The True Cost Of Missing A Service
The blog this week is about the importance of maintaining the service schedule of your Volvo or Toyota, or any vehicle for that matter. 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:
So what are the true costs if you decided to skip your regular servicing on your Volvo or Toyota. We cannot stress enough that proactive maintenance will always be cheaper than reactive repairs. Read on to see us breakdown these costs:
We know that when money’s tight it really can be tempting to skip servicing your Volvo or Toyota. However you really do run a high risk of having more expensive repair costs further down the line. The average cost of an interim service in the UK is £100-£150, £160-£300 for a full service and £250-£500+ for a major service. The price will depend heavily on your vehicle’s size, engine capacity, make and model and of course whether you use an independent garage or use the services of a dealership. You must remember that you do not have to use a dealership to maintain the warranty on your vehicle, and of course it will be cheaper using an independent garage over a dealership. Using an independent garage will automatically save you money – not because inferior car parts are used but because their hourly rate can often be half that of a dealership!
Below are 4 issues that could arise with your vehicle should you miss your servicing schedule and neglect regular maintenance. As you can see these prices far outweigh the cost of regular servicing.
See below as an example of average costs in the UK:
- engine replacement – used/salvage engine from £1600 - £2800
- engine replacement – Reconditioned engine from £2000-£3500
- engine replacement – Remanufactured/Rebuilt from £3600-£6500
- engine replacement – Brand New OEM Engine from £4500-£8000
NB These prices are for the parts ONLY you would need to factor in between £800-£1500 for the labour costs too
- cylinder head gasket – from £600-£1000 with luxury, performance and large 4x4 vehicles costing around £2500
- new radiator – from £430 with premium, luxury or performance vehicles costing around £1200
- new water pump – from £240 to £450 however this price can rise to £900+ for performance, luxury or 4x4’s
If you were to go to a Dealership these costs will escalate as the average cost of an hourly labour rate from a dealership in the UK is £99 - £220+ , from an Independent Garage the average national hourly rate is £75-£80, So cost savings can be had by using a local Independent Garage. A survey conducted in 2017 found that 77% of people had no idea how much their hourly rate was that they pay at their garage and 62% admitted that they didn’t shop around for quotes. These figures astound us! If you really want to reduce your motoring costs it really is a good idea to shop around for quotes. Please do NOT to skip the service altogether. 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
