How much does it cost to service a car?
The average cost of an Interim Service is £119.00. Prices range from £80 to £200.
The average cost of a Full Service is £151.00. Prices range from £133 to £300.
The average cost of a Major Service is £284.00. Prices range from £250 to £400.
Which service do you need?
There are different levels of vehicle service to choose from — from the less intensive interim option to full or major service procedures.
Given the varying amount of work that goes into each, it’s not accurate to lump them all together into one average price, so breaking them down into their different areas should give you a slightly better idea of what to expect.
Full, major or interim: how much does the service cost at a dealership compared to Fixter garages?
| Operation | Vehicle | Dealer Price | Fixter Price | Saving |
| Interim service | Audi Q3 1.4ltr Petrol | £128 | £111 | 15% |
| Interim service | BMW 3 Series 2ltr Diesel | £154 | £133 | 16% |
| Interim service | Fiat Panda 1.2ltr Petrol | £97 | £85 | 14% |
| Interim service | Ford Fiesta 1ltr Petrol | £129 | £114 | 13% |
| Interim service | Hyundai I10 1.2ltr Petrol | £131 | £115 | 14% |
| Full service | Audi A5 Coupe 2ltr Petrol | £189 | £166 | 14% |
| Full service | BMW 5 Series 2ltr Diesel | £201 | £172 | 17% |
| Full service | Citroen C1 1ltr Petrol | £158 | £133 | 19% |
| Full service | Fiat 500 1.2ltr Petrol | £152 | £132 | 15% |
| Full service | Ford Fiesta 1.2ltr Petrol | £168 | £147 | 14% |
| Major service | Audi A3 Sportback 1.6ltr Petrol | £369 | £321 | 15% |
| Major service | BMW X5 3ltr Diesel | £351 | £303 | 15% |
| Major service | Ford Fiesta 1.2ltr Petrol | £306 | £271 | 13% |
| Major service | Jaguar XE 2ltr Petrol | £396 | £344 | 15% |
| Major service | Land Rover Discovery 3ltr Diesel | £339 | £297 | 14% |
What factors can affect the service cost?
Some higher performance cars require a special grade of oil than the typical family car. Your garage will advise on the specifics and the difference in price. This generally affects each of the different service levels.
The number of cylinders in diesel engines can vary from 4 to 8, so there’s a chance you could have to pay for a little additional work depending on your engine size.
Of course, the types of filters you choose, air, oil, and more, and the amount and brand of replacement fluids, will all add to variations in price.
What are the labour times and rates for a car service?
The average time taken for each car service is as follows:
- Interim service – 0.6 to 1.2 hours
- Full service – 0.8 to 1.2 hours
- Major service – 1 to 2 hours
The average hourly rate for garages outside London is £72, and within the London area is a little higher, at £78.
How long do different car services take?
| Car Make | Car Model | Interim Service Time | Full Service Time | Major Service Time |
| Ford | Fiesta | 0.7 hour | 0.9 hours | 1.1 hours |
| Fiat | 500 | 0.6 hour | 0.8 hours | 1.0 hour |
| Volkswagen | Golf | 0.9 hour | 1.2 hours | 1.5 hours |
| Audi | A4 | 1.0 hour | 1.4 hours | 1.7 hours |
| Land Rover | Range Rover | 1.2 hours | 1.6 hours | 2.0 hours |
| Volkswagen | Tiguan | 0.9 hour | 1.2 hours | 1.5 hours |
| Audi | Q5 | 0.9 hour | 1.2 hours | 1.5 hours |
Interim, full, and major services
There are generally three types of service offered to motorists, and each at a different level of inspection and operation.
How much does a major service cost?
A major service, as its name suggests, is the complete inspection and upkeep operation. Your car will undergo as many checks as you can imagine, keeping it running at its best possible health. This should hopefully lengthen its life, improve its performance and avoid any mechanical issues by spotting, and rectifying them, nice and early.
For this extensive investigation, the renewal of consumable parts and replaceable fluids, you can expect to pay anywhere between £250 and £400 depending on the make and model of your car.
The price differences suggested look pretty big, and the reason for this is simple. The more expensive your car was to buy, the more expensive it’s likely to be in its upkeep.
Smaller, simpler cars with smaller, simpler service costs
If you drive a pretty small and simple city car, you can expect to fall into the lowest end of the price range. All you Fiesta, Micra and Polo drivers can relax; a service shouldn’t be something to break the bank. You should hopefully be looking at the £250 mark.
