If my car is under warranty, do I have to pay for a service?
Car service warranty rules explained
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By Tia Harrison-North
Last updated: 9 October 2025
Car service warranty rules are something you should brush up on to make sure you keep your warranty in place.
Some manufacturers require you to get routine servicing to keep the warranty valid, but they can’t legally ask you to only use the dealership’s garage.
Read our guide below to get the details on car service warranty rules.
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Do you have to pay for a service if your car is under warranty?
Warranties typically don't cover car servicing, so you’ll need to pay to have your car serviced.
A car service and a warranty repair are different. A car service carries out general maintenance and health checks on your car, while a warranty repair covers you for defects or faults that are not from wear or tear.
You might be required to service your car to keep the warranty valid, so check in with your manufacturer. They’ll often have a servicing schedule for you to follow and may ask you to use manufacturer-approved parts.
Car service warranty rules
The expectations of each car manufacturer will be different, but there are some typical things they ask for when it comes to warranties.
Follow the service schedule and time/mileage intervals
Your manufacturer may ask you to follow a specific servicing schedule to keep your warranty. Typically, cars are serviced every 12,000 miles or 12 months.
You can also get a major service every 24,000 miles or 24 months, or an interim service every six months of 6,000 miles.
You can find your specific car servicing schedule in your car’s service book.
Use equivalent-quality/approved parts and the correct fluids
While manufacturers can’t legally make you service your car at their own garage, they can request that you use approved parts for repairs to keep your warranty.
This makes sense when you think about it – why would they cover you for faults or defects to a part they didn’t supply and isn’t approved? They can’t guarantee the quality.
You’ll also need to make sure you’re using the correct fluids, like oil and coolant.
Keep detailed invoices and a stamped service record
To keep track of your services and prove that you’ve had them done, your manufacturer will want you to keep your service record stamped and up to date. You can also keep copies of your invoices for extra proof, especially when replacing parts.
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Can I service my own car and keep the warranty?
It’s very unlikely that you can service your own car and keep the warranty. Most manufacturers won’t accept this.
An official service by a pro is the only way to get a car servicing stamp on your record. Without this, your manufacturer likely won’t accept the service.
Though we don’t doubt your DIY skills, typically only a trained professional can carry out a service to a high enough standard.
DIY servicing and warranty: risks and limitations
You can’t officially service your own car, but you can keep up with casual maintenance like topping up your fluid levels and keeping an eye on parts like your brakes.
Attempting to service your own car can be dangerous, as you might not spot issues like a trained expert would. There could be a small issue that could create a large fault, but it might need an expert eye to be identified.
You also won’t be able to get an official servicing record, and this could invalidate your warranty and decrease your car’s retail value.
Using an independent VAT‑registered garage vs main dealer
One of the main differences between using an independent garage and a main dealer for your car service is that it might be slightly cheaper.
Smaller garages have less overheads so can keep prices down – though make sure they’re still using approved parts if that’s a requirement of your warranty.
What’s included in a car service under warranty?
Though car servicing isn’t usually excluded as part of your warranty, you know by now that it can be an important part of keeping your warranty valid.
At cinch, our standard car service includes:
Engine oil and oil filter change
Top up screenwash and other fluids
Essential health checks
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Who pays for parts and labour during a warranty repair?
A warranty repair will be covered by the manufacturer in full if it falls within their guidelines.
Warranties typically cover faults or issues that aren’t a result of normal wear and tear. You’ll need to read the warranty details carefully to see if your issue will be covered, as all warranty types are different.
For example, what’s covered by a manufacturer warranty might not be the same as a used car warranty from a dealership.
How to keep your warranty valid
So, it’s clear that there are a few guidelines to follow to keep your warranty valid and sticking to the manufacturer’s servicing schedule can help with that.
Other things you can do include:
Use correct parts and fluids that are approved by the manufacturer
Keep receipts and digital/physical service history
Keep on top of damage/issues found in servicing in MOTs
cinch used cars with warranty
While it’s not the same as a manufacturer warranty, all of our used cinch cars come with a 90-day warranty that is automatically applied to your car.
This will cover you for mechanical and electrical components, excluding normal wear and tear and accidental damage.
You’ll also get free RAC breakdown assistance and a hire car if eligible.
Book a service at cinch
So, the summary is that car servicing is typically not included in your warranty.
But the two go hand in hand – you’ll usually need to service your car according to the manufacturer’s schedule to keep your warranty valid.
We offer standard and major servicing here at cinch, as well as a standalone oil and filter change.
Book in for a car service even if you didn’t buy your car from us.
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