Assessing the Right Car Servicing Cost: All You Need to Know

You cannot escape servicing your car because it is mandatory. But, servicing your car means money outgo.

If you want to save money by not serving your car, you might have to shell out more in repairing your damaged car.

Average Cost of Servicing Your Car

In Australia, the average cost of servicing your can be around USD245 for a minor service and USD386 for logbook service.

The overall cost of servicing can vary depending on the model of your car and the type of service. 

It is somewhat difficult to predict the exact cost of servicing your car due to the interplay of multiple factors.

However, things can become somewhat easy with the capped price servicing by many can manufacturers. As per the scheme, car manufacturers cap the standard servicing cost at a fixed upper limit for some time, as long as certain conditions are met, such as getting the car serviced by an approved mechanic. 

The scheme helps you fix a budget for your car servicing because you can know how much it will cost.

The Factors Impacting Cost of Car Servicing 

The cost of car servicing depends on several factors. Therefore, it will help to ask the mechanic how much the cost will come up before you book your servicing work. 

The following factors influence the cost of your car servicing:

Car Model

As every car is manufactured differently, the model can influence its servicing cost. Moreover, the age, quality and accessibility of parts can play a vital role in service costs.

Also, the recommended logbook service intervals vary between manufacturers and vehicle models. For example, while some cars require service in 12-month intervals, some cars require servicing in six-month intervals.

If a capped price servicing scheme covers your car, you will know how much you need to pay for your scheduled services during the plan period. So, you can figure out the cost beforehand. 

If your car is not covered under the capped price servicing scheme, you need to contact a service centre to know the servicing cost. 

Age of Your Car

The age of your car matters a lot in determining the servicing cost for your car. And that is in addition to the number of kilometres the car has travelled. The older your car gets, the more the wear and tear. And that makes your car more expensive to service.

You should generally carry out a minor service every 10,000 km and a major service every three years or 30,000 km.

If your car servicing involves a full inspection and tuning up of your vehicle according to the service directions in your logbook. It can typically include things like:

• wheel alignment
• spark plug replacement
• wheel bearings
• suspension check
• brakes and brake fluid check
• filter checks and replacements
• engine and transmission oil testing and replacement
• battery tests and other general checks

Usually, minor car servicing involves:

• Surface inspection.
• Engine oil and filter change.
• Fluid replacements.
• Adjustment of tyre pressure and other small repairs.

The servicing covers parts replacement, special tools or time-intensive repairs that may come up during the service. 

Typically, minor servicing is necessary after every six or twelve months. In terms of the distance, minor servicing is essential after every 10,000 km.

The Technician

The amount of money you will pay for servicing your car also depends on the standard hourly labour rates charged by the technician involved in the servicing. And, the amount depends on whether you engage a private technician or car dealership.

But, there is also good news for you. You can expect car service costs to come down shortly when new Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)-backed legislation comes into effect on July 1, 2022.

The new bill will allow independent Australian motor vehicle repairers to have fair access to information, such as onboard computer software updates, that only car manufacturers and their affiliated repairers currently have.

The bill will create a level playing field between car owners and service stations. 

Dealership or Private Mechanic: Which is Better?

The answer to this question depends on whether you will get your car serviced at the dealership or through a private technician. And that will depend on your vehicle and personal needs.

Again, there is a misconception that the manufacturer warranty will cease if you are a new car owner who got the car serviced at an independent garage. 

According to the ACCC, car owners have a right to choose who carries out repairs and service on their cars under the manufacturer’s warranty. Still, the work has to be performed following the manufacturer’s standards. 

However, if there is any issue while your car is under warranty, the dealership must manage the repairs.

It’s also not necessarily true that servicing with a dealership will cost you significantly more since the introduction of capped price servicing has provided transparency. In some cases, manufacturers subsidise the dealership for that work. Once the proposed new law kicks in next year, you could expect to see prices come down as more independent mechanics can compete with the dealerships.

You should research the various cost factors and compare the existing options to arrive at the best car servicing costs.

Also, the idea that getting your car serviced at the dealership will cost you more is incorrect. The introduction of capped price servicing has provided transparency and, in some cases. And, manufacturers subsidise the dealership for that work.

Once the proposed new law takes effect in the next year, car servicing prices are likely to decrease because more independent technicians can compete with the dealerships.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that you cannot escape servicing your car as that can help to keep that in the proper condition. And, it also helps you to identify any issues that might become a major problem in the future. But, you need to keep the servicing costs down.