehicle when running it becomes unviable, either because it is increasingly unreliable or because it is costing too much money to keep on the road. Lots of people will scrap their car when it fails its MOT with a failures and advisories list with a cost of greater than 50% of the vehicle's value. 

Although replacing a vehicle with a newer, lower mileage, more reliable model is an expensive proposition, that newer car will often pay for itself in the first year through lower running costs, greater reliability and less maintenance. 

What does servicing entail? 

At your local Protyre garage , you have a choice of four different levels of service which allow you to select the one best suited to the age and mileage of your vehicle and your budget.  

The aim of a service is to reassure you of your car's roadworthiness by thoroughly inspecting its major components and replacing consumable items that are at or approaching their end of life. A service can be carried out after an MOT or separately where needed. 

During a service, a vehicle expert will check up to 65 different components, from oil filters and tyres to auxiliary belts and driveshaft gaiters, to ensure that the vehicle is safe and roadworthy. Should any defects be identified, the mechanic will explain them to you and advise on an appropriate course of action to remedy the fault.  

Will servicing make a car more reliable? 

It can be tempting to keep an old car on the road for as long as possible to defer the cost of replacing it, and in some cases, keeping a vehicle well maintained and regularly serviced can indeed extend its lifetime. However, in order to do this, the vehicle must be well looked after its entire life. It is hard to extend the life of a car in its later years when simple maintenance has not been performed at an early enough point in time. 

For example, suspension, steering and braking systems can be preserved for a long time if regularly serviced, cleaned and lubricated from new, but if these areas are neglected for long enough, corrosion will set in, which will be costly to remedy later on. 

Likewise, replacing oil and filters as per the manufacturer's recommendations will keep the engine and gearbox running smoothly and protect against most unexpected breakdowns where failing to do so can cause significant engine failure at a later point in time. 

 Will a service stop a car from breaking down? 

Unfortunately, no amount of servicing can guarantee that your car will never break down. There are many instances in which a component can fail without warning, causing a breakdown. Thankfully, these instances are few and far between, often caused by something simple, such as a puncture or a blown fuse, and can be fixed quickly and cheaply. 

 Servicing can aid in identifying potential issues before they happen, allowing you to resolve them by replacing faulty or end of life components or giving you time to replace the vehicle before it fails. 

Frequently Asked Questions