Service History Check
Enter any UK registration to retrieve verified service dates, work carried out, garage names and mileage records sourced directly from manufacturer databases.
What Does Our Car Service History Check Include?
Our service history check connects directly to official manufacturer and authorised dealer databases — the same systems used by franchised dealerships — to return verified records for your vehicle. Missing or incomplete service history can reduce a car's value by up to 25%, making this one of the most commercially important checks available.
- Service dates: Every recorded service event logged in the manufacturer's database, shown chronologically.
- Mileage at time of service: The odometer reading recorded by the dealer at each visit, allowing direct comparison with MOT mileage history.
- Work carried out: Details of the maintenance completed, from oil and filter changes to major component inspections and replacements.
- Dealer or garage name: The authorised workshop that completed each service, confirming whether the history is dealer-based or independent.
- Service type: Whether each entry was an interim, full, manufacturer's or major service, helping you assess whether maintenance matches the vehicle's age and mileage.
- Warranty and recall work: Any manufacturer warranty repairs or recall work completed at an authorised dealer that is recorded in the system.
- Factory specification: The original specification the vehicle left the factory with, confirming the options and features it was built with.
Our service history check retrieves records registered directly with the manufacturer. This means you see the same verified data that a franchised dealer would access when buying or valuing the vehicle — not generic third-party estimates.
Coverage includes major brands such as Audi, BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Skoda, Toyota, Vauxhall, Renault, SEAT, Mini and many more. Records are most complete for vehicles from approximately 2012 onwards, when most manufacturers moved from paper service books to digital systems. If no records are found, you will not be charged.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a car service history check?
A car service history check retrieves the maintenance records held against a vehicle in official manufacturer and authorised dealer databases. It shows when the vehicle was serviced, what work was carried out, the mileage at the time of each service and the name of the dealer or workshop that completed the work. Unlike a paper service book — which can be forged — records sourced directly from manufacturer systems are verified against the original workshop data, giving buyers a reliable and tamper-proof account of how the vehicle has been maintained.
What is a digital service history and why does it replace a paper service book?
From around 2012 onwards, most UK manufacturers moved away from paper service books and began logging maintenance electronically within their own secure databases. A digital service record is stored by the manufacturer or authorised dealer rather than in a physical booklet that travels with the car. This makes it significantly harder to falsify — counterfeit service book stamps are widely available online, but manufacturer database entries cannot be replicated by a private seller. Most modern vehicles from Audi, BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Skoda, Toyota and many others now use digital service records as standard.
What does FDSH, FSH and PSH mean?
These abbreviations describe the completeness of a vehicle's service record. FDSH stands for Full Dealer Service History, meaning every service was carried out by an authorised franchised dealer for the manufacturer — the most desirable and valuable form of history. FSH stands for Full Service History, meaning all recommended services are recorded at either a dealer or an approved independent garage. PSH stands for Part Service History, meaning some services are missing or were not consistently recorded. A vehicle advertised with FDSH or FSH commands a premium price, but the claim should always be verified against official manufacturer records rather than taken from the seller's word alone.
Why does service history affect a car's value?
A verified service history demonstrates that the vehicle has been maintained at the correct intervals, reducing the risk of hidden mechanical problems and giving buyers confidence in its long-term reliability. Research suggests that missing or incomplete service history reduces a car's market value by between 10 and 25 percent. Buyers routinely use gaps in service records to negotiate the price down, while vehicles with a complete, verifiable manufacturer-backed history consistently achieve higher prices at private sale and trade-in. For sellers, retrieving and presenting a complete digital history before listing can directly increase the achievable asking price.
What types of service appear in a service history check?
Service records cover several distinct types of maintenance. An interim service is typically carried out every six months or around 6,000 miles, covering basic items such as oil and filter changes. A full service is usually completed every 12 months or 12,000 miles and includes more comprehensive checks across the vehicle's key systems. A manufacturer's service follows the specific schedule set out in the vehicle handbook, usually required on newer or premium models under warranty. A major service is a more thorough inspection that may include timing belt or chain replacement and other significant component work depending on mileage and age. Knowing which service type was recorded helps you judge whether the maintenance matches the vehicle's actual usage.
