How Important Is a Full Service History Annandale NJ

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Whether you are planning on keeping your car for years or planning to sell it sooner, the vehicle’s service records are key to succeeding at either. These records offer a complete history of when your vehicle was in for service, including what work was done and at what mileage point. It will also include what recalls were performed and, in some cases, repairs for accidental damage.
Having a complete record of your vehicle’s service history also prepares you for critical future repairs that can save you from unexpected expenses. For example, if you are wondering whether your full service history includes timing belts, then you’ll be happy to know it does! So, if your vehicle is due to have its timing belt replaced, you can plan for the repair and avoid it snapping unexpectedly and causing costly damage to your engine.

When you are thinking of selling or trading in your vehicle before you get to those costly repairs, you need to know how important a full service history is to your negotiations. Without having the service history of a car, it’s very difficult to know if and when regular maintenance, and repairs, were performed. However, if an owner has a complete service maintenance history, it shows they took the time and spent the cash to regularly maintain their vehicle. This, in turn, builds confidence that it’s in the best mechanical condition possible and will go a long way in getting more for your vehicle.

How To Find Your Car’s Service History
With so many things to keep ahead of in our day-to-day life, it’s no wonder that we often forget when and why we brought our car into service. And while it is vitally important to your vehicles’ overall condition, it’s often one of those records that is easily overlooked. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to check car service history for free.

Manufacturers Website Service History
While most vehicles come with a service history book within your owner’s manual, it’s no longer necessary to manually record your visits to the service center. The internet has eliminated the need. Most manufacturers have made it simple to check car service history online for free. Brands that have a dedicated service program, such as Ford’s FordPass or Subaru’s MySubaru, offer free car service history report options that will show all services performed at any authorized manufacturer’s service center. While you can get service records from a dealership, you can also download these records from the comfort of your home through the manufacturer’s service program hub.
However, if you had any work performed at a non-dealer service center or did the work yourself, those records will not be included in a manufacturer’s report. For the Do-it-yourself mechanic, keeping the receipts of parts purchased will be your only record of work that was done. And if you used an independent or chain repair center, you may be able to check your car service history online free of charge with other services.

Online Service History Websites
While there are a variety of sites available online that can check your car’s service history online, one of the most recognizable ones is CarFax® Service History. With thousands of repair shops, manufacturer service centers, and franchised repair centers all reporting their work to CarFax®, it offers the most comprehensive non-manufacturer record of repairs on a vehicle.
If you are planning on buying a used vehicle, consider getting a copy of the vehicle’s CarFax® report. This report will not only offer the service history on your car, but it will also record all accidents and recalls that occurred. If you are purchasing from a dealership, a free CarFax® report should be offered to you. However, if you are going with a private purchase, you may want to purchase your own copy. This will be particularly important if the owner does not have a complete service history of the vehicle.

All in all, how to check car service history for free is quick and simple. The important thing is making sure you use those records to keep your vehicle running in the best possible condition. And that’s where we come in. Our team has been serving Hunterdon County, NJ and Bucks County, PA, as well as Bridgewater, Edison, Princeton, Hamilton, Somerset County and Mercer County areas for the past 45 years. So, no matter if you drive any Honda models NJ know that our team is here to help you make the most of your driving experience.