How Do You Check a Car’s Service History? (And How to Find a Lost Service History)

A car’s service history is a record all the maintenance and repairs it has had throughout its lifespan.

This can be documented either digitally or in a physical service book.

If you're planning to sell, cars with a full service history offer peace of mind to potential buyers.

Find out how to check your car’s service history, how to find a lost service history, and more by reading this blog.

 

How Do I Check My Car's Service History?

To check your car’s service history, you first need to work out where the records are stored.

This will either be digital, a collection or paperwork, or a mix of both.

An easy way to find your car’s service history is to check the physical service book that came with the vehicle.

Most garages, especially franchised dealerships, update and stamp this book after every service.

If your car has been serviced by an official franchised dealer, you can see your digital service history by contacting your car’s manufacturer or dealer.

If your car has been serviced by independent garages, you will need to contact every garage that has worked on the car.

You cannot update your car’s digital service history yourself.

Only registered garages can access official manufacturer online databases.

 

I Can't Find My Service Book

You may have misplaced your service book if you’ve recently moved house.

Or perhaps you bought a vehicle that didn’t come with one in the first place.

If you don’t have a service book, try to find any paper invoices and receipts for the services your car has had.

This may be a bit scruffy, but at least you’ll have physical proof that it has been well-maintained.

Many modern cars no longer come with a service book.

Rather, the information is stored digitally by the garage that completes the service.

If you’ve booked your car maintenance at the same garage each year, you can ask them for the Digital Service Records for your vehicle.

 

Keep Track of Your Service History with Our User Portal

There is currently no such thing as a car service history checker available in the UK.

If you want to keep track of your service history and are ready to take control of a Digital Service Record, our User Portal can help.

When you create a free BookMyGarage user account, you can add as many vehicles to your digital garage as you like.

Every time you make a booking through our comparison site, the record is automatically stored alongside the details of the products you booked and with which garage.

This means you’ll have a digital record to prove your car has been well-maintained to back up the paperwork you receive after every job – and as security in case hard copies go missing.

You can set up your BookMyGarage account through our User Portal in just a few seconds.

 

How Do You Find Your Car's Lost Service History?

How you find your car’s lost service history will depend on the following:

• Does the seller still have the service book?
• Do you know who serviced your car?
• Does the seller know who serviced your car?
• Do you know who owned the car before?

You may need your vehicle identification number (VIN) and your car’s registration details at this stage.

 

The Seller Still Has the Service Book

You can recover your lost service history by contacting the seller to see if they still have the records.

You can arrange to pick it up if so.

 

You Know Who Serviced Your Car

If you lost the service book and remember where you booked your car service(s), you can contact the relevant garage(s).

The garage will either have the records on file or be able to find them and post them to you.

If you’ve had your car serviced at several garages, you may need to contact each one to recover the full service history.

You may need to give them a few details about you and the vehicle to prove you are who you say you are.

 

You Don't Know Who Serviced Your Car, but the Seller Does

If the seller doesn’t have the service book, but has a record of the service history, you can follow the same process as mentioned above.

You will need to ask the seller to provide you with the details – making sure they explain which service was done where and when.

 

You Don't Know Who Owned the Car Before

If you bought the car from a dealership without a service history, you’ll need to find the previous owner before you track down the service history.

You will need to fill out a V888 form from the DVLA to do so.

This costs £2.50 and allows you to request the details of the previous owner.

You can then write to them and ask if they know the service history details.

 

Once you’ve recovered your service history, you must make sure you update it every time you book a service.

This can be done with a stamp in the service book, an invoice from the garage, or by doing the process digitally.

 

Can You Get a Replacement Car Service Book?

Whilst you can get a replacement service book online or sometimes at a dealership, it will be blank.

When you lose the car service book, you lose the service logs that were in it.

If you’ve lost your car service book, you can contact the seller to see if they still have the records.

Alternatively, you can contact the garage(s) you used for your servicing or contact the DVLA.

 

What Does Service History Include?

Car service history includes the following:

• Vehicle maintenance records
• Receipts for parts, labour and other services
• DVLA and garage inspection reports
• Documentation of upgrades or modifications

Your car’s service history shows the date and type of each service carried out.

It also shows the mileage at the time of each service and notes which parts were repaired or replaced.

This information proves that you have looked after your car and booked a service at the correct intervals.

 

What Is a Full Car Service History?

Having a full service history means that the vehicle has been serviced on time, with manufacturer-approved parts.

You may also see FDSH or FMSH – meaning full dealer service history or full manufacturer service history respectively.

This means that every service has been carried out at an official franchised dealership.

 

Why Do I Need a Full Service History?

A vehicle with a full service history is a much better option that one with a partial history or no service history at all.

Full service history can reassure prospective buyers that the vehicle has been routinely serviced by certified mechanics.

For instance, if you plan on buying a car with high mileage, it will likely have had at least one of these components replaced at some point:

• Shock absorbers
• Suspension bushes
• Clutch
• Exhaust
• Radiator
• Brake discs
• Brake pads

These repairs fall outside of the manufacturer’s servicing schedule, given that the mileage of the car will not decide when these parts need replacing.

A service history, therefore, is much more than mere evidence of regular maintenance.

It’s proof that key components have been properly looked after.

The more maintenance that’s been carried out, the more likely the car is to work for miles to come.

This can reassure prospective buyers that the car is a worthwhile investment.

Used cars with a full service history tend to be worth much more than the same make and model without a complete service history.

Be sure to book a car service regularly to keep your car in good condition and maintain a full service history.

 

 

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