Cheap car servicing – saving money on car maintenance
Cut down your spending when it comes to car servicing with our money saving tips.
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The best ways to save money on car maintenance
Part of owning a car is paying for its upkeep – that includes the regular servicing, MOTs, and other maintenance.
There are a few things you can do to save some money when it comes to your car, as well as other costs like car insurance.
You should never put your safety at risk by avoiding repair work on your vehicle or leaving it too long, but there are ways that you can save money.
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1) Shop around for tyres and parts – but don’t scrimp on safety!
You don’t always have to buy the flashiest, newest parts to get a safe and high-quality repair on your car.
While you should never compromise on your safety by purchasing parts for your vehicle that are poor quality or the wrong fit, there are budget options available.
In fact, you can even purchase part-worn parts (like tyres) for your car that are second-hand but still in good nick.
If you’re not very experienced with cars then it might be a good idea to get some help with sourcing these parts, or just some advice on the right things to look for and questions to ask.
Local garages might be able to help find cheaper options, but always look around for a few quotes to find the best option.
2) Deal with repairs sooner rather than later
It can be tempting to avoid that new noise or flashing light in the hope that it will just go away, but it’s likely that the issue will just get worse.
You can often save money on repairs in the long run by dealing with them as soon as they arise.
You might even be able to put in place a preventative measure to fix the issue or stop it from getting worse, but leaving a problem for a long time might damage your car beyond repair.
You can also save money on running your car by adopting some efficient driving habits:
3) Keep on top of servicing
Servicing is a regular check that should be carried out on your car to help keep it in tip-top condition, and can include things like an overall health check, oil changes, and maintenance for fluid and coolant levels.
Getting these checks regularly will help keep the car healthy and can ensure you spot any issues before they get worse.
If you have a particularly expensive or new car, a regular service at the manufacturer’s garage is a good place to start.
Over time and as your car gets older, you might want to move over to a trusted local garage to save some money on the service itself, as servicing at the manufacturer's garage is usually more expensive.
4) Get a car care plan to help spread the costs
There are a wide range of plans on the market that will help you spread the costs of car maintenance and breakdowns across a monthly basis.
Things to look for include a lifetime warranty for mechanical and electrical parts, all costs of labour, and multiple repairs up to your car’s value. Regular servicing and breakdown assistance are also nice-to-haves.
Putting all of these car maintenance and servicing costs into one monthly payment can help in the long run. Think of it like a payment into a rainy-day piggy bank that will be there to help you out should your car need repairs.
5) Try a Pre-MOT check to save money
The worst thing that can happen when you take your car for an MOT is if it fails on something you could have easily fixed yourself. Some garages do offer a free retest, but you may still be charged for them to fix those minor issues.
Before taking your car for an MOT, check it over and see if there’s anything obvious you can take care of. Things like your wipers, bulbs and tyres can be visually checked ahead of time, and might save you money in the long run.
6) Get quotes for the best prices on repair work
Before going ahead with the first quote you get for your car repair work, shop around and get a few options.
You might find the work significantly cheaper elsewhere, or you might find that you’ve already found the best of the bunch – it's worth checking to see if you can make a saving.
You can also read reviews online for each garage to ensure you’re choosing a reputable and trustworthy mechanic.
7) Try some preventative measures
Taking small steps towards preventing damage in your car can save you money in the long run. Making sure you have mats in your car, adding seat covers, and keeping an eye on oil and fluid levels are great ways to prevent damage further down the line.
8) Are you still in warranty?
If you buy your car brand-new then it’s very likely you’ll have a good warranty, but you might still be covered if you’re buying a used model (lots of manufacturers offer around three to seven years).
If you have an issue arise with your car, it’s worth checking if your car is covered by a warranty and whether this repair falls into that category. That could mean you get the work done for free!
9) Check for recalls on your car
To prevent issues in the future, you should also take some time to check for recalls on your car. Recalls are performed by the manufacturer if there’s a fault with the car that’s a result of the building process, and it will usually cover the costs.
These kinds of recalls are put out for safety measures like seatbelt faults, tyres, and other components or parts that are likely to go wrong.
You can check if your car has been recalled on the Gov.uk website.