Can service history records be faked?
Paper service books can and do get forged. Counterfeit rubber stamps for well-known franchise dealerships are widely and cheaply available online, making it straightforward for a dishonest seller to fabricate a convincing-looking maintenance record. Digital records retrieved directly from manufacturer databases cannot be replicated in this way — they are entries made by the authorised workshop at the time of the service and cannot be created or altered retrospectively by a private seller or dealer. This is why a service history check sourced from OEM manufacturer systems provides far greater protection than inspecting a physical service book alone.
What if my car was serviced by an independent garage?
Independent garage services are not always recorded in manufacturer digital systems, as only authorised dealer networks have direct access to OEM databases. Work carried out by independent garages is typically evidenced through paper invoices, job sheets and receipts. Our service history check retrieves all available records from manufacturer and dealer databases. For vehicles predominantly serviced by independents, we recommend retaining all paperwork and cross-referencing it with the MOT mileage history, which provides an independently recorded mileage figure at each test date that can confirm whether servicing intervals appear consistent.
Why Check a Car's Service History Before Buying?
A service history check answers the questions a physical inspection cannot:
- Verify the seller's claims: A vehicle advertised with full service history can be confirmed or contradicted by checking manufacturer records directly — eliminating the risk of relying on a forged or incomplete paper book.
- Spot maintenance gaps: Missed services can accelerate wear on key components including timing belts, brakes and gearbox fluids. Gaps in the record are a signal to ask questions or factor in potential repair costs before agreeing a price.
- Verify mileage consistency: Service mileage entries, when compared against MOT records, provide two independent sources of mileage data — making it much harder for clocked figures to go undetected.
- Confirm warranty and recall work: Manufacturer warranty repairs and safety recalls that were completed at a franchised dealer are typically recorded in the same system, confirming that known issues were addressed.
- Negotiate with evidence: If the service history is incomplete, you have documented evidence to justify a lower offer rather than accepting the seller's assurances at face value.
For the most complete picture before any used car purchase, combine our service history check with a full vehicle history report, which also covers outstanding finance, write-off status, stolen markers, mileage anomalies and keeper history.
Service History Check vs MOT History
These are two distinct checks that complement each other. An MOT history check shows the results of annual roadworthiness tests — pass, fail, advisories and mileage recorded at each test. It is free and covers all vehicles tested since 2005. A service history check retrieves the maintenance records logged by workshops when servicing was carried out between MOT tests — oil changes, component inspections, fluid replacements and more. Neither check replaces the other: used together, they give you the most complete view of how a vehicle has been looked after over its lifetime.
Who Is a Service History Check Useful For?
Our service history check is designed for:
- Used car buyers who want to verify that a vehicle has been properly maintained and that the service history claimed by the seller matches official manufacturer records before committing to a purchase.
- Used car sellers who want to retrieve and present their vehicle's verified digital history to potential buyers, supporting a higher asking price and reducing time on market.
- Current owners who have lost their paper service book and want to confirm what records the manufacturer holds, or who want a complete maintenance log for insurance, warranty or resale purposes.
- Dealers and traders who want to confirm a vehicle's maintenance status quickly before purchasing stock, without the need to contact individual franchised dealerships.
Enter your registration above to check what service records are held against your vehicle. If no manufacturer records are found, you will not be charged.
How Our Service History Check Works
Step one: enter the vehicle registration number above. Step two: our system connects to official manufacturer and authorised dealer databases and searches for any service records registered against that vehicle. Step three: your results are returned instantly, showing every recorded service event with date, mileage, work carried out and dealer name. If records are available, you receive the full report. If no data is found for your vehicle, we will not charge you.