Regular services are necessary to keep your car running safely. This can keep you safe, keep your car running and save on repairs in the long run.
How Long Does a Car Service Take?
Most car services will take no more than three hours. However, over the course of your service, the garage may find issues with your car that take a little longer to address. Similarly, you can choose a more thorough and detailed service for your car, which will obviously take longer. Meanwhile, an interim service won’t take as long to complete.
But as a general rule, you should expect your car service to take around three hours. So if you book your car in for a service first thing in the morning, expect to have it back by lunch time.
What is a Car Service?
Book your car in for a service, and mechanics will take a deep and thorough look at all of your car’s most essential systems. They’ll check that everything’s working like it should. And if they find any problems, they’ll fix them there and then.
Most garages have different levels of service available:
- Interim car service
- Full car service
- Major car service
Interim Car Service
Most garages and manufacturers recommend you get one of these every six months or so. And if time’s an issue, this is the fastest type of service available. Provided there are no problems with your car, it should be done in under three hours.
Full Car Service
You should aim to get one of these every 12 months or so. These services take on average three hours to complete. Though once again, if the garage finds any glaring issue with your car, it may take longer. Garages usually offer a full service as part of an MOT. So if you book your car in for an MOT, you’ll probably get a full service at the same time.
Major Car Service
Most garages and manufacturers recommend getting a major car service every 24 months or so. This one will probably take longer than three hours, as it’s the deepest and most thorough check of all your car’s systems that it’s possible to get.
Talk to Your Garage
If you want the most reliable estimation of how long your car service might take, it’s best to talk to your garage. They’ll also be able to tell you exactly what they’ll do to your car during the service, while outlining what steps they’ll take if they find any issues.
And perhaps most important of all, your garage can tell you exactly how much you might expect to pay for the service. Usually, an interim service will cost no less than £75, while a full service will probably cost at least £150, however this will depend on the garage you use. If you need any replacement parts, you’ll have to pay for these on top of the cost of the service.
Got more questions about car servicing? We’ve got a complete guide to services, with more information about how they work, how they differ to MOTs, and how much they cost. Find it here.
Why You Should Commit to Regular Servicing
Regular services ensure your car’s running as safely and efficiently as possible. This can save you money on repairs in the long run. If you can address an issue before it becomes a problem, you’ll likely less pay than you would have for major repairs further down the line.
Regular servicing keeps essential car safety systems running smoothly, such as your brakes. It’s therefore not an exaggeration to say a car service could help prevent a future road accident.
Think of it this way: if you’re less likely to be involved in an accident, you’re less likely to make a claim on your car insurance. So you can build up a no claims bonus, and make considerable savings on the cost of your policy, great for first time drivers.