Mid-sized cars for mid-ranged service prices
For those who drive a bigger model, a typical family car let’s say, then you’re going to drop into a price point band that’s a little higher. We’d estimate somewhere either side of the £200 mark depending on who you choose to carry out the work.
Ford Focuses, VW Golfs, an Astra or a Civic, or any of the more affordable SUVs that are fast becoming the family car of the nation, we’d expect to set you back somewhere around this figure. It could be a little lower; it may be a little more. But as we say, we’re offering a ballpark figure here, so be prepared to see some sway. Where you live could also play its part. There are more than a handful of pertaining factors.
Paying the premium for premium vehicles
And those higher prices? Well, they’d be for your luxury saloons, sports cars, high-end SUVs and more.
What we’re saying here is, it’s a matter of common sense.
The parts for a Skoda are going to be a little more affordable than, let’s say, your average BMW or Audi. An oil change on a Picanto will take a lot less fluid than that of Range Rover. If your car sits somewhere in the middle of the sliding scale—then your price should too.
How much does a full service cost?
Skipping down a level, your full service will still get you a good overhaul, often with the same mass of checks the major service will get you but with fewer upgrades on your parts. It should still get you the oil and fluid changes, most of the significant filters, but you probably won’t see new plugs or the less essential cabin filters.
Due to the slightly less intensive level of service, the price drops accordingly.
We’d suggest that this is the option the nation’s motorists shell out for once a year for a pretty thorough once over—and rightly so. Preventing those expensive failures, and keeping your car roadworthy is worth the hundred or so pounds it’s going to cost, never mind the peace of mind and security when it comes to the safety of yourself and your family.
How much does an interim service cost?
An interim service does exactly as it suggests. For high-mileage drivers, your car parts are going to work harder and wear quicker than those who only use their cars to nip to the shops or the mums and dads on the school run.
Auto fluids will require more regular replacement, and the filters that are doing double the work of the casual driver will wear twice as fast.
A typical interim service will include oil and oil filter change, top-ups to screenwash, antifreeze, brake, power steering and battery fluids (where required).
You won’t get the mass of checks a full or major service tends to include, as they’ll be left to those yearly undertakings, but you’ll get some of the more important ones to make sure your car is safe to keep working as hard it is.
How much should an MOT and service cost?
Given that every year you must renew your MOT certificate to drive your vehicle on the road legally, it seems a good time to kill those two birds with one stone.
Getting your car serviced at the same time as your MOT keeps everything neat and tidy, and also there’s a good chance it will save you some money.
Many of the repairs required from failures highlighted by your MOT test can be included in the service. It will also save the time and inconvenience of your car being off the road on two or three occasions, instead of only the once.
Look out for special offers that include an MOT as part of your service, or the reduction in MOT price.
The price of an MOT test isn’t set in stone and garages can charge up to £54.85 for their trouble. If you choose a garage or mechanic who will reduce the cost (and some offer an MOT for as little as £20) because you’re committing to a full service, then that’s money worth having back in your pocket straight away.
From dealer to mobile mechanics—just how much the cost to service a car differs
If you’re looking to save money, it pays to shop around.
Where you go for your vehicle service plays a big part and has a real impact on what you get for your money.
A dealership could end up charging as much as £92.11 per hour—that’s the average rate for franchised dealers—where independent garage rates will be much lower. Their average for the UK is currently £63.56/hr.
The savings are much greater if you consider the big picture
When you look at the costs you could incur from an engine seizing by not keeping a close eye on your water pump or cambelt; a £150 service bill seems a lot more affordable than paying out for a new car or an engine replacement.
Look after your car, and it should look after you. Treat it to a good service once a year, and it should treat you to the extended life of stress-free motoring we all expect from our cars.
Can I service my car myself?
If you’re a highly proficient DIY mechanic, you can cover a lot of the areas a service includes. However, a professional garage has a range of tools and diagnostics—as well as masses of experience—to spot all of the things you’re likely to miss.
How do I know when my car needs a service?
You shouldn’t be wondering about tell-tale signs of your car performing poorly to need a service. A service is a preventative measure, so you should have yours serviced at the appropriate mileages or each year for average mileage drivers.
Do you get free oil with a car service?
Depending on your garage, your oil replacement could be covered in the price of the service or added as an extra or additional material cost. Check with your provider about just what’s included in the price.
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About Fixter
Fixter is revolutionising the car maintenance industry, one repair at a time. Fixter was founded to make car maintenance as easy as booking a taxi. Digital, transparent and stress-free, with world-class customer service. Since launching in Manchester in 2017, Fixter has expanded to more than 100 cities across the UK and provided thousands of car owners with honest, convenient and affordable car repair services.