What kind of car service history can I expect nowadays?

[Eyelashesoffire]

A month ago, we bought a 2022 reg car, the dealership had on record that it had been serviced at an official Hyundai garage every year - they have emailed us that info. They said all the physical paperwork was at the main branch of the dealership and it would be sent on, but often it's digital nowadays.

The actual service book has not arrived. I've chased and they keep saying they'll send it but I'm losing hope. What can I do? I can see online it passed its MOT every year but I want the service history and all the paperwork, with what work has been done on the car.

My previous garage always gave an itemised list of the work that's done. Do you just get a list of "service done at this garage and the mileage" nowadays?

DH bought a 21 car recently, he traded in his 2014 car with full service history, various stuff done and a fully stamped service book and was very disappointed when he didn't get anything, no service book, absolutely nothing not even a folder in the glovebox and no manual with the new to us car even though it had been serviced as was ex lease car.

That sounds a bit poor. I’ve got an ancient car (2008) and have the receipts from every bit of work ever done from new plus the service book - which has long since been filled up. I know lots of things are now online but I like to have an actual printed manual and relevant paperwork. When I bought it, the dealer was very proud of the amount of detail he had on the car’s history 😆

Yes we sold our beloved ancient car (2004 reg) with every detail and bit of paperwork! I was expecting more than just a list to say it was serviced on this date.

So you got a similar amount of paperwork to us. I was thinking we were being ripped off but maybe it's normal nowadays?

I've called the garage where it was serviced and they say due to GDPR I'd have to go in person with ID to get the service history. I'm not sure that a service history is personal information...!

My car is 2013 but has very little physical paperwork as its all stored online by the garage which does the service and MOT every year. Makes it much harder for dodgy dealers / sellers to falsify the paperwork.

Does the car have an App OP? I had to install an App using the VIN and that gives me access to all the service history in great detail including what parts were replaced. Services performed by the dealer.

When we enquired about the car manual we were told they don't often do manuals nowadays, you had to ask for one when you bought the car new, it was all online but I have often had to consult the manual to find out how something works or if one of those dashboard lights come on, I don't want to be scrabbling about on my phone trying to find stuff and I might be in a place with poor signal if out, I wasn't sure if that was true or not.

Yes we didn't get a paper manual either. Looking at the manual on my phone is unmanageable and to be honest I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the buttons on the car. It's not ideal. Our last ancient car had about 5 buttons!

They haven't got it and are fobbing you off, I would be suspicious that it hasn't been fully serviced. Is it too late to take it back?

@Eyelashesoffire do you have access to a Printer ? You can download and print the manuals here

https://www.hyundai.com/uk/en/owners/owning-a-hyundai/owners-manuals.html

It's definitely been serviced 3 times, I have the basic list - paperwork that says where, when and what mileage it had at each service. It's all been done at official Hyundai garages.

But not what I was expecting - a list of the work done on it or what kind of service - my last garage did mini service one year and max service the next.

Thanks! It's 571 pages 😯 I'm reading it online right now.

I missed this, thanks. It seems like no physical paperwork is more the norm nowadays. I feel like an old fuddy duddy! 😂

Wow! Yes I do have an app, I'll look into it. Thanks.

I've just had a look on my app - the services are there, but it just lists the services, no detail apart from the mileage.

I'm just in the process of booking a service with a Hyundai garage, I'll ask them if they have something. They should have it all on their system, apparently it's all in a central Hyundai database.

The only thing I would want to know is if the cambelt has been changed, which on a 4 year old car unless it's very high mileage is unlikely. If it's 100k+ I would expect the belt to have been changed, but i wouldn't buy a 3-4 year old car with that sort of mileage anyway.

I should have said it's an EV, so no cam belt. But yes, we prioritised low mileage, it's done just over 18k miles.

They're all at it these days. DD traded her old car in 4 years ago and took a folder of receipts for services and work done. They didn't want it and told her to put it in the bin. Same when I traded my car in last year. I've still got all the paperwork at home as they didn't want it. Luckily they gave me a book with the service stamps in for the new to me car, but no itemised bills for work done.

It sounds like it's the norm and I can stop fretting! Thanks.

Mine has an option to download a pdf, next to the service date…has it got that ? (everything is so complicated these days isn’t it ?)

@Eyelashesoffire ive added a screenshot the download I’ve marked in red maybe yours has this too ?

I just had a look on Ford for my Fiesta (different car to upthread) just to see if service history is online, it's got FSH at Ford and I recently had the wet belt changed at vast expense and there is no online service stuff at all apart from the car and the year

No unfortunately not but thanks