3 key things to consider if you want to keep your motor running

Is a car service necessary? Which type of service should you have? Do you need breakdown cover as well as car warranty cover?

There have been so many cars that won’t start and have become problematic during the pandemic, mostly due to lack of use during lockdowns, so should you get your car serviced and which type of car service do you actually need – interim, full or major?  

Now we’re starting to emerge from being cooped up at home and are considering getting out and about more, we thought we’d put a couple of key pointers in a blog to help you out.  Hopefully this will ease your car back to normality and if you’re planning a long drive for a much needed UK staycation.

So when is the right time to get your car serviced and why would you want breakdown cover as well as car warranty cover?

• Should I get my car serviced, I’ve hardly driven it?

Even though you may not have driven as many miles as normal this past year, an annual car service is always recommended to keep your vehicle running at its best.  And that’s the key word, annual … more on that in a minute.  Whilst your car may be starting ok making you think all is well, the battery isn’t the only part of your car that could have worn or aged during this time. Servicing your car regularly reduces the risk of it breaking down when you need it most. Maintaining your car by servicing it regularly will save you money in the long run too – reducing the amount of big bills caused by major components breaking down due to lack of maintenance, such as the engine or suspension.

There are usually 3 key car service options but each vehicle garage may call them something slightly different, which can be confusing if you don’t know what you need, put simply they are:

– Interim service – recommended to be carried out every 6 months if you’re driving more than 2,000 miles per month.

– Full service (annual service) – recommended to be carried out every 12 months or 12,000 miles

– Major service – recommended to alternate with your annual service, so every 24 months or 24,000 miles

So back on to that keyword ‘annual’, lots of people think that as they haven’t done 12,000 miles, they might as well wait until they do and then get their car serviced.  That’s not how the recommendation should be interpreted, it is 12,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes soonest.  So don’t leave having your car serviced just because your mileage is low, you need to consider the parts of the car that have aged too.

• Do I need breakdown cover if I have a car warranty?

Breakdown calls shot up after each lockdown period in 2020 as people had trouble starting their cars. We recommend taking out breakdown cover as well as a car warranty for your main vehicle due to the fact that the two covers are very different – breakdown cover can include things like roadside assistance, home-start and recovery of your car that a warranty doesn’t. And more often than not, the biggest headache you’ll have is getting your car to a garage for repair.  The warranty will cover the repair cost, dependent on the individual policy terms and level of cover you have, not the transportation of a poorly vehicle to a garage or getting you and your passengers home.

MoneySavingExpert, Martin Lewis, recently added an article about the best ways to cut your breakdown cover costs, with basic cover starting from only £23/year, so take 5 minutes and have a read.  And remember, all insurances are a bit of a gamble, it’s about weighing up the risks of not having it in place versus the problems and costs you’d be faced with sorting out yourself if your car does breakdown – what’s the premium you’ll end up paying versus the cost of recovery and repairs – and at the end of the day only you can decide what’s right for you.

Our car care centre is here to help you just drive, so if let us know if we can help you keep your motor running.  

If you’d like to book your car in for a service with us, or any other auto repairs such as brakes, tyres, exhausts or diagnostics, either call our service department on 01926 836900, email us at service@jncc.co.uk or fill in the online form on our website here.

Of course, if you’ve decided you just don’t need your car anymore, you can also call us for an instant valuation with no hidden fees and no admin charges. Plus we nearly always beat any comparison quote from car buying services like WeBuyAnyCar or similar.