Servicing your car is not optional if you want it to last, but that does not mean you should pay more than you need to. The price depends on what type of service you go for, the make and model of your car, and which garage does the work. Below we lay out the typical 2025 prices for each service level and explain what affects the final bill.
Interim, Full, and Major Service: What Each Costs
Car services come in three main tiers, each one more thorough (and more expensive) than the last:
- Interim service (£80 to £150): Best for high-mileage drivers, recommended every 6 months or 6,000 miles. It covers an oil and filter change along with roughly 35 basic checks.
- Full service (£150 to £280): The one most people should get once a year or every 12,000 miles. It includes everything in an interim service plus deeper checks on brakes, tyres, steering, suspension, and filters.
- Major or manufacturer service (£200 to £400): Follows the manufacturer's own schedule and adds items like spark plugs, fuel filter replacement, and other time-sensitive components on top of a full service.
These are ballpark figures. Your actual bill will depend on your specific car, the garage, and your location.
What Makes Some Services More Expensive Than Others?
A few things can push the cost of a service up or bring it down:
- Your car's make and model: Premium European brands like BMW, Audi, and Mercedes need pricier parts and more labour time. A full service on a BMW can easily run £100 to £150 more than the same job on a Ford Focus.
- The type of garage: Main dealers sit at the top of the price scale. Independent garages and national chains are usually 20 to 40 percent cheaper for the same work.
- Where you live: Labour rates in London and the South East often hit £80 to £120 an hour, compared with £50 to £80 an hour in the Midlands or the North.
- Extra repairs: If the mechanic spots worn brake pads, a tired battery, or another problem during the service, the cost of fixing it will be added to the bill.
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Get my free quote →How Frequently Should You Get Your Car Serviced?
The standard recommendation from most manufacturers is once every 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever arrives first. A few modern cars with variable service intervals can stretch to 18,000 miles, but that is generally only suitable for people who do relatively low annual mileage.
If you clock up more than 12,000 miles a year, slotting an interim service in at the six-month mark is a smart move. It keeps the engine healthy between full services. Sticking to the schedule matters even more while your car is still under manufacturer warranty, because skipping a service can void that cover.
Service History and What It Does to Resale Value
A complete service history is one of the strongest selling points a used car can have. Buyers and dealers are prepared to pay a premium for a car that comes with a full, stamped record of every service, because it proves the vehicle has been looked after.
Industry estimates suggest a car with a full service history can fetch 5 to 15 percent more at resale than an otherwise identical car without one. Hang on to your service book, all invoices, and any digital service records. Since around 2020, many garages have been recording services digitally, and any garage can verify those records using your registration number.