The Role of Car Service History in Securing a Better Sale Price

When you are out offering your old car to others in the market, everyone seeks a foolproof service history. This is because everyone looking for a second hand car wants it to be reliable. It is a well-known fact that pre owned vehicles may not always be as reliable as new ones, but that doesn’t mean they should be troublesome every few weeks.

A vehicle that has been maintained well tends to break down less and deliver consistent performance for a long period. One of the best ways to judge that is by examining its service history. In this blog, let’s break down how a car’s service records can make or break a sale and why they matter just as much for buyers as for sellers.

What is a Car Service History?

A car’s service history is a record of all the maintenance and repair work performed on a vehicle over its lifetime. This includes the following details:

• Scheduled services performed
• Wheel alignment and rotation
• Minor or major repairs
• Battery changes
• AC cleaning or gas recharging

You can have the service history as invoices for all these service and maintenance work in a file folder. Apart from a hard copy, the authorised service centres store these entries digitally.

Why Car Service History is Important to Sellers

As mentioned earlier, people who are planning to buy a second hand car expect it to be reliable. And to judge that dependability quotient, a well-documented service history becomes imperative. A vehicle with a service record will fetch a better value than one without a service history, as buyers prefer used cars with clean records.

So, if you are considering selling your car, it is best to prepare a detailed service history record. You can do this simply by compiling all the service and repair invoices, or talk to your authorised service centre for a digitally stored service history.

If you list your car on online classified portals or platforms like CARS24 with a proper service history, your listing can get a “Well-maintained” tag. This way, your used car listing will stand out and you will attract more buyer attention. With people preferring second hand cars with detailed service history, your vehicle will be sold quickly at a better price than what you might get without one.

Why Car Service History Matters to Buyers

When it comes to buying a used car, one that is accompanied by a proper service history record instils confidence in its condition. It serves as proof that the vehicle has been timely serviced and maintained through authorised service centres. Used car buyers are willing to pay a higher price for a well-maintained vehicle. After all, everyone wants peace of mind. A properly maintained vehicle remains dependable and does not break down frequently.

How to Maintain a Proper Service History

• Always service your car on time as recommended by the manufacturer
• Safely maintain all the service invoices
• Get your car services only at authorised service centres because they store the service record digitally and are trustworthy
• Keep all the insurance claim documents and invoices with the service invoices
• Any Minor or Major repair invoices should also be kept safely

What to do if the Service History is Incomplete?

Many times, you cannot retrieve your car’s complete service history. However, a partial service record can also help to gain the trust of the buyer, dealer or online platforms. You can still get a fair value for your old vehicle by getting a professional used car inspection performed by a trusted platform like CARS24. A detailed and transparent car health report will help you gain the buyer’s trust.

Conclusion

In the end, a complete service history is more than just a bunch of bills, as it’s a story of how well a car has been cared for. For sellers, it adds value and fetches a reasonable price while reducing uncertainty for the buyers. Therefore, maintaining a car's service history can make a real difference in both peace of mind and price negotiations.