Can I Service my Car at Any Garage?

There is a lot of confusion about where you have to take the vehicle, especially if you want to keep it under warranty. As a result we get the question, can I service my car at any garage, quite often. Luckily, we can give people clear advice.

The easy answer to the question is yes you can take the car to any garage for servicing. There is absolutely no rule that says you must return to the dealership where you bought the vehicle. In fact this kind of requirement would be against the law because it would be anti-competition.

What is the law?

The law more people need to be aware of is EU Block Exemption. What this legislation does is state that a manufacturer cannot force a buyer to get a car service within their dealership network. Instead they have to give people the freedom to take their vehicle to any garage. This will not affect the warranty. So if you ask them can I service my car at any garage, they should tell you yes.

Scheduling

One thing the manufacturer can do though is set the schedule for servicing in order to maintain the warranty. They may say that a vehicle needs to be serviced after a certain number of miles or a period of time. If the owner does not stick to the schedule, the warranty could become invalid.

Parts and Fluid

Another thing that the manufacturer can do is determine what parts and fluid must be used. While you can take your car to any garage for servicing, the provider must use OEM parts and the fluids the manufacturer specifies. So it is vital that you confirm this before you go with the servicing. If the garage does use the wrong parts or fluids, it will affect the warranty.

Warranty periods

The EU legislation states that all manufacturers must offer a two year warranty at least. This begins on the date of registration. There is no mileage limits during this time. The warranty will also not be void if the vehicle changes ownership in this time.

Some manufacturers will offer a warranty for longer than the two years. You need to check this though to make sure you are aware of the terms. For example in some cases the original two years of the warranty will be with the manufacturer, any after this could then be with the local supplier.

Repairs

If your vehicle needs repairs during the warranty period, the manufacturer can dictate which garage you go to. It is likely they will ask you to go to a main dealership. This is understandable though because they will be paying the bill as you have the warranty.

Come to C&N Car Services

You should now have the answer to can I service my car at any garage. If you need any more information, just ask us. We are happy to offer as much advice as we can.

If you want to take your car to an independent garage for servicing, choose us. We offer the highest quality services, working effectively with various makes and models of car. On top of this we can service motorhomes too. Our team are professional and we set very high standards. We have a great reputation in Aintree and Liverpool, so book your service today.

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