Don’t Be Tempted To Forgo Your Annual Service

The blog this week is about not being tempted to miss your regular car servicing on your Volvo or Toyota, or any vehicle for that matter to save money. Running a car has become a major expense, especially with the ever-increasing fuel prices. Everyone wants to save money on a monthly basis, maybe for that annual holiday or your children’s university fund or for home improvements. Maybe it is to counteract the constant increases in your weekly food shops or increased utility bills. Read on to find out more:

Is this something you would consider doing to save money? Research shows that one in three people will avoid taking their car in for its annual service in a bid to save money. This is a very high figure – a third of us are doing this! Instead relying on their annual MOT to highlight any issues their car may have. However, is this really a wise thing to do? Especially if you ignore any advisories that are highlighted during your MOT inspection. Read on to find out more...

Simon Cook of ACC UK Ltd, independent Volvo & Toyota Servicing, Repair and MOT specialists based in Farnborough, Hampshire says:

“It is very concerning to find that so many motorists are thinking of skipping their next service in a bid to save money, tyres, brakes and lights are all crucial to road safety, so it is vitally important that they are regularly checked, and not just left until the MOT is due. We say time and time again that reactive repairs are always going to be more expensive than proactive servicing. We had one customer recently that missed the first 4 services on their brand-new Volvo and ignored the oil warning light and continued to drive their car until the engine blew up! A new engine was required – way more £’s than doing those 4 services!"

The notion of saving money - by skipping an annual service - is a false economy and the result will be more MOT failures and costly repairs, that could have been avoided if you had maintained the service schedule of your vehicle. Not to mention invalidating any warranty you may have on your vehicle along with ultimately devaluing your vehicle when it comes to resale.

Drivers are not servicing their vehicles as they perceive the annual MOT as the only necessary service their vehicle requires - however the MOT only states that the vehicle is roadworthy and legal on that day. However, if the only time a motor vehicle industry professional looks at your car is at its annual MOT then the failure rate is destined to increase and a reactive repair will leave the consumer vulnerable to higher bills. It really is a false economy. Not only does it leave you and your vehicle vulnerable to a potentially costly repair bill if you do not maintain your vehicle throughout the year, it also devalues your vehicle when it comes to selling it on and a potential buyer will perceive the vehicle to require repair work if it has not been adequately maintained. Missed servicing is a massive red flag to a potential buyer and they will be calculating in a cost for it along with any potential repairs that may be required. Any offer would be way lower than what you would like or need. On top of fewer people interested in purchasing your vehicle in the first place.

In a nutshell it really is imperative that you continue to service your vehicle according to the manufacture recommended service schedule. We always say that proactive servicing is always going to be cheaper than reactive repairs! One way to cut the costs of your annual service is to use an independent garage such as ACC UK Ltd. If you shop around for quotes you can most definitely find savings – especially in comparison to dealerships. You do not have to use a dealership to maintain your warranty. You are free to take your car anywhere you choose, and many independent garages are way cheaper than dealerships – so spend a bit of time getting quotes for servicing and repairs. We have written many blogs over the years on how to maintain your vehicle in between servicing and MOT’s. Set aside a bit of time to check your fluid levels, check your tyre pressures etc fortnightly or monthly. So many people have to change their tyres prematurely because they have been driving around on under inflated tyres which have worn unevenly on top of using more fuel than necessary. Happy Safe Motoring Folks!

ACC UK Limited
Farnborough, Hampshire
Serving surrounding areas across North Hampshire and Surrey

Call us today on 01252 370701 to book in your MOT, service or repair

Here at ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Motor Trader Independent Garage of The Year 2015, 2019 & 2020, GRA – Outstanding Automotive Service Excellence 2025, GRA – Outstanding Customer Service – Automotive Sector UK 2026, Motor Trader Indies Garage of the Year Award 2025, The IGA Big Awards 2022, The Inspire Customer Service Excellence 2016 Award, The Eagle Radio Customer Focus 2017 Business Award, The Workshop Magazine Workshop Manager of the Year 2017 Award, The LiveWire Excellence In Vehicle Servicing 2019 Award and The Aftermarket Excellence Award for Best Website 2019, The Eagle Radio Biz Award – Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 & the SME News Magazine Most Trusted Car Servicing Provider 2020, we pride ourselves on offering an outstanding customer experience for a fraction of the cost of a dealership. Give us a call and let us quote you for your next service or repair on your Volvo or Toyota. We service all areas around Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Farnham, Guildford, Frimley, Camberley, Hook, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, Yateley, Hampshire and Surrey. We offer free collection and drop off services. We also have a fleet of courtesy cars to allow you to get on with your schedule whilst your Volvo or Toyota is with us. Happy Motoring from all at ACC UK Ltd – Independent Volvo & Toyota servicing, repair and MOT specialists based in the heart of Farnborough, Hampshire