LENSPEED

Text and photos by The Lenspeed Team

Here’s the thing about shopping for used cars in Singapore – why aren’t there more examples out there with service history?

When I was based in the UK, one major factor (at least one of the top 3) when considering a used car is service history backed up by receipts and invoices. It’s so common there that the Brits say “car has full FSH” to indicate Full Service History. This makes a lot of sense. People say provenance plays a huge part in assessing a car, so why aren’t we keeping more records of what we have spent on it?

Some say only anal people do such things. I tend to disagree – I think it’s a cultural problem which needs to change. I remembered once trading in my family’s Honda Jazz to a dealer. We offered him our full stack of service records and he merely said “Keep it, we don’t need it.” I was staggered, but then I realised later that Singaporean consumers don’t look for it either. At this I was even more staggered.

A Top Tip if there ever was one – keep all of your records, no matter how small, at least in a plastic folder for the benefit of your future owner and for your own benefit as well. You could probably get a better resale price for your car that way, and also give the new owner a peace of mind that you probably haven’t left your car in a shed in a couple of years unserviced. You may even be able to refer back to your records as proof to ensure the pricing remains consistent. Most workshops will issue you a proper invoice with what has been fixed.

If you’re looking for a car – always look for service history! Big claims by dealers and even owners come to nought if they cannot justify it with black and white. Some owners may just count on a mechanic to recount to you what was done, but the said mechanic has a limited memory as well and the records are only as good as his word.