Servicing prices vary a lot depending on where you live, what you drive and who does the work. These are typical figures rather than quotes, but they give a fair idea of what the job costs and where the money goes.
Typical garage prices
- Interim service (oil, oil filter and a checklist of inspections): roughly £80 to £150 at an independent garage; often £150 to £250 at a main dealer.
- Full service (adds air filter, cabin filter and a longer checklist): roughly £150 to £300 at an independent; £250 to £450 at a main dealer.
- Major service (adds spark plugs or the fuel filter, and sometimes brake fluid or coolant): roughly £250 to £450 at an independent and comfortably more at a dealer.
Premium brands and larger engines sit at the top of each range. Add a few pounds for any "long life" oil the handbook demands, and whatever the garage charges for the "sundries" line that appears on most invoices.
What you are paying for
A typical full service breaks down something like this:
- Parts: oil, filters and sundries, usually £40 to £90 at trade prices (but often marked up on the invoice)
- Labour: one to two hours at £60 to £150 per hour depending on the garage
- VAT on the whole lot
In other words, most of the bill is labour and VAT, not the parts. The parts are the bit you can buy yourself.
The do-it-yourself cost
Our service kits are priced from £59.99 for an Oil Change Kit, £69.99 for a Standard Service Kit (the equivalent of a full service's parts) and £109.00 for a Major Service Kit on engines up to 1.6 litres; Medium kits for 1.7 to 2.5-litre engines are £79.99, £89.99 and £129.99. Delivery is free. Everything is matched to your registration, so there is no risk of buying the wrong oil.
Add an hour of your Saturday and a trip to the tip with the old oil, and a full service comes to the cost of the kit alone, with no labour and no markup. Over a few years that is a meaningful saving, particularly on a second family car or an older car where a dealer stamp no longer matters.
Is a DIY service as good as a garage one?
For the oil and filter change itself, yes, if you use the right parts and take your time. Our step-by-step oil change guide covers it. What you do not get is a trained eye running through the inspection checklist: brake pad thickness, tyre wear, suspension, leaks, lights. It is worth doing your own walk-round, and remember the MOT covers the safety items once a year anyway.
Keep a record
Write the date, mileage and parts fitted in the service book or keep a folder of receipts. A full history, even a home one, helps when you sell the car and shows the next owner the oil was changed on time.
Which service does your car need right now?
If you are unsure whether you are due an interim or a full service, our guide to interim versus full service and how often to service your car will sort it out in two minutes.
Get the right parts for your car
Enter your registration at easyservicekits.com and we will match the correct oil grade, quantity and filters to your exact engine, check them before dispatch and deliver free anywhere in the UK. Not sure which kit you need? Email hello@easyservicekits.com with your reg and we will tell you.