Hello,

I have recently purchased a 71 reg plate Skoda Fabia Used and Approved at 53K miles on the clock and I'm a bit confused by the servicing intervals.

The car was on flexible servicing and has one previous owner and has the following Skoda servicing history with receipts:

- Oil change and inspection: 1 year / 11k miles

- Interval service : 1.5 years / 20k miles

- Oil change / aircon / brake fluid: 2 years / 29K

- Interval service: 2.5 years / 38K

I asked for a fresh service prior to purchase which I assumed would be another full interval service as it needed fresh tyres as well. I assumed this was going to be done with MOT but they gave me an oil change / inspection and a brake fluid service instead. When I asked why they said this was in line with the servicing intervals for the car. I regret not pushing them on this , but there we go...

I also asked to move to a fixed servicng servicing schedule which they have updated as I prefer to just get servicing and MOT done together so I can minimise time without the car.

My question is does it need a full service as it is currently one year and 15k miles since the last one. Or will the above fluid changes and the multi point check sufffice? I expect to do about 7/8 k miles until next MOT which would put it to 22 k miles since the last one if I were to leave it til then.

I don't want to risk it not having a full service history if I were to sell it in the future, and also want reassurance that it's all ok. The information online is very confusing as well and the service book just says do it when the light comes on which isn't helpful. I have previously just done my car annually in the past and it's been far less of a headache.

This is the second car I've owned and have not had to deal with the quirks of modern cars.

Thanks for reading any advice is appreciated!

Hi, welcome.

Quick answer - yes the interval service was correct for "flexible" "service" - is it sufficient, to who sold you the car, yes.

Longer answer if you want it. -

The problem is that a modern "service" isn't what you and I might recognise as a service. VW list a "maintenance" schedule of items which I would consider would be part of a service from yesteryear.

I forget what is an "interval service" anyway?

Most "services" now don't even fully service the engine let alone the car as a whole some of the missing bits are in the "maintenance" schedule.

It's just marketing farting about to have these "flexible" and "fixed" parameters, and just a dash reminder setting anyway, the sky won't fall in if you have the work done later or better still often sooner, certainly for you if you stick to the "flexible" setting.

Lower mileage and infrequent reasonable journey length generally makes it more not less important to have the engine oil changed annually (possibly sooner depending on use and environment, so you've done the right thing to switch to "fixed" servicing.

At 4 years old or 40k-miles I'd expect to see the spark plugs changed, unless it's a diesel (not in your details), the air-con (including cabin filter) has been done, brake fluid has been changed once perhaps should have been twice at 50k-milkes, once might, you've not put what gearbox you have.

Coming up will be the engine air filter and if diesel the fuel filter, you'd have to ask diesel owners about the value in that.

Very important is the state of the tyres (not just tread depth left) and of course brakes (tyres being an important part in the braking, steering and suspension systems) these systems being a lot more important that the relatively unimportant engine.

22k-miles and 2 years is long time between oil changes and servicing given 15k-miles first year and 7k-miles in the next year, the 15k-miles.being less wearing on many items than the 7k-miles.

If you've never had a VW product before (or German marque) you may find some of their carrying-ons a bit strange but that doesn't mean you always have to put up with them, there are two partiers to the contract of sales and work on the car and you have a choice of where you buy from and have work done (difficult with the often low quality English motor trade I know, only too well unfortunately).

FYI the last car I owned for the previous 16 years as my one and only everyday car was a 1973 MG Midget so all the VW over-complex and intertwined computer systems and programs, even for changing the 12v battery came as a nasty surprise to me (and the 21st century "German engineering quality" despite having friends with Mercs and Beemers but hopefully 2021 Fabia Mk3 quality is better than 2015 (as you can tell I'm not a VW fanboy but the Fabia Mk3 isn't a bad car, just could be better).

'Full Service.'

When was there such a thing from Skoda.

You pay extras to get Brakes serviced, brake fluid changed, Air Filter, Pollen Filter, AC Service etc.

The Bottom Fixed Price menu was up till 2019 when they went with the pay for extra consumables.

In the days just 6 years back and before, if on Variable / Flexible servicing and not fixed so 24 months / 18,000-20,000 miles they were Charging for a Major Service even though no plugs, or fuel filter or Airfilter.

The 2nd Variable Service was actually a Major.

Or if on Fixed it was Minor / interim & major time about and still the 2nd service was just as the first but with a Pollen filter. Many were ripped right off.

Edited 13 May, 20251 yr by Ootohere

4 hours ago, DPrez said:

Hello,

I have recently purchased a 71 reg plate Skoda Fabia Used and Approved at 53K miles on the clock and I'm a bit confused by the servicing intervals.

The car was on flexible servicing and has one previous owner and has the following Skoda servicing history with receipts:

- Oil change and inspection: 1 year / 11k miles

- Interval service : 1.5 years / 20k miles

- Oil change / aircon / brake fluid: 2 years / 29K

- Interval service: 2.5 years / 38K

I asked for a fresh service prior to purchase which I assumed would be another full interval service as it needed fresh tyres as well. I assumed this was going to be done with MOT but they gave me an oil change / inspection and a brake fluid service instead. When I asked why they said this was in line with the servicing intervals for the car. I regret not pushing them on this , but there we go...

I also asked to move to a fixed servicng servicing schedule which they have updated as I prefer to just get servicing and MOT done together so I can minimise time without the car.

My question is does it need a full service as it is currently one year and 15k miles since the last one. Or will the above fluid changes and the multi point check sufffice? I expect to do about 7/8 k miles until next MOT which would put it to 22 k miles since the last one if I were to leave it til then.

I don't want to risk it not having a full service history if I were to sell it in the future, and also want reassurance that it's all ok. The information online is very confusing as well and the service book just says do it when the light comes on which isn't helpful. I have previously just done my car annually in the past and it's been far less of a headache.

This is the second car I've owned and have not had to deal with the quirks of modern cars.

Thanks for reading any advice is appreciated!

That's why you take it to a private garage to get a full service at half the price of an oil service 🤣