What are Legal Requirements for Vehicle Servicing and It's Impact

Vehicle maintenance includes the responsibility of heading over to the garage and servicing a vehicle. But although there's no legal obligation to service a car, it is unlike the MOT test, which is a legal requirement on vehicles over three years old. Yet it is dangerous to skip scheduled servicing as it can impact a vehicle’s warranty, insurance coverage, and the chances of it passing an MOT Reading. In this article, we discuss the risks of missing a service and why servicing is important for every vehicle owner.

Legal Requirements for Vehicle Servicing                    

Regular servicing in the UK isn’t legally required, like the MOT test, which is required to be carried out every year by law to prove that a vehicle complies with road safety and environmental standards. Vehicle manufacturers recommend servicing vehicles every 12,000 miles or annually, but laws do not require drivers to comply. In spite of this, a lack of servicing can still bear some pretty big legal and financial consequences, and failure to service can leave you in breach of warranties, insurance, and road safety compliance.

Licensing authorities might have different regulations regarding commercial vehicles and cabbies. For example, fleet operators have to stick to strict maintenance schedules so that the vehicles are roadworthy. Private car drivers are not legally required to service their cars, albeit that failure to do so may still have knock-on effects in some important areas.

Impact on Vehicle Warranty

A manufacturer’s warranty covers mechanical faults and defects on most new cars for a certain period of time, usually between three and seven years. As with any extended service policy, it is a key condition of maintaining warranty coverage to stick to the manufacturer’s recommended service schedule. The warranty could become void if it is not serviced or if it is done outside what the manufacturer deems appropriate servicing. That means any repairs that would have been covered under warranty now are up to you.

Used cars with extended warranties usually come attached with servicing as the mandatory condition laid down by warranty providers. Denial of claims for mechanical failures can be made based on an owner's inability to present evidence that regular servicing was performed on the hose. Consequently, it is important to keep service records up to date in order to continue to enjoy warranty coverage.

Effect on MOT Pass Rate

An MOT test is used to determine if the vehicle meets minimum safety and environmental standards put in place by the law. Regular servicing can prevent a large number of the common reasons for MOT failure, such as faulty lights, worn brakes, inadequate tyre tread, and excess emissions. A vehicle that may not have been serviced for some time is far more likely to fail its MOT, so with it come costly repairs, followed by another test.

This means that regular servicing will find any potential problems and rectify them before the MOT test. During servicing, mechanics check vital components such as brakes, suspension, lights, and emissions so failure from a last-minute MOT surprise is less likely. It also helps to reduce stress levels of vehicle owners during routine maintenance because, by ensuring regular maintenance, the MOT process is smooth. The truth can be proven by the fact that frequent servicing and an MOT test will help to improve your odds of passing the test without any fuss.

Long-Term Financial and Performance Implications

In the short term, it may save money on the car servicing, but it usually results in more outlay in the long run. Minor problems that could be addressed at routine service can turn into major expenses if not taken care of. A simple example is failing to change the engine oil at the recommended intervals—you can cause expensive repairs or even replace the engine.

A well-maintained vehicle will also hold its value more than a vehicle with an inconsistent service record. Prospective buyers of a car often look for a complete service history as an indicator of good maintenance when selling a car. A vehicle with a full service record will normally fetch a higher resale price than a vehicle with gaps in its maintenance record.

It also ensures better fuel efficiency as well as performance. And something that is clean air filter and new oil, and working well maintained the engine components so that the vehicle runs smoothly and consumes less fuel. Going against this, an uncared for car tends to experience lesser efficiency and higher petrol costs over time. Maintaining car servicing in Reading is not only useful for car performance, but it also helps prevent costly repairs and road safety compliance.

Insurance Considerations and Policy Validity

While most insurers do not demand regular servicing, not attending to the vehicle can have an impact on the validity of an insurance policy. When it comes to accidents caused by poor maintenance, like worn braking systems, faulty tyres or engine failure, an insurer will turn his back on compensating for the damage. The driver could be stuck with having to pay for the repair of their own vehicle plus third-party claims, in which case this could make the driver liable.

Also, some insurance companies see such clauses in the policy requiring the insured vehicle to withstand in a roadworthy condition. If the car is not serviced and there is an accident or breakdown, giving rise to a failure to serve the car, then this is negligence, and so the policy may be void. Regular servicing helps avoid car accidents and avoids any complications with insurance claims by ensuring the car is roadworthy.