Learn why checking a vehicle's service history is essential when buying or selling a used car. Discover how official manufacturer service records work and protect yourself from fraud.
A vehicle's service history is one of the most important factors when buying, selling, or maintaining a car. It tells the story of how well a vehicle has been looked after throughout its life. In this comprehensive guide, we explain everything you need to know about service history checks in the UK.
A vehicle service history is a documented record of all maintenance and servicing work carried out on a car. This includes:
Traditionally, this information was recorded in a paper service book that came with the vehicle. Each time a service was completed, the garage would stamp and sign the book with the date, mileage, and work performed.
When purchasing a used vehicle, service history provides crucial insights:
A car with full service history (FSH) is typically worth £1,000-£2,500 more than an identical vehicle with incomplete or missing records.
If you're selling your vehicle, a documented service history can:
Even if you're not buying or selling, maintaining good service records:
Traditional paper service books have several significant drawbacks:
Paper stamps can be faked relatively easily. Unscrupulous sellers can purchase blank service books and fake garage stamps online, creating fraudulent service histories to inflate vehicle values.
Paper books get lost, damaged, or destroyed. A single missing service book can wipe out years of documented maintenance, significantly reducing a vehicle's value through no fault of the owner.
Paper records often contain minimal details - just a stamp, date, and mileage. They rarely include specifics about what work was actually performed or what parts were used.
There's no easy way to verify that the stamps in a paper service book are genuine or that the work was actually carried out by a legitimate garage.
When a car changes hands, paper records can be incomplete or selectively presented, with owners conveniently "losing" books that show problems.
While paper service books can be forged, official manufacturer dealership records cannot. When your car is serviced at a franchised dealer, the work is recorded directly in the manufacturer's database - creating a permanent, verifiable record.
Services like ServiceStamp specialise in retrieving these official manufacturer service records, giving you access to the same data that dealerships use.
OE-Verified Data: Official manufacturer records come directly from the same databases used by franchised dealerships. This means the data is authentic and cannot be fabricated.
Permanent Records: Unlike paper service books, manufacturer database records cannot be lost or destroyed. Even if you've lost your service book, the records still exist.
Detailed Information: Manufacturer records typically include:
It's important to understand the difference:
| Manufacturer Dealership | Independent Garage | |
|---|---|---|
| Records stored | Manufacturer database | Paper/local systems |
| Verification | OE-verified | Difficult to verify |
| Accessibility | Retrievable via services like ServiceStamp | Often lost with paperwork |
| Perceived value | Higher resale value | Good but less premium |
If your car has been serviced exclusively at independent garages, those records won't appear in manufacturer databases. However, for vehicles from 2012 onwards that have used franchised dealers, those records are likely still available.
ServiceStamp is the UK's dedicated service history specialist, providing official manufacturer service records for 43+ brands including Ford, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Toyota, and more.
A ServiceStamp report reveals:
ServiceStamp focuses exclusively on service history. They don't check:
This specialist focus means you get the most accurate and detailed service history data available.
ServiceStamp covers:
When purchasing a used car, follow these steps to check the service history:
Use our free MOT history check to review the vehicle's test records. MOT certificates record mileage at each test, providing an independent verification of odometer readings that should align with service records.
Ask for all available service documentation:
Use ServiceStamp to access official manufacturer dealership records. Simply enter the registration number or VIN to reveal:
This is particularly valuable for cars from 2012 onwards that have used main dealers.
Compare the information from all sources:
If anything doesn't add up, ask the seller for clarification. Legitimate sellers will be happy to explain any discrepancies.
One of the most common problems when selling a car is a missing service book. The good news is that if your vehicle was serviced at franchised dealerships, those records still exist in the manufacturer's database.
ServiceStamp can help you recover this lost service history. For vehicles from 2012 onwards, you can retrieve official records that prove your car's maintenance history - potentially adding £1,000-£2,500 to your sale price.
This is especially valuable if you:
Service history has a significant impact on used car values:
| Service History Status | Typical Price Impact |
|---|---|
| Full main dealer history (verified) | +£1,500-£2,500 |
| Full service history (mixed) | +£1,000-£1,500 |
| Partial service history | Standard pricing |
| No service history | -£1,000-£2,000 |
A vehicle has full service history (FSH) when:
Main dealer service history typically commands a premium because:
Independent garage servicing is still valuable for maintaining your car, but the records are harder to verify and may not carry the same resale premium.
ServiceStamp covers vehicles from Model Year 2012 onwards, which is when most manufacturers began maintaining comprehensive digital service databases. For older vehicles, you'll need to rely on paper records.
Yes. ServiceStamp allows you to check official manufacturer service records using just a UK registration number or the vehicle's VIN.
Independent garage services won't appear in manufacturer databases. ServiceStamp specifically checks official manufacturer dealership records. If your car was only serviced independently, you'll need to rely on paper records, invoices, and receipts.
ServiceStamp offers a 100% money-back guarantee if no dealership service records are found. This could mean the vehicle was only serviced at independent garages, or the manufacturer database doesn't have records for that specific vehicle.
Both are important but serve different purposes:
For a complete picture, check both. Use our free MOT check alongside a ServiceStamp report.
Most manufacturers recommend servicing every 12 months or 10,000-12,000 miles, whichever comes first. Some modern vehicles have variable service intervals based on driving conditions. Check your owner's manual for specific recommendations.
ServiceStamp covers 43+ manufacturer brands including:
A complete, verifiable service history is invaluable whether you're buying, selling, or maintaining a vehicle. While paper service books have served us for decades, official manufacturer records provide the gold standard in service history verification.
Before purchasing any used car, always:
If you're selling a car and have lost your service book, ServiceStamp can help you recover those valuable dealer records - potentially adding thousands to your sale price.
Taking these steps protects you from fraud and ensures you're making an informed decision about your next vehicle purchase.
Part of
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