The Cost Of Skipping Servicing

So, your cars running like a dream and you’re by and large a happy motorist. Next thing you know, after racking up the miles in your beloved vehicle of choice, it’s that time again. After checking your handbook you notice your car is in for a service. Damn, you probably murmur to yourself as you’ve already began to tighten your pockets on the run up to the festive season. The last thing you need to be doing is spending seemingly ‘unnecessary’ service requirements when there’s so many other more ‘appealing’ places your money could go.

This mindset is fine, especially if you enjoy lifts in one of these…

If, like most of us, you’d rather not be accepting a lift from your local recovery service, we’d recommend you follow your manufacturers service intervals without fail, regardless of whether your vehicle is running sweetly.

Here at Alan Price Auto Services, we offer servicing from as little as £79 and all our rates are extremely competitive, while you also get the peace of mind of leaving your vehicle in the hands of a garage with over 25 years in the trade and an unquestionable reputation for quality. 

Bear in mind, skipping servicing this Winter can lead to some nasty unexpected costs. Here are some examples of average costs that amount from problems caused by owners skipping vital service intervals.

• Engine Swap – £2575
• Cylinder head gasket – £520
• Radiator – £430
• Water Pump – £240

(Source: Motor Codes Website)

We’d strongly recommend that you check your service manual to find out when your car is next due to have its cambelt (or timing belt) replaced. These vary from vehicle to vehicle but its often needed at around the 70000 miles mark. Many people decided to turn a blind eye when their cambelt needs replacing as it isn’t a small job, costing up to £250, occasionally more. However, if the cambelt fails when you are driving, you could quite easily end up facing serious engine damage, costing much more at the same time.

Another majorly overlooked area is the tyres on your car. Tyres in poor condition have a tendency to lose grip unexpectedly or ‘blow out’ causing dangerous crashes. It’s important to stick to the recommended tyre pressures that can be found in your manual and check them frequently. Incorrect tyre pressures will cause rapid and uneven tyre wear, meaning they’ll need to be replaced sooner then necessary. The tracking should also be checked on a regular basis, or if you notice your car pulling to one side when you take your hands off the wheel as this can have a similar effect, causing rapid and uneven tyre wear.

Choosing where to get your car serviced can be a difficult choice. Some people prefer to take their cars to the official dealers however the average hourly rate for these are £95.83 per hour. Taking your vehicle to an independent specialist such as Alan Price Auto Services can both save you a considerable amount of money (our hourly rate stands at £46 per hour) and quite often offer more tailored advice, rather than strictly by-the-book policy which can be unhelpful in many circumstances.

3 things to look for when finding a top independent garage are:

• Open and Transparent Pricing
• Clear information regarding any problems
• A high standard of work that’s delivered as agreed and on time with a guarantee

In short, skipping servicing can be an extremely costly mistake to make for any vehicle. The service manuals for your vehicles are there to help protect your vehicle from harm and unnecessary expense. We can’t stress enough how important it is to stick to these where possible, even when your vehicle appears to be running fine! If in doubt about anything, feel free to give us a call for some FREE impartial advice on 01254 679937.