14 January 2026 · 5 min read
How Often Should You Service Your Car?
Annual? Every 6 months? Whatever the dealer says? Here is what your car actually needs and what is a waste of money.
The honest answer is: it depends on the engine, how you drive it, and what the manufacturer schedule actually says. Not what the bloke at the dealership tells you when he is trying to fill a slot on Tuesday.
The manufacturer schedule is the starting point
Every car has a service schedule printed in the back of the handbook. Most modern cars are on a 12 month or 18,000 mile interval, whichever comes first. Older diesels, performance cars, and anything with a wet belt are often shorter. Always check your specific car. The schedule for a 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost is not the same as the schedule for a 2022 Audi RS3.
Why mileage matters less than you think
If you do 4,000 miles a year, the dealer will still tell you to service annually. They are right. Oil degrades on time as much as on miles. Engine oil sitting in a sump for two summers picks up moisture, the additives break down, and the next time you start the car on a cold morning that oil is doing very little. An annual oil and filter is genuinely the cheapest insurance you will ever buy.
When you genuinely need an interim service
- Short school runs and supermarket trips only. The engine never fully warms up so the oil never burns off the moisture. Interim oil change at 6 months is sensible.
- Heavy towing or a roof box every summer. Oil works harder, get it changed sooner.
- Stop-start city driving in a turbo car. Turbos run hot and shear oil fast. Halfway through the year is not overkill.
- Performance car with a remap. We will tell you on the dyno when it needs doing.
What about cambelts, brake fluid and coolant?
These are not part of an annual service. They are time and mileage items in their own right. Cambelt is usually 4 to 5 years or a set mileage. Brake fluid every 2 years because it absorbs water and reduces braking performance. Coolant changes vary wildly. Read the schedule for your specific car. If you are not sure, send us the registration on WhatsApp and we will tell you straight.
The bottom line
Annual oil and filter for almost every car. Full service every 2 years or per the schedule. Cambelt, brake fluid and coolant on their own intervals. Anything more than that is somebody trying to fill a workshop. Anything less and you are gambling with the engine.