How much does a car service cost?

Getting your vehicle serviced by a car mechanic regularly is an important part of ensuring it’s kept in the best condition. Regular services will keep your vehicle’s value higher, make sure it’s comfortable and safe to drive, and can even save you money in the long term by decreasing the risk of serious mechanical failures further down the line. 

But, if you’re looking to get your vehicle serviced, you might be worried about the cost. While the price can change depending on a huge number of different factors, in this article we’re going to cover average service prices across the UK, as well as the different types of vehicle services that you can get, and what’s included in each of them.

Car service prices in the UK

The price you’ll pay for your car service depends on a number of different factors. Some garages will vary the price of their service based on the size of the vehicle, with different prices for small, medium and large cars, with vans or pick-up trucks costing more on top of this. Other garages will vary their prices based on the engine size, so expect to pay less for vehicles with a small engine (under 1.5L), and more for large engines (over 2.5L). The price can also vary based on the manufacturer of the vehicle. In general, the more expensive the car was to buy, the more expensive the service will be.

Do bear in mind that services can also sometimes uncover additional work that needs to be done on your vehicle, like getting your tyres or brake pads changed. If your car is getting old, or you’ve had a set of tyres on the car for a number of years, factor this into your budget when it comes to the cost of your service.

We’ve included a table that shows the cost of a service on a medium sized car, plus 1 hour of extra work, in different regions across the country. You can view this table to the right of this page.

On top of that, however, we’ve included some rough prices for other types of car below, as well as other types of service - more on the different types of service later in the article.

What is a vehicle service?

A service is simply a set of checks that a mechanic will do on various parts of your car. What’s included is generally set by the vehicle manufacturer, so while many of the checks will be the same, some things will be different depending on the model of vehicle and the type of engine it’s got.

Getting your car serviced is not a legal requirement, unlike an MOT. However, it’s still worth doing, as it makes sure your car is in the best condition, and routine maintenance will reduce the chance of your car having major problems down the line. Many garages will offer a discount if you get your car serviced and get the MOT taken care of at the same time, so it’s worth looking into this as it could save you money.

Different types of vehicle service

There are three main types of vehicle service: interim, full and major. The three types reflect different amounts of work, with an interim service only covering basic checks, a full service including a more extensive range of checks, and a major service which is the most thorough vehicle service available.

It’s also possible to just get your vehicle’s oil and filters checked. This will be even cheaper than an interim service.

How often should I service my car?

The service intervals are different for each type of service. Note that these are generally recommended service intervals, different manufacturers and vehicles will have different service intervals, so check your logbook or ask your vehicle’s manufacturer if you’re not sure.

An interim service is recommended either every 6000 miles or every 6 months. A full service is every 12,000 miles, or every year; and a major service is every 24,000 miles, or every 2 years.

Most people drive around 6000 miles per year, so they get their vehicle serviced once a year. If you drive a lot more miles than this, you should get your vehicle serviced more regularly. Mechanics or vehicle manufacturers can advise you on which type of service you need, and how often you need to do it.

What is included in each type of vehicle service?

As we’ve mentioned, different manufacturers set different lists of things that are included in each service. Different garages will also check different things, so there can be a lot of variation from one service to another, even if they’re both in the same tier. Because of this, when you’re comparing prices it’s worth speaking to each garage to ensure that they’re checking a similar list of items, otherwise you won’t be comparing like-for-like.

These lists of what’s included are non-exhaustive, as what’s included will vary depending on your vehicle. For example, if you’ve got a diesel car, spark plugs won’t be checked, as diesel cars don’t have these. There are lots and lots of items like this which will be required or included on some cars but not on others, so it’s worth checking in your logbook or looking online for a list of serviceable items and service intervals for your car.

Interim services

Interim services generally include a set of basic checks on things like:

• Brakes
• Tyres
• Steering operation
• Suspension
• Fluid levels
• Lights
• Engine oil

It may also include basic checks on things like your car’s cambelt or other belts and pumps, to ensure they’re not excessively worn. An interim service generally won’t cover replacing any of these items - if they’re worn out or broken, it’ll cost extra to get them fixed.

Full service

A full service is a more comprehensive set of checks. It covers everything that’s covered on an interim service, but also generally includes:

• Suspension/wheel tracking and adjustment
• Air conditioning system
• Detailed brake checks covering handbrake

Major service

A major service is the most thorough set of inspections for your vehicle. It covers all of the things that are included on a full service, but also usually includes things like:

• Changing brake fluid
• Cabin air filter changes
• Comprehensive battery testing
• Fuel filters
• Full suspension check including geometry
• Fuel filters

How long does a service take?

In general, for a service you should expect to leave your vehicle at a garage for around a day. However, for an interim service, you may be able to only leave your car for the morning, or even only around an hour or so – some garages offer “while you wait” services. A full service will typically take around 3-5 hours, so it’s best to drop your vehicle off at a garage and leave it there, if you can.

Common replacement parts after a service

Of course, a service is all about checking parts of your vehicle for wear, or any other issues. Because of this, you may find that you need additional work on your vehicle. This will cost extra, with the extra cost being made up of the parts themselves and the hourly rate of the garage you’re using.

Some common replacement parts that you may find you need to get changed following a service include:

• Tyres
• Brake pads and discs
• Cambelts and other engine belts
• Batteries
• Exhausts

Estimates for common car mechanic jobs;

Rates for other trades