Vauxhall service history check by registration

A Vauxhall service history check shows the visits recorded against a car's registration, with the date, the mileage and the garage. On a used Corsa or Astra this is useful because the usual routes to the record belong to the owner, not to you as the buyer. It covers Vauxhalls from model year 2012 where a record is held.

Does Vauxhall keep a digital service record?

Yes. Vauxhall offers a Digital Service Record through its myVauxhall app. It shows the services carried out on the car and the work to come, and Vauxhall updates it after each visit to one of its repairers. It has to be activated through a Vauxhall retailer, and the owner has to be verified by the retailer before seeing the history.

For a buyer, that leaves a gap. Vauxhall's own advice on a used car is to look at the service booklet and to ask the seller if it is missing. A retailer that serviced the car may hold its records, but you will need to prove that you own the vehicle first. A check by registration lets you read what is on record before you commit.

How often should a Vauxhall be serviced?

Vauxhall says that service intervals vary for each model, and it points owners to the owner's manual for the figure. It adds that age, mileage and how the car is used can all change when a service is needed. So there is no one number to hold every Vauxhall against.

Look the interval up for the exact car, then read the record against it. As a rule of thumb, a car with no visits for several years, or a single service just before it went on sale, deserves more questions than one with a steady pattern.

What should a Vauxhall's record show?

• Timing belt on the 1.2 petrol: later cars such as the Corsa, Mokka, Astra and Crossland use a 1.2 engine with a timing belt that runs in oil. The recommended interval has changed over the years, so ask a Vauxhall retailer for the current figure for the exact car, then look for the job or an inspection.
• Cambelt on other engines: the interval varies widely by engine, and the time limit counts even when the mileage is low. An older, low-mileage car can easily be due.
• Diesel particulate filter: diesels used mainly for short trips can suffer. Repeated DPF work in the record is worth asking about.
• Brake fluid and coolant: these work on age as well as mileage, so look for them on older cars that have not covered many miles.

How to read a Vauxhall record before you buy

Many Vauxhalls leave the franchised network after their first few years, so a record that stops part way through is common and does not by itself mean neglect. Ask the seller who looked after the car from then on, and for the invoices. Then compare the mileage with the free MOT history. If the two disagree, stop and ask why before going further.

The check covers models such as the Corsa, Astra, Mokka, Insignia and Crossland. An app showing no history does not settle it either way, because the Digital Service Record has to be activated before it shows anything.

What does a Vauxhall service history check cost?

A Complete History Report costs £16.99 and lists each visit recorded for the car. It also includes the stolen, write-off and finance checks, so the service record and the risk checks arrive in one report. Ordered on its own, the payment is only authorised at first and taken once records are found. If there are none, the hold is released and you pay nothing.

If you only need the risk checks, the Vehicle Risk Check costs £9.99 and is charged when you order. Both are one-off payments with no subscription. See what each check includes, or read the full guide to a car service history check. ServiceBoss is independent and is not connected with Vauxhall.