Why a car service history is important

A car service history brings extra peace of mind when buying a used vehicle and goes a long way in terms of residual value when the time comes to sell your beloved wheels.

According to used car platform Motus Select, a service history is a crucial part of the equation when researching pre-owned vehicles.

Why a service history is important

For one, if a particular pre-owned vehicle you are interested in has no service history, there’s a possibility that it has been “clocked.”

“Clocking describes the process of lowering a vehicle’s recorded mileage in order to make it appear newer and more appealing to prospective buyers,” said Motus.

Furthermore, the service history is a promising sign, although not a guarantee, that the previous owner cared for the car and kept it appropriately maintained. Being regularly looked over generally makes it more likely that the car will function properly for more years to come.

Used cars with service histories also retain their value better than those without, and as a result, you won’t have to lose as much if you decide to sell again in the future.

“The lack of a service history can reduce the value of a vehicle by up to 20%,” said Motus.

Finally, a service history means manufacturers will honour warranties on components that fail if the car is still under such an after-sales agreement.

Pre-owned car prices are stabilizing

A service history is now arguably more important than ever as pre-owned car prices are finally starting to drop after being on the rise for the better part of the past two years.

These prices have started to come down from their peak in earlier 2022 largely thanks to a gradual recovery of new-vehicle supply and a dent in consumer confidence due to increased interest rates and inflation.

While prices remain high when compared to pre-2019 levels, buyers are finally starting to see bargains and deals again, albethey few and far apart.

The below graph courtesy of getWorth shows the like-for-like price trends for different tier bands from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic until now